A must for lovers of bisses and nature: starting from Venthône, you begin by descending through the vineyards to the village of Miège, then head towards the language border and cross the Raspille before discovering a unique panorama of Salgesch and the Pfyn-Finges Nature Park. This is where things begin: the trail will take us to two bisses crossing a very arid area, a consequence of a gigantic landslide which is also the origin of all the hills in the Sierre region. First, the Bisse du Mengis, which draws its water from the Raspille and once supplied the entire vineyard of Salgesch, then the Bisse de Varen, which irrigated the vineyard of the eponymous village. We will finish by crossing the Raspille to take a third bisse, the Bisse-Neuf, also called "Bénou", which served to supply water to the vines and meadows in the Venthône region.
OUR ADVICE
In Venthône, a medieval wine-growing village, don't miss the view offered from the Château park, immediately near the start of the hike.
| Turn-by-turn directions | From Venthône, descend through the vineyards to the village of Miège, which you cross until its center. At the church, continue straight ahead through the vineyard to the Raspille, which can be crossed slightly downstream before climbing up to the viewpoint over Salgesch. Continue climbing along the ridge then into the small forest until you reach the bisse. Then follow the Bisse du Mengis until you meet the paved road, which you follow for a few meters, until the bend where you return into the forest to climb straight up to the Bisse de Varen. Once at the top, take the bisse in the opposite direction, almost all the way to its intake at the Raspille. Descend to join the start of the Bisse-Neuf (Bénou) via the Chemin de Miège, then follow the bisse, much more winding but also noticeably more shaded than the previous two, up to the heights of Venthône. Before the end of the bisse, turn left towards the village, which you then reach via the road. |
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