Nendaz in the summer might just be Switzerland’s best kept secret. In winter, the region of Valais in southwest Switzerland is bustling with skiers, but in summer, the snow melts and it becomes a tranquil playground that’s perfect for all kinds of adventure.
Hiking through meadows rich with wildflowers, exploring via ferrata routes up some of Europe’s most impressive mountains, riding electric mountain bikes through dense, lush woodland. Nendaz is our kind of place.
So, to let you in on one of Switzerland’s best kept secrets, here’s five of our favourite activities you can do in Nendaz outside of winter.
Discover hiking in bisse country
What’s a bisse, you ask? Well, they’re a kind of irrigation channel that are found primarily in Valais, but if you’re imagining a plain old ditch, then think again. Often constructed from wood or carved into the rockface itself, these channels carry pure water from mountain streams down to the farms and villages nestled in the valleys below.
As it happens, the paths alongside them also make for great hiking routes, following the trickling streams of water up mountainsides and through forest glades.
There’s bisse walks for everyone, with gentle ambles through stunning scenery to more high altitude trails. We love the look of the Bisse de Chervé hike that starts from the Combatseline chairlift (which operates in summer). From here, the entire path is above 2,200m and winds through alpine landscapes until it reaches the impressive Cleuson dam with its turquoise water.
Go e-biking in the mountains
With over 120 miles of trails that flow through idyllic alpine scenery, Nendaz is tailor-made for mountain biking. But if you’re not a regular cyclist and still want to enjoy of riding through the mountains, then an e-bike is the perfect choice.
There’s plenty of places to rent both traditional mountain bikes and e-bikes, and you can make use of chairlifts and cablecars to get high into the mountains before gliding down through a variety of stunning trails.
If you want to experience the best mountain biking that Nendaz has to offer, check out this two-day, self-guided e-bike tour. You can choose from a more relaxed route that’s suitable for beginner cyclists to a more adventurous route with more uphill that’ll get your blood pumping, but either way, you’ll enjoy cycling through spectacular mountain scenery at your own pace.
Try your hand at mountaineering
If you want to stand atop of an Alpine summit and get up close and personal with the rock face, then this via cordata is for you.
With plenty of anchor points and no technical climbs, the via cordata Mont Fort is an accessible way to experience the thrills of mountaineering, and you only need to be reasonably fit to do it.
However, if you’re not a regular on the ropes, then the way to go is to get a guide who’ll help lead you up to the 3,300m summit of Mont Fort, where you’ll have panoramic views of some of the most iconic mountains in the Alps, including Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn.
Follow the ridgelines
There’s hundreds of miles of hiking trails in Nendaz, and whether you’re a trail runner or looking for family-friendly walks, there’s something for everyone.
One of the most spectacular trails takes you from the Dent de Nendaz to Basso d’Alou, following a winding ridgeline along the way. As you snake along the spine of rock that drops away for thousands of metres either side of you, you’ll be able to look out across to snowcapped peaks and dense forests on what must be one of the most scenic trails in the region.
If you’ve got your sights set on a longer hiking trip, Nendaz Trekking offers a 3 or 4 day hut-to-hut trek with full board for a fully immersive alpine experience.
Experience a summit sunrise
Standing high above the clouds as the world awakens from its slumber is one of the most life-affirming moments you can experience, but don’t think that this experience is only for hardcore mountaineers.
Thanks to a series of chairlifts and cablecars, you can be swiftly whisked to the summit of Mont Fort while the world’s asleep and be standing atop the 3,300m summit in time to see the first rays of sunlight touch the Matterhorn.
After basking in the majesty of nature, it’s just a short ride back down to the Hameau de Tortin restaurant for a hearty breakfast. If there’s a better way to start your day, we’d like to hear it.
Visit Switzerland’s Nendaz region this summer
This is just a short sample of the many activities that await you in Nendaz this summer.
There’s loads more hiking and cycling on offer, and there’s plenty of more relaxed, family-friendly activities too, from fondue tasting to learning how to blow an Alphorn.
Start planning your trip today at www.nendaz.ch