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Sion is a very beautiful and interesting French speaking provincial Swiss town. It is known as Sitten in German, and is the capital of Canton Valais. It is an alluring and attractive town of just 27,000 with an exceptionally long history: archeological evidence points to the site having been inhabited during Neolithic times. What attracted settlement, no doubt, was the incongruous presence, on the otherwise pancake-flat valley floor, of two jutting rocky hills, visible from afar not least for the medieval castles Valère and Tourbillon, which now adorn the crests of both. The entire town is surrounded by the most amazingly well groomed vinyards terraced up the lower slopes on both sides of the valley.
A large map showing the complete Valais region is at:
 Sion’s Railway station is at the southern end of the long, straight Avenue de la Gare, with the giant postbus station to one side. Some 500m north along Avenue de la Gare is the wide open concrete of the Place de la Planta, with a shack housing the tourist office (July & Aug Mon–Sat 8am–6pm; Sept–June Mon–Fri 8.30am–noon & 2–5.30pm, Sat 8.30am–noon; 027/322 85 86, ). They offer a good two-hour guided walking tour of the town (July & Aug Tues & Thurs 4pm; Fr.8), as well as information about hikes in the surrounding area, including treks into the Val d’Hérens, through the vineyards and along the bisses irrigation channels in the hills.
Every August, Sion hosts the Tibor Varga International Violin Competition, named after the virtuoso violinist who settled in Sion for the health of his son, and centrepiece of a summer-long classical music festival at venues around the canton. For tickets and information, contact the Festival Tibor Varga, CP 1429, CH-1951 Sion (027/323 43 30)
From Place de la Planta, the Rue de Lausanne heads east to meet Rue du Grand-Pont in the heart of the Old Town, clustered at the base of the two castle hills of Tourbillon and Valère. Sion’s tiny airport – used regularly by international flights only in winter – is 5km west of the centre.
www.siontourism.ch has some great photographs of the town and the vicinity round about and really gives a good feel for the delightful nature of the place. |
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Sion |