Church in Varen
The parish church in Varen is not only architecturally interesting. Its location offers a unique viewing point. Enjoy the view from the church of the Rhone valley and the forest of Pfyn/Finges nature reserve.
Viewpoint
Wine trail - Leuk - Varen - Salgesch – Sierre
Bicycle tour
Wine trail
On the way through vineyards and wine villages in the nature park.
Discover in a day the wine region of Leuk, Varen and Salgesch. The trail goes from Leuk railway station to Sierre. Besides the vineyard landscape the route also offers numerous surprises such as crossing the Dala, the open panorama of the forest of Pfyn/Finges or the Raspille, the language boundary of the Canton of Valais.
Points of interest:
- Visit to Leuk-Town (the town hall, St Stephens Church, the oldest vineyard in Switzerland, the charnel house, Ring Acker chapel, and the village itself.
- Dala Bridge/ Dala gorge
- Varen church
- Salgesch village (Nature and Landscape Centre, wine Sensorium, wine museum)
- Gironde Lake
- Town of Sierre (wine museum, Rilke museum, etc...)
Season
All season
Route-information
- Length
- 15.00 km
- Vertical heigth
- 100 m
- Altitude difference ascent
- 370 m
- Altitude difference descent
- 470 m
- Time required
- 2 hours
- Level technique
- Easy
- Level condition
- Middle
Arrival
- Starting point
- Leuk SBB (Altitude: 624 m)
- Arrival by public transport
- Leuk, Bahnhof Timetable SBB
- Destination
- Sierre (Altitude: 554 m)
- Arrival by public transport
- Sierre/Siders, gare Timetable SBB
Signalization
No signalisationSafety advices
Traffic rules, helmetInfrastructure
Viewpoint Varen (by the church)
- Playground
- Picnicplace
- Toilet
Price information
Depends on the booked servicesPossibilities for catering
Pfyn-Finges Nature Park partner companies:Cave du Rhodan Mounir Wines AG, 3970 Salgesch
Monday - Friday: 8 a.m. – 12:00 midday & 1:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Domaines Chevaliers SA, 3970 Salgesch
Monday - Friday: 8 a.m. – 12:00 midday & 1:30 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Franz-Josef Mathier AG, 3970 Salgesch
Monday - Friday: 9 a.m. – 12:00 midday & 2 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m. - 12 midday
Albert Mathier & Sons AG, 3970 Salgesch
Monday - Friday: 8 a.m. – 12:00 midday & 1:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m. - 12 midday
C. Varonier & Sons AG, 3953 Varen
Monday - Friday: 9 a.m. - 12 midday & 2 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m. - 12 midday & 1:30 p.m. – 4 p.m. (January -March)
Saturday: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.(April – December)
Mathieu bakery and tea room, 3953 Leuk-Town
Monday - Friday: 6:30 a.m. - 12 midday
Saturdays, Sundays and holidays: 6:30 a.m. - 12 midday
The offer is suitable for
- Adults
- Children >12 years
- 50+
Waypoints
Domaines Chevaliers
The DOMAINES CHEVALIERS wine cellar is a traditional flagship of the Valais wine industry. The founders have applied their foresight and pioneering spirit to become the first to offer their wines under the appellation «Salgesch / Salquenen» label.
FoodsProducerShop for regional products
St. Stephen's Parish Church
The parish church of St Stephen is in the centre of Leuk. The towering and imposing bell tower draws the visitor's attention to the stately building.
Historical building
Leuk's Castle
For the bishops this was the summer residence - for rogues and criminals it was dungeons and the torture chamber: the bishop's castle or "rogues' tower".
Historical buildingHistorical placeCastle
Leuk-Town Hall
The distinctive corpus of the Town Hall tower with its pentagonal base is situated at the entrance to the town in the immediate vicinity of the bishop's castle.
Historical building
Ring Acker Chapel
The Ring Acker chapel is considered one of the most magnificent baroque buildings in Valais. It stands on a plateau between Susten and Leuk-Town. Nothing is known about its architects.
Historical building
Château de Villa
The Château de Villa is an old patrician house form the 17th century It houses a wine cellar and a speciality restaurant. Enjoy the traditional terroir dishes and discover over 650 wines from different vineyards in Valais
RestaurantCafé
Town of Sierre
The town of Sierre lies on the border between the Upper and Lower Valais and is thus also the language boundary for the German and French speaking parts of the canton. Sierre lies on hills between vineyards in the heart of Valais in the Alps
Historical place
Albert Mathier & Sons AG
The winegrowing family Albert Mathier & Sons have been producing exquisite Valais wines with passion and commitment since 1928. We are very proud to demonstrate 80 years of family and winegrowing tradition.
FoodsProducerShop for regional products
FJ Mathier wine cellar
The Felizitas Mathier Benicchio family business is now in its 3rd generation of managers and has been undertaking pioneering work in natural winegrowing dedicated to the wine varieties of Valais for the last half a century.
FoodsProducerShop for regional products
Cave du Rhodan Mounir Weine
Sustainability
This family business has been characterised by its pioneering spirit and innovative skills for generations
FoodsProducerShop for regional products
Nature and landscape centre
The nature and landscape centre Salquenen is the administrative headquarters of the nature park. There you will find the reception, the shop, the library, and the office premises.
Visitor center
Pyramids in Salgesch
The pyramids in Salgesch have arisen through irregular erosion of the rocks.
Natural monument
Collection of Grape Varieties
Every variety of grape found in the Valais have been planted here on a single plot and labelled.
Museum / Exhibition
Weir in Susten
Because particularly in winter a lot of water is taken from the weir in Susten, sometimes the river here seems to be just a trickle.
Historical building
Wine Museum Valais
The Vine and Wine Museum, Sierre - Salgesch is devoted to viticulture. The 2 exhibitions in the Zumofenhaus and the Château Villa deal with differnt topics, but they are linked with a 6-km long nature trail and as such also form one entity.
Museum / Exhibition
Hammer mill
The Hammer mill with the Dala bridge gate tower built in the 14th century. This is one of the three historical bridges that enabled access to the town.
Historical building
Leuk-Stadt
Leuk has one of the most interesting and historic townscapes in the whole of Valais. Even today there is a medieval atmosphere that can be felt in the alleys and squares of this little town
Historical place
Pfyn-Finges Nature Reserve
The forest of Pfyn/Finges nature reserve is the centrepiece of the regional nature park Pfyn/Finges. The forest of Pfyn/Finges has been officially protected since 1997, after it had already been included in the KLN inventory in 1963.
Natural landscape / Habitat
C. Varonier & Söhne AG Cellar
Wine production with tradition
The C. Varonier & Söhne AG cellars have been operating in the picturesque Varen region for 3 generations. It was founded in 1969 and has prioritised hospitality, warmth, innovation and authenticity from the outset
FoodsProducerShop for regional products
Wine Sensorium Salgesch
Discover the world of good wine, Taste and train your sensory perception.
Museum / Exhibition