The Val d’Entremont is closely associated with the Great St Bernard Pass. At the same time, Entremont offers everything from hiking trails between villages to alpine habitats and historic buildings. Topics to discover here include planning your time on the trails, the distinctive features of mountain nature and traces left by travellers of the past.
Hiking trails for different timeframes
The Chemin des villages et hameaux d’Entremont is classified as an easy hike. The route is 13.88 kilometres long and takes about 3 hours and 55 minutes. It passes through Liddes, Chandonne, Commeire, La Rosière, Chamoille d’Orsières and La Douay. The focus is on hiking through villages and hamlets. To return to the starting point, you can take the St-Bernard Express to Orsières and then the postbus towards Liddes. Check the timetables before setting out; trail conditions may change with the seasons.
A visit to the Mur (dit) d’Hannibal requires a different time commitment: allow a full day for the round trip. The fortified position, dating from the second half of the 1st century BC, lies above the municipality of Liddes in Valais at an altitude of around 2,650 metres. It can be reached via an educational trail from Liddes, Bourg-Saint-Pierre or the Cabane de Mille. Unlike the village hike, which takes about four hours, this visit requires a full day for the round trip. Check mountain conditions before setting off.
Alpine nature and its distinctive features
The Sentier LaboNature Entremont presents ten topics through a series of information boards. These include the Dranse, vineyards and forests, as well as geology and the history of the Trappists. The landscape and traces of human activity are presented side by side, without any single attraction restricting the view of the area's variety of themes.
In the Réserve naturelle de la Combe de l’A nature reserve, alpine biotopes between 1,400 and 3,000 metres provide habitats for a diverse range of wildlife. A trail allows visitors to observe wild animals without disturbing them; information boards explain the geology and botany. The La Linnaea Alpine Garden focuses on botany: here, you can explore alpine plants. Henry Correvon founded the garden on 20 July 1889 on the northern slope of the Great St Bernard Pass. It is considered the oldest alpine garden in the Western Alps.
The Great St Bernard Pass: hospice and pilgrimage route
The hospice at the Great St Bernard Pass was founded in 1050 by Saint Bernard of Aosta to provide shelter and support to travellers. The hospice includes a Baroque church and a treasury containing sacred objects belonging to the religious community; access arrangements may vary. In summer, visitors can see the St Bernard dogs and take them on mountain hikes accompanied by a guide. Check before travelling whether the seasonal visits and hikes are taking place.
The Via Francigena also connects with this history: the Bourg-Saint-Pierre–Grand-Saint-Bernard stage is the final Swiss stage and reaches the hospice, the highest point on the route between Canterbury and Rome. You can travel to Orsières by train and then take the bus to the Great St Bernard Pass. As timetables may change, it is worth checking connections before you leave.
Villages, buildings and local culture
The historic villages and hamlets in the Val d’Entremont preserve traditional houses, chalets and barns as part of their architectural heritage. Commeire is also home to an underground fortress built between 1940 and 1943, which is now open to the public. The Montagne Alternative tourism project in Commeire welcomes tourists and seminar groups and serves as a venue for a range of events focused on sustainable living.
A different aspect of military history awaits at the Fort d’artillerie de Champex-Lac. Its underground galleries extend for more than 600 metres, and the facility could accommodate 300 men. A tour through the labyrinth of corridors offers a glimpse of a Swiss fortress from the Cold War. Current access arrangements may vary. Visitors can also observe the production of Raclette AOP Bagnes 98 in a gallery open to the public; visiting conditions may change.
Discover more destinations: Bourg-Saint-Pierre, Champex, Fionnay, Le Châble, Verbier, La Fouly, Bagnes, Orsières, Vollèges, Sarreyer, Liddes.
View the regional travel overview: Valais.
