Salgesch: Wine Museum, Vineyard Trails and Wine Culture

Salgesch lies in central Valais, three kilometres northeast of Sierre on the right-hand side of the valley. Several ways to experience wine culture come together here: the Wine Museum tells the story of Valais mountain viticulture, while trails lead through vineyards and the natural landscape of the Raspille Gorge. When planning your stay, you can first consider whether exhibitions, hiking or a guided wine experience will be its main focus.

Wine Museum and trails

The Salgesch Wine Museum traces the history of Valais mountain viticulture, shaped by tradition and passion. It also reveals the secrets of winemaking and traditional vintners’ techniques. Its thirteen rooms present the region’s wine heritage from different perspectives: from vintners’ savoir-faire and the role of terroirs to the grape harvest and cellar work, and finally to drinking and tasting.

The two wine trails also differ in length and route. The six-kilometre Sentier viticole connects the two locations of the Salgesch Wine Museum. The eight-kilometre Rebweg runs alongside vineyards and through the natural landscape of the Raspille Gorge. Eighty signs along the Rebweg provide information about the life of the vine, the landscapes and the people who live there.

Trails among vineyards and nature

Eight stops along the Emerald Lizard Trail explain how natural and agricultural areas coexist. The vintners along the trail have set aside a quarter of their land as protected areas. These areas provide habitats for rare types of vegetation and endangered animal species. The trail thus connects a specific aspect of agriculture with the protection of habitats.

For a playful way to explore, geocaching along the Rebweg is available all year round. Using a GPS device or smartphone, you can search for boxes containing puzzles and stories. The geocaches are located on the Rebweg between the Wine Museum in Salgesch and the grape variety collection in the Bernunes area near Miesen. The Escape Game offers another way to explore this Valais wine village, with challenges involving dexterity, teamwork and solving puzzles.

Wine experiences with different itineraries

Wine and Walk is a bookable guided hike through the vineyards of Cave du Rhodan. Along the way, the focus is on nature, vines and wine; the tasting includes eight wines. Wine & Bike is a two-hour e-bike tour through the extensive vineyards around Salgesch. A reservation is required. At the Vins des Chevaliers winery, you can taste six of the winery’s wines, served with a Valais platter.

Wine & Spass combines a walk from Salgesch station along the Rhône with a wine tasting at Glenz Winery and a Valais platter. Seasonal details may change for this offer. The vintners’ Olympics is designed for teams and is available year-round by reservation. It combines games, a winery tour and a wine tasting; for the meal, you can choose between a Valais platter and raclette.

Booking and offer details for current experiences may vary. Check the conditions for your chosen activity in advance; a reservation is required for Wine & Bike.

Chapel and local history

A path lined with fifteen small stations of the cross leads to the Chapel of Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows. The church festival in honour of Saint John is also part of Salgesch’s annual calendar: it takes place every year on 29 August and attracts pilgrims from all over Switzerland. The exact programme may vary.

The burial of the Lady of Salgesch is dated to between 22 and 60 AD and reflects both Celtic and Roman traditions. In the courtyard of today’s Wine Museum, visitors encounter the Lady of Salgesch alongside Godefroid Zumoffen. An augmented reality display at the Monument à Godefroid Zumoffen can be accessed on site via a QR code; check access locally during your visit.

Getting to Salgesch

Regional trains connect Brig and Sion with Salgesch. For specific departures, check the timetable for your travel date.

Discover more destinations: Inden, Niedergampel, Oberems, Varen, Agarn, Erschmatt, Albinen, Leukerbad

For the overview of the wider region: Leuk.