SUMMER ACTIVITIES
When the snow has melted and the ski season is over, the alps take on a whole new identity. Summertime reveals a paradise of sun-drenched green pastures with views of spectacular snow-topped mountains. Some say the mountains are at their best at this time of year.
This gorgeous summer season, combined with the wide range of activities, makes Les Collons the perfect place for a summer holiday.
- Endless mountain biking – Thyon Les Collons hosts one of the toughest mountain bike races in the world – The Grand Raid Cristalp
- Rock climbing
- Well marked hiking trails
- Mountaineering
- Well-known for the best paragliding in Europe
- Up to 6 days workshop learning the skills of walking a glacier while staying over in mountain hut
- Tennis
- World class golf at the championship course in Crans (45mins) or Sion golf course (20mins).
- For family fun you can play 9 hole mini golf or the new sport disc golf, in Thyon.
- Horse riding or pony rides
- Fishing
- Canoeing
- Quad bike riding
- Archery
- Thermal bath resorts at Ovronnaz and Leukerbad reachable within a 45 minute drive
- Private yoga instructors and massage therapists can be called on request
- The Valaisan people have a multitude of local traditions and festivals, which take place throughout the Spring and Summer months.
- Visit the educational farm, see the animals and discover the way of rural mountain life interactively
- The Saint-Bernard museum
- Olympic museum in Lausanne
- Day trips to authentic alpine villages and Roman towns such as Martigny, lakeside Montreux made famous by the Jazz festival, the Valais’ capital and oldest town in Switzerland Sion is great for a little shopping, a cultural trip to see the chateaux, churches or a gourmet meal out.
- Visit local wineries in Verbier or learn how to make your own truffles at a local patisserie
- Spend a day in a local herb garden or experience Swiss agricultural sustainability at a local farm
- For cocktail enthusiasts, be use to visit Morand Distillery to taste and learn about the local AOC Eaux de Vie
- A trip to a local fromagerie for a real cheese-making demonstration
- Cow fighting season starts as soon as the winter ends, but during June and in the first few days of July, the combative Eringer (Hérens) cows of the Valais fight for the title of “Queen” with the final taking place in Thyon
- Valaisian Carnival
- Picnics by glacier-fed lakes
- Explore the forests and see if you can spot local wild life
- Over 950 km of footpaths you can walk with no great differences in altitude along the historic irrigation channels
- Grande Dixence – A guided tour around the highest dam in the world at the Lake Dixence, with a beautiful view of the biggest lake above 2000m in the alps.
- The Alpine Botanical Garden features unbelievable panoramas of the lake Champex and the snowcapped peaks of Les Combins. Uncover 3,000 species of plants and flora that bloom on more than 6,000 m² of garden grounds
- The underground lake near St-Léonard (situated between Sion and Sierre)