On top of the world
In south-east Switzerland
Published: 02 October 2004
Where do you go in The whole canton is a rustic, jovial sort of place, full of dark-wood chalets and cows and geranium-boxes. As everyone keeps reminding me when I arrive, it boasts 22,000 vine growers, and 47 different varieties of grape. The region is by far the largest wine-producing area of
Which isn't to say that there isn't any skiing. Valais happens to contain nearly fifty peaks of above 4,000m. Up there, among the serious mountains, you'll find attractions ranging from frozen pavilions to the gigantic ice-sheet of the Aletsch Glacier. You can go for a ride on the Glacier Express mountain railway. And some of
But as for me, right now, I'm sitting in the oenothèque of the Chateau de Villa, in the lovely little town of
Later, I go for a traditional dinner of raclette in the restaurant upstairs. This is a variation on fondue, though the difference is more a matter of style than substance. With raclette, the waiter brings you your plate with a small yellow puddle of cheese already on it. When you have mopped this up with bread and potatoes, a second, different puddle is brought to you. And then a third. And then a fourth. And so on. Some hearty Germans have been known to get through 15 or 20 in an evening, though I manage just five, and even then the subtle distinctions between each are lost on me. Nevertheless, with the local wines, it makes a heart-warming dinner.
My Valaisian hosts, meanwhile, as soon as they hear I am British, begin thanking my race for having invented tourism to
I personally have no intention of climbing the
The village is not exactly throbbing with life; its top tourist attraction is a an ancient bakery. But my hotel is the 100-year-old Bella Tola, run by an astoundingly efficient and hospitable couple called Anne-Françoise and Claude Buchs, along with their three picturesque daughters. It's the kind of place that Edward Whymper might have felt comfortable in, to judge by the shuttered windows, oriental rugs, creaking floorboards and antlered heads on the walls. What's more, we get superb four-course meals for dinner every night, which almost rules out anything as rash as going skiing.
The weather forecast is for cloud and snow, but every morning the sun shines gloriously. The locals look unsurprised. "It is the microclimate of the Val d'Anniviers," they say wisely. "It is the same sun that grows our grapes."
In this weather there is no excuse not to try the skiing, and funnily enough it turns out that there are plenty of options. Within walking distance of the Bella Tola, you can jump on a funicular up to St Luc's own pistes, where the quiet pleasure of skiing in an area with no foreign tourists is soon clear. Over the next couple of days I try two other skiing areas in the valley, namely Grimentz and Zinal. At Grimentz, from the ski lift, I stroll to the top of a 3,000m peak to gaze out over what feels like most of
And at the end of the day I end up in the absurdly picturesque
The tour continues. The next stop, oddly enough, is a cowshed, where local cows are tended and fed during the winter months. A big old farmer who calls himself the President of the Cow Co-operative arrives and introduces me to the beasts. They low, and toss their pretty heads. When the snow melts, they will all be taken up to the hills to graze in the meadows. It is then that the cow-fighting tournaments of Valais will get underway.
In fact, to the Valaisians themselves, these tournaments are no laughing matter. They are the highlight of the cultural calender. Men go about glued to their radios. It is the cows themselves who hold the competitions; their owners merely organise rules and venues (Alpine meadows usually do).
The tournaments proceed on a knockout basis, with each pair of cows wrestling head-to-head until the weaker cow surrenders. There are strict rules and categories. There are referees. There are even anti-doping tests. Such injuries as occur are superficial, and deaths are unheard of. Elimination rounds throughout Valais eventually culminate in a grand final that is held in May, near Sion. This final tournament is annually attended by at least 10,000 people.
The president of the Grimentz Cow Co-op lovingly points out a particularly fetching cow that came second last year. I ask him if the farmers of the Val d'Anniviers love their cows more than their wives? "Never!" he retorts with an appalled expression. "We love them equally!" I understand what he means. Every cow has a name, and each has a cute fringe and long eyelashes. I say goodbye to them, and head back into town. I think I'll take the fondue tonight, rather than the steak.
TRAVELLER'S GUIDE
GETTING THERE
Jeremy Atiyah travelled to St Luc in
STAYING THERE
The writer stayed at the Grand Hotel Bella Tola (00 41 27 475 1444; www.bellatola.ch) in St Luc. Prices for a double room start at Sfr320 (£141) half-board. St Luc is a one-hour bus journey from Sierre, with a change at Vissoie. Buses depart every hour.
VISITING
The Glacier Express (00 41 27 921 4111; www.glacierexpress.ch) travels from
The cow-fighting tournaments, known as Les Combats de Reines (00 41 27 327 3570; www.matterhornstate.ch) take place from March-May every year.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Switzerland Tourism (020-851 1700; www.switzerlandtourism.com).
David St Vincent
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