36 Best Sights in Valais, Switzerland

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, and some of them, like Nico's Books, also sell titles in English. 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.