4 Best Sights in Valais, Switzerland

Storyboards and films at the Fondation Barry du Grand-St-Bernard praise the lifesaving work of a breed of dog that has come to symbolize the Alpine zone straddling Switzerland and Italy. Several St. Bernard dogs (and puppies) live year-round at the foundation, which is in a restored arsenal adjacent to Martigny's Roman amphitheater. Visitors may encounter the dogs at Barryland, a grassy outdoor enclosure; an expanded Barryland Theme Park is scheduled to open in late 2024. Cuddly toy St. Bernards and other dog-themed gifts are sold in the shop. For centuries, the famous St. Bernard dogs helped the monks find travelers lost in the snow. They supposedly came to Switzerland with silk caravans from Central Asia and were used by Romans as war dogs; today they're kept more for sentimental than functional reasons. The foundation is named after the most famous St. Bernard of them all: Barry, who saved more than 40 people in the 19th century and today stands stuffed in Bern's Naturhistorisches Museum (Museum of Natural History). Souvenir stands sell plush versions of St. Bernards. There are a handful of dining options on either side of the pass.

To get a sense of life in this high-altitude region and the risks involved in climbing, visit the Matterhorn Museum – Zermatlantis, a sunken village of chalets, mazots, and dwellings depicted as an archaeological site that visitors walk through, experiencing different periods of time along the way. The personal accounts of local docents liven up the displays of antiquated equipment, clothing, and historical documents about those who lived and climbed here. There is a farmer's cottage, hotel, and church interior, plus stuffed and mounted animals.

Opened in 2013 in the former Archaeological Museum, this space's theme is "Humans and Nature in the Valais," which aims to inspire visitors to consider their relationship with the natural environment in the Valais, from the Mesolithic age to today. Installations feature typical flora and life-size representations of fauna that inhabit this diverse land.

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.