NAX / Architectural heritage |
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The Church |
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| You can see it in the village square. Its superb and venerated bell tower, not less than 500 years old, is one of the three towers that still exist in the whole of Hérens Valley. The second one is part of the Saint-Sylve church in Vex and the third one of the parish church of Evolène.
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NAX / Architectural heritage |
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The Sawmill |
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| You can see it going up the road that leads to the installations of Télé Mont-Noble. It has been renovated lately and still functions. It is a real interesting historical monument.
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NAX / Architectural heritage |
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The communal oven |
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| You can see it at the top of the village, behind the Hotel Ma Vallée, in the area called “La Crettaz”. This communal oven constructed in 1912 is the propriety of the “Bourgeoisie” (Citizenship of the commune of origin). The “Naxards” (people of Nax) are proud of having preserved this witness of their past. Fellow members of the oven society bake their special bread several times a year on the occasion of different events in the village.
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NAX / Architectural heritage |
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The country house |
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| It lies in the area of the Crou, below the church. This patrimony gives a perfect image of different aspects of a surprising knowledge of generations of artisans. You will find there treasures resulting from the ingenuity of these generations for adapting and inventing.
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NAX / Architectural heritage |
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The Chapel of St. Thérèse of the Infant Jesus |
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| You will find under the departure of Télé Mont-Noble, taking a small road in the first hairpin bend going up. It is the judge Eugène Ambord who had it built at the beginning of the ninety thirties. The aim was to welcome the tourists and the summer visitors who stayed in the “Mayens of Nax”.
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NAX / Architectural heritage |
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The Belvedere Triangulation Point |
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It is situated at the panoramic point of the Sky Balcony just a few meters away from the Café “Vieux Chalet”. Nax has constructed this “monument” in 1994. It commemorates 160 years of joint efforts of Anton Berchtold and the general Guillaume Henri Dufour to create the map of the whole of Switzerland.
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NAX / Natural Heritage |
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The small Valley of Réchy |
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| Some people call it “Valley of Réchy”. It sounds big and imposing! They are right as this valley is full of astonishing natural treasures which one discovers all the time. The small Valley of Réchy seems to be suspended at the altitude of 800 meters. It leans against the Sex Blanc which overhangs the Rhone Valley. It is an unrivalled place of interest in the centre of the Valais.
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NAX / Natural Heritage |
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The lake of Louché |
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| In the upper part of the small Valley of Réchy at 2567 m you will find this beautiful “Lake of Louché”. A marvellous place available to all good walkers.
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NAX / Natural Heritage |
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The Rose of Nax |
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| It is a real bliss to see it flower almost everywhere in the streets of Nax from half-June to half-July. Some rare botanists knew about its existence only a few years ago. They told us its story or at least a part of it since its presence in Nax is still a mystery. The people of Nax replanted it before knowing more of its story.
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NAX / Natural Heritage |
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The sleeping Naxard |
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| Na, Nas, Nax...nasus, nez, nose? Where does the name of Nax come from and what could it mean? It is a recurrent question on the Sky Balcony! The Armorial of Valais of 1964 teaches us that between the 11th and the14th century the name of Nax was spelled “Nas” and it became Nax only in 1364. You can discover this form taking the Bramois-Nax road starting at the Via Ferrata of the Belvédère.
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NAX / Natural Heritage |
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The Childrens’ Rock |
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| Many elderly and younger people in Nax, when you ask them about it, will tell you that two young shepherds, a girl and a boy, were probably crushed and buried under this enormous stone. To find it in the middle of a glade, you must take the road of the ski installations and then turn to your right in the direction of the pasture of the Chiesso
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NAX / Natural Heritage |
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The Adonis |
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| It is the flower to discover in the spring. To see it you must go down the village to the place called Pramilon. It originated in Eurasia. It is rare to see it and so it is protected in the Valley. It can be found in just a few places: Follatères in Martigny, Charrat, Saxon, Riddes, Coor/Nendaz, Bramois, Nax, Agarn, Turtmann, Turtig and Ergisch.
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VERNAMIEGE / Architectural heritage |
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The parish church |
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The neo-classic parish church is in the middle of the village. The main entry above which there is a wooden porch is fitted in the belfry. Its consecration took place on the 18th June 1917 although the interior was far from being finished. This finishing lasted long time, according to possibilities and finally was accomplished in 1942. The interior of the church was renovated and adapted to the modern liturgy in 1976. The artist-painter Willy Hartung and the glassmaker Theo Imboden worked together to create and to place the new stained-glass windows. It was necessary to repair the belfry in 1977 and in 1989 using some modern methods. In 1991, for the 700th anniversary of the Swiss Confederation the bell tower received its illuminations.
Thus its slender peak towers above the village day and night.
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VERNAMIEGE / Architectural heritage |
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Oratory of Our Lady of Fatima |
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| Its construction took place in 1987 in the spot called “La Pierre de la doucette”. It was the initiative of two priests, natives of the village, to create this oratory in this welcoming place of interest, winding round a rock. It is dedicated to our Lady of Fatima which explains the presence of the statue. There are several people who look after a way of the cross which starts at the Gotires and follows the forest road. It is a witness of the Christian faith where the Cardinal Schwery used to celebrate an annual mass.
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VERNAMIEGE / Architectural heritage |
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The oldest larch trees |
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| Three larch trees, older than the oldest prophets, stand up in the forest of the Bans, uphill slope from the village. These woodland sages had been collecting thoughts, laughs or tears of men and women for the last 800 years. Their age is very rare to find among their fellows in all of Europe.
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MASE / Architectural heritage |
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The goat stable |
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| You will find this building, charged with history, in the centre of the area. The goat was part of the community life together with the cow up to nineteen sixties. Nowadays this two-storeys building serves only to promote patrimony and culture.
