Fionnay – Loop Trails, Mountain Scenery and Lac de Louvie

Fionnay is a locality in the political municipality of Val de Bagnes in the Swiss canton of Valais. It lies at an elevation of about 1,492 metres above sea level and is considered the last major settlement in Val de Bagnes, below the Corbassière Glacier and Grand Combin. Fionnay also includes Lac de Fionnay and the regulating reservoir of the Forces Motrices de Mauvoisin power station.

Hiking routes from Fionnay

Several hikes make Fionnay a starting and return point. The Fionnay – Col des Otanes – Corbassière route is a loop. It leads through forests and green meadows, then through alpine, rocky terrain. This loop combines a marked change in scenery with a return to the starting point.

Another loop, the Tour des écuries de Louvie – Sovereu, also starts and ends in Fionnay. It leads to the vaulted stables of Louvie, over the Col du Bec d’aigle and to the Sovereu alp. The hike from Fionnay to the Cabane FXB Panossière is also a loop. The Corbassière footbridge, by contrast, can be reached and crossed via a short out-and-back route. The suspension bridge hangs above the moraine, making it a destination in its own right for a short detour.

Cabane de Louvie and Lac de Louvie

The Cabane de Louvie can be reached on foot from Fionnay in two hours. It lies at an altitude of 2,250 metres above a small lake and in the middle of a nature reserve. It is also a meeting point on the Tour du Val de Bagnes. The walking time, elevation and location within the protected area offer different reference points for planning a trip to this hiking destination.

Lac de Louvie is the only lake in the Haut Val de Bagnes where fishing is permitted; it is stocked with rainbow trout every year. The lake, as well as the nearby stables and huts, are listed in the Inventory of Cultural Property of National Importance. At this destination, natural surroundings, fishing and cultural heritage therefore coexist, though they describe different aspects of the place.

Chapel and local history

The chapel’s construction and artwork are also part of Fionnay’s local history. It dates from 1903 and was expanded in 1953. The paintings on its wooden panels depict Our Lady of the Snows and Saint Hubert. The dates place the construction and subsequent expansion in their historical context; the named subjects give the paintings their own religious significance.

With the rise of tourism, hotels for English mountaineers were established in Fionnay at the end of the 19th century. Later, workers involved in building the Mauvoisin dam lived there. These two historical periods connect early tourism with the later construction history of the reservoir.

Discover more destinations: Sarreyer, Champex, Bagnes, Liddes, Le Châble, Bourg-Saint-Pierre, Verbier, La Fouly

For the overview of the wider region: Entremont.