Top Reasons to Go to Valais

The Matterhorn: Shutter-snap this glorious enigma from all angles, be it a luxury hotel room at its base or the sky-high Gornegrat-Monte Rosa Bahn.

Be a downhill racer: Get to know your snow at fabled ski resorts like Crans-Montana and Verbier (and the nearby lovely lift villages).

Cantonal capital: Presided over by the castle of Tourbillon, Sion is a fortified link in the giant web of precipitous passes.

Going to the dogs: Credited with saving so many lives, the revered St. Bernards still accept thanks at their Col du Grand St-Bernard hospice.

Zermatt: Worship the cult of the Matterhorn from this posh resort, where chic boutiques and raclette restaurants keynote the "high" life.