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MASE / Architectural heritage |
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The Church |
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| Its origins go back to the 13th century. It was reconstructed in 1705. It has been modified several times and consecrated by Cardinal Henry Schwery on the 25th September 1988.
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MASE / Architectural heritage |
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The Granary of the Mill |
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| The Ernest Dubois Foundation was created in 1988. Its aim is to protect the patrimony, the fauna and the flora. It contributed to the restoration of the Granary of the Mill.
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MASE / Architectural heritage |
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The Mill |
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| The last mill of Mase stopped functioning in 1958. Its originality lies in the utilisation of a horizontal paddle wheel protected by a caisson. It seems to be the only one of this type in the Valais. The wheat and bread society created in 1997 brought the mill back to life, for kneading the dough and for using the communal oven again for making bread.
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MASE / Architectural heritage |
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The Raccard |
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| It is a small museum now. You discover there the tools and old machines which belonged to the families of the village of Mase.
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MASE / Architectural heritage |
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The House of the Bear |
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| Strolling about in the narrow streets of Mase you will discover a real bear’s paw nailed to the larch tree front of a building. This building near the church has been darkened by the hot sun of the Valais. It has a stone base. This construction in two parts, wood and stone, its kitchen in stonework facing the mountain, without foundations, may be considered to be one of the most typical places of residence in the Valais, or more precisely in the Central Valais where this type of house predominates.
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MASE / Natural heritage |
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Cultural tour of the village |
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| It is a guided tour of the village in all seasons. An astonishing cultural visit of patrimony.
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ST-MARTIN / Architectural heritage |
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The agrotourist place of interest of Ossona |
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| Discover this unrivalled place in the heart of Hérens Valley where meet man, agriculture and nature. Maria and Daniel will make you discover the exploitation of milk cows and goats. Visit this place of interest with your family. There are lodgings on straw and an inn near-by. There is also a large room for seminaries.
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ST-MARTIN / Architectural heritage |
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The communal ovens |
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| They are stone constructions in Eison, la Luette, Liez and Praz-Jean. They were built there by the commune for the use of every family and they served up to the Second World War. Today, the fire warms up again the fireproof stone vault for the greatest pleasure of inhabitants and guests of the region. These magic moments become real popular celebrations, in particular in Eison and in La Luette.
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ST-MARTIN / Architectural heritage |
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The Church of Saint-Martin |
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| The parishes of St-Martin and Evolène were part of the vast territory which had been called Hérens for a long time. The people of Evolène have had their own chapel since 1445. It is only since the 13th century that the name of Saint-Martin has been mentioned. It came from the church dedicated to this saint which gave its name to the village.
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ST-MARTIN / Architectural heritage |
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The chapel of Suen |
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| Suen is probably the oldest locality of the commune of St-Martin. A Feudal Society existed there already in 1052. A chapel was mentioned before 1691 but the actual building appeared much later: it was consecrated on the 4th November 1704.
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ST-MARTIN / Architectural heritage |
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The chapel of the Immaculata |
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| At the place called La Tsapelette, between the village of Suen and that of St-Martin, exists an Oratory dedicated to our Lady.
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ST-MARTIN / Architectural heritage |
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The Chapel of Eison |
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| This chapel dedicated to Saint-George and Saint-Théodule (the patron-saint of the wine growers in the Valais) is very simple. It was attested in 1671 but reconstructed in 1960.
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ST-MARTIN / Architectural heritage |
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The Chapel of Liez |
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| This chapel was built between 1687 and 1737. Its last restoration dates from 1920. It is a modest looking baroque building.
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ST-MARTIN / Architectural heritage |
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The Chapel of La Luette |
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| The work of foundations of this chapel dedicated to Our Lady Auxiliary began in 1887.
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ST-MARTIN / Architectural heritage |
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The Way of the Cross |
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| We discover the altars representing the way of the Cross, following a small path between the village of Suen and that of St-Martin.
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ST-MARTIN / Architectural heritage |
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Bridge of Praz-Jean |
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| This bridge dates form 1636. Its stones form a single arch over the river la Borgne.
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ST-MARTIN / Architectural heritage |
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Pasture of Eison |
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| It is a grassy area which exists above the “mayens” and serves for grazing the cows of the noble Hérens race from the middle of June to the middle of September. To start with, they stay at Tsalet and then go to L’A Vieille. The pasture of Eison has been entirely renovated. The animals have a newly constructed large cowshed. The former rudimentary chalets (chottes) were completely renovated and give the possibility to the tourists to stay there.
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ST-MARTIN / Architectural heritage |
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Pasture of Lovégno |
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| This pasture exists above the village of St-Martin. It is made up of two exploitations, one of them being Prabé, a magnificent glade at 1950 meters. Higher up, at the altitude of 2150 meters the second cowshed lodges the cows during the months of July and August. The actual lady farmer makes there an excellent cheese for “raclette” and also an excellent lean curd cheese (sérac). You can very well eat there and buy the local products.
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ST-MARTIN / Architectural heritage |
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Pasture of Vendes |
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| The ancient rudimentary chalets, the witnesses of the past and now abandoned, were the propriety of rightful owners of the pasture. They formed an association and its members were the only ones to have the right to funds in common.
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ST-MARTIN / Natural heritage |
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Sources of Combioula |
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| The Valley of Hérens was often called the Valley of the devil. It is possible that our ancestors believed in it as they found out that there were hot waters coming up at Combioula. Along the side of the bed of the river la Borgne emerge several thermal mineral water sources. They are situated at the bottom of the valley and have been known since the 15th century. Their outgoing temperature reaches 26°C. At the beginning of the 18th century Issac de Rivaz tried to develop utility of these waters by extracting several mineral salts from them. His research had to be interrupted because of the lack of means.
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