An Out-of-Time Road Trip in the Val d’Hérens

It is summer: why not set off to explore the mountain roads, by motorbike or at the wheel of a fine vintage car? Lovers of mechanics and collector cars will find in the Val d’Hérens a playground to match — a valley that seems drawn for the pleasure of driving, slowly, the eye caught by the peaks.

The road as a journey

From Sion, the road climbs towards the Val d’Hérens and strings together villages of preserved character. You pass through Euseigne with its earth pyramids, skirt the balconies of Évolène and its dark-wood chalets, go through Les Haudères before the valley narrows towards Arolla, at the foot of the glaciers. It is a steady climb, marked by switchbacks and viewpoints, where the journey is worth as much as the destination.

Bring out your fine machines

The iconic 2CV, the elegant convertible Caravelle, a 1950s Harley-Davidson, a proud Trabant: so many silhouettes of unmistakable style that turn heads as they pass. We have a soft spot for nostalgia — and it suits perfectly a valley where time takes its time.

A stop worthy of the road

With its hundred and fifty years of history, its old-fashioned charm and its atmosphere from another age, the Grand Hôtel & Kurhaus is the ideal stop at the end of the road. A member of the Swiss Historic Hotels, it gladly welcomes motorcycle clubs and vintage-car enthusiasts: parking, a terrace facing Mont-Collon, and a quiet night at 2,000 metres before setting off again.

If your group brings together bikers or members of a club, write to us: we will gladly put together a tailor-made stay. Ready for an out-of-time road trip in the Val d’Hérens?