38 Best Sights in Valais, Switzerland

Head up a switchback road to the tiny village of St-Luc for a taste of rural life and celestial viewing at the observatory, an easy funicular ride up the mountain.

Known for its 11th-century church, this village is also known as the only "book town" in Switzerland. Secondhand-book-dealers' shops are clustered around the Place and Rue de l'Eglise. A main attraction is one of Switzerland's quirkiest mom-and-pop stores, La Potagère ( 3 rue de l'Eglise  027/3064344), crammed to (and including) the rafters with local oils, vinegars, organic teas, syrups, dried fruit, and delicious jams made in-house.

Climb the winding pathway behind Pizzeria Molino to the white church on the hill, St. Peter's. Anglican services are still held in the tiny sanctuary established by the British, who ignited a climbing fervor to conquer the Matterhorn and other towering peaks in the region. Take time to pause in the cemetery that holds the graves of those not fortunate enough to return safely and others who remained in this beloved community to live out their lives.

The fantastical Stockalperschloss, a massive baroque castle, was built between 1658 and 1678 by Prince Kaspar Jodok von Stockalper und Thurm (1609–91), a Swiss tycoon who made his fortune in Italian trade over the Simplon Pass. Soaring spectacularly with three towers topped with gilt onion domes and containing a courtyard lined by elegant Italianate arcades, it was once Switzerland's largest private home and is now restored. Inside are libraries, archives, and some baroque period rooms. Though you can visit the gardens, public tours are offered in German only, but group tours in English, French, and Italian can be booked through Brig Simplon Tourism.

This family-friendly thermal bath has a complex of pools, grottos, lazy rivers, and saunas set in a green meadow, with views of the Alps. It's an ideal spot for the après-ski set or for those who just need a day of wellness.

Just across from the cathedral, this tower is the last remnant of the walls that once ringed the town.

Zinal, farther into the valley away from Sierre, is an isolated mountaineering center with well-preserved wood houses and mazots.

Find out more about the Matterhorn, including plant and animal life, at this small but interesting multimedia exhibit in the former mountain railway station atop the Gornergrat summit. While 3D projections show the changing seasons on the mountain, the highlight is the paragliding simulator, which uses VR glasses to give you the experience of soaring high above the mountains.