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Val d'Hérens

Val d'Hérens

The Euseigne pyramids, the baths and the Grande Dixence

Activities: 1
Towns: 2
Altitude: 950 à 2360 m

The Val d'Hérens runs due south from Sion and quickly splits in two: the Hérémence branch, climbing the Val des Dix to the Grande Dixence dam, and the Evolène branch, heading for Les Haudères and Arolla. It is a valley where the geology is impossible to miss. The Euseigne pyramids, those columns of moraine each capped with a boulder, are visible from the road and fascinate children without needing much explanation. Families also come for Les Grands Bains d'Hérémence, where you soak facing the mountains all year round, and for the villages around Evolène, still built of wood and stone, where traditional dress still comes out for the village festivals. It is a valley of two moods, one industrial and one deeply rural, and both are worth the bus ride.

Family activities in Val d'Hérens

Everything to do with your kids in the region. Tell us the constraint of the day and we will show you what fits.

Hérémence

Les Grands Bains d'Hérémence: a large thermal bath for families facing the mountains of the Val d'Hérens

4-18 yrs Indoor

1 / 1

Plan the family outing

Getting there, weather, ages, budget: the answers before you go.

Getting there

Everything starts at Sion station, on the Simplon line. Postal buses climb the valley to Euseigne, Evolène, Les Haudères and Arolla on one side, and to Hérémence and the Val des Dix on the other. In summer, one line runs right up to the foot of the Grande Dixence dam. By car, leave the A9 at Sion and follow the Hérémence or Evolène road.

Good to know: the road passes literally underneath the Euseigne pyramids, through a tunnel bored into the moraine. Warn the children beforehand, it lasts three seconds and they will miss it otherwise.

With toddlers

Les Grands Bains d'Hérémence are the valley's safe bet: indoor and outdoor pools, open all year, with a clear view of the peaks. Evolène has a flat village centre that works with a pushchair, and fountains everywhere. Higher up, the paths turn stony quickly: beyond the villages, swap the pushchair for a baby carrier.

The valley classics

The Grande Dixence dam at the head of the Val des Dix is the tallest gravity dam in the world and can be visited in summer. The church at Hérémence, built entirely in bare concrete, is a genuine surprise among the chalets. And the Euseigne pyramids can be photographed from a viewpoint a few minutes from the bus stop, which makes them a perfect halt between two legs of the journey. Higher up, Arolla and Les Haudères act as a base camp for families who walk, with well marked valley-floor trails.

Frequently asked questions

How do you reach the Val d'Hérens without a car?

From Sion station, postal buses climb the whole valley: Euseigne, Evolène, Les Haudères and Arolla on one side, Hérémence and the Val des Dix on the other. Allow about thirty minutes to Hérémence and a little over an hour to Evolène. In summer, one line continues to the Grande Dixence dam.

What is there to do in the Val d'Hérens when it rains?

Les Grands Bains d'Hérémence are the obvious answer: indoor and outdoor pools, open all year, with a mountain view even under cloud. On the way back down, Sion is about thirty minutes away by bus and has cinemas and an indoor pool nearby.

Are the Euseigne pyramids worth a stop with children?

Yes, and it is a short stop. These moraine columns, each capped by a large boulder, are visible from the road, which even runs underneath them through a small tunnel. A viewpoint a few minutes from the bus stop lets you take them in. It is a geology lesson that needs no explaining, from about four or five years old.

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