Sion Attractions

The cultural history of the area from the end of the first millennium to the present day.

The Cathedral of Notre-Dame-du-Glarier was rebuilt in the 15th C. and has a 12th C. Romanesque tower. It contains 15th C. bishops' tombs and 17th C. choir-stalls; among the many valuable items in the treasury are a number of reliquaries of the eighth-10th C. In 1988 the great organ, a more than 100-year-old masterpiece by the famous organ builder Carlen of Reckingen, was brought back into service after being restored.

On the higher of the two hills above Sion (655 m/2,149ft) are the imposing ruins of the Château de Tourbillon (built 1294, destroyed by fire 1788), from which there is a view embracing the Rhône valley from Leuk in the east to Martigny in the west.

In 1988 a cultural center was opened in the Grenette building (1860) with capacity for concerts, exhibitions and other performances in Sion.

This annual three-month festival runs from early June to early September and includes over a dozen performances including orchestral, choral and organ concerts. The festival focuses on ancient organ music, and brings together world-class masters.

The organ at the center of the festival is the Gothic organ situated in the Valère Cathedral. It is the oldest playable organ in the world, dating back to the eleventh-century.

At 7 rue de Conthey stands the Maison Supersaxo, built by Georg Supersaxo, the provincial governor, in 1505; it has a fine hall with an elaborately carved and painted ceiling.

The Sion Museum of Antiquities is at No. 12 Place de la Majorie with prehistoric finds and Gallo-Romanic exhibitions. Beyond this is All Saints chapel (Tous-les-Saints), still in Romanesque style though it was built as late as 1325 (with some 17th C. rebuilding). From here it is a few minutes' walk to the Château de Tourbillon).

Beside the Notre-Dame-de-Valère church in Sion is the cantonal Musée de Valère with Roman antiquities and medieval sculpture.

In Sion there is an interesting Museum of Natural History with geology, mineralogy, botany and zoological departments (dinosaur finds, 1979).

This annual four-day festival has proven popular over the years. The events usually take place in early September.

In the spacious Place de la Planta are the Palais du Gouvernement (cantonal offices) and a monument commemorating the centenary of Valais' admission into the Confederation (1815).

In the main street of Sion, Rue du Grand-Pont, which is built over the conduited river Sionne, is the Hôtel de Ville (Town Hall, 1660), with an astronomical clock. Built into the hall on the ground floor are a number of Roman inscribed stones, including one of A.D. 377 which is the earliest evidence of Christianity in Switzerland.

Facing the Sion cathedral, to the southwest, is the church of St Théodule, a sober building of 1516. The Bishop's Palace (Evêché) on the west side of the square was rebuilt in 1840.

This annual festival includes a series of 15 concerts between early July and early September. The concerts include orchestral, choral and chamber music, with a diverse repertoire. An international violin competition also coincides with the festival in mid-August.

The venues are as varied as the repertoire and include the Sion Cathedral, local churches, halls, and state buildings.

From the Sion Town Hall a narrow street, Rue des Châteaux (No. 19 Cantonal Museum of Art), leads up to the castles. (It is possible to drive as far as the All Saints chapel and park there.) On the left are the remains of the Château de la Majorie, which now houses the Valais Museum of Art. In front of the castle is a monument to St Theodulus (Bishop of Valais).

From Sion's Bishop's Palace the narrow Rue de la Tour runs north to the Tour des Sorciers (Wizard's Tower, 12th C.), a relic of the medieval fortifications. Close by, at the junction of Rue de Gravelone and Avenue St-François, stands the Muli (Mule) monument (by M.-E. Sandoz, 1966).

Road 9 runs down the Rhône valley from Sion via the village of Vétroz to St-Pierre-de-Clages (526 m/1,726ft), which has a church of the 11th-12th C. with an octagonal tower, one of the finest Romanesque churches in the country (stained glass of 1948).

Ovronnaz offers a thermal spa and skiing opportunities. An annual festival takes place in July.

This driving tour is 15km/9mi.

At Arvilard (5km/3mi) on the Val de Nendaz road turn left into a road which climbs in large bends via Salins (847 m/2,779ft) to (13km/8mi) Les Agettes (1,030 m/3,379ft). 2km/1mi Mayens de Sion (1,300-1,400 m/4,265-4,593ft), a summer village of chalets widely dispersed over the Alpine meadows, which are supplied with water by irrigation channels (bisses). Magnificent views of the Bernese Alps, in particular the Wildhorn (3,248 m/10,657ft), due north above Sion.