Dala-Raspille cultural trail

This dramatic hike captivates with its variety: culture and history, spectacular mountain worlds, dramatic gorges, as well as wine-growing villages with views over the wild Rhone in the regional nature park Pfyn-Finges.

The hike can be divided into two scenic parts. It begins in the thermal spa town of Leukerbad with a descent through the Dala valley. Further down, the path leads through the vineyards of two of the most charming wine villages in Valais. The hike ends just before the German-French language border in the wine village of Salgesch.

The trail is marked as a cultural route. The Romans used the route to reach the most abundant thermal springs in the Alps in Leukerbad. For centuries, the Dala valley was an important trade route between the Bernese Oberland and Valais. The first package tour in Switzerland, organized by Thomas Cook, passed through the Dala valley in 1863 and is now known as the multi-day hike "Via Cook."

A section of the hike follows the no longer used railway track, where trains ran between Leuk and Leukerbad from 1915 to 1967. However, traffic slowed down in the valley as early as 1913 when the Lötschberg Tunnel opened and shifted transit traffic.

The second part leads through the vineyards of Varen, known for its naturally grown Pinot Noir. Then you reach Salgesch, where one of the two locations of the Valais Wine Museum is located.

Highlights of the hike:

• Thermal spa town Leukerbad – the most abundant thermal springs in the Alps
• The wild Dala valley with the Roman road, historic villages, and picturesque chapels
• Wine villages Varen and Salgesch with great views of the wild and branching Rhone