Gourmet Escapades
Grand Entremont brandGrand Entremont productsAgritourismTaste a raclette at Eddy Baillifard’sEnjoy the Ferme du SoleilMaking cheese at the Laiterie de VerbierFondue on a float"Saveurs du Valais" restaurants
Grand Entremont brand
brand has been created to enhance the value of mountain agriculture in the Grand Entremont area and to promote its products in a coordinated manner. Managed by the Association de Promotion de l’Agriculture du Grand Entremont (APAGE), this brand is carried by the Ambassadors of this region, i.e. the farms, mountain pastures, restaurants, sales outlets, companies, craftsmen, institutions and events that respect the commitment charter, which guarantees support for the farming activities of the Grand Entremont. This brand reflects the dynamism of the agricultural sector in this mountain region with its proud and passionate farmers.
Grand Entremont products
The brand takes the form of a “Grand Entremont – Le Goût des Cimes” label for the region’s food products and natural resources. Only products that comply with the rules of use are authorised to bear this label, which certifies in particular that the raw material comes from the Grand Entremont.
Symbol of a whole region and emblem of an innovative and dynamic mountain agriculture, the Grand Entremont brand brings people together. It creates a close link between producers, inhabitants and those involved in the promotion of this exceptional region. The brand shines through a community of Grand Entremont Ambassadors.
The Grand Entremont basket brings together the best products of the region for a 100% local experience. You can find it in the various dairies of the valley as well as in several local shops.
Agritourism
The Grand Entremont area has numerous agritourism offers to discover its agriculture and the many products that come from it.
These offers are mainly concentrated in the two tourist destinations of the Grand Entremont: Verbier and the Pays du Saint-Bernard.
It is also possible to discover the Grand Entremont with mountain guides who organize hikes, tours and days.
Taste a raclette at Eddy Baillifard’s
He is the emperor of raclette, who is all the rage with his wheels of cheese. He travels the world with Presence Switzerland to promote this divine cheese. Eddy Baillifard is one of the best ambassadors for Swiss gourmet cheese. This colossus with a heart of gold and a typical Bagnard accent can also be seen at his famous Raclett’House in Bruson.
Enjoy the Ferme du Soleil
Opened in August 2017 in Médières, the Ferme du Soleil is one of the highlights of the agritourism offer in the Verbier region. This authentic place is easily accessible by car, public transport or on foot from the centre of the resort.
For a complete agritourism experience, the Collombin family offers gastronomy (table d’hôtes), the sale of local products, and visits to the farm animals. In the shop, the family offers local products such as charcuterie and cheese.
For groups, the Ferme du Soleil has a dining room which seats 40, as well as an aperitif area.
Making cheese at the Laiterie de Verbier
On request, the Laiterie de Verbier-Village can organise a group course for a minimum of 5 people. Marc Dubosson will tell you the history of cheese, the village and his family. The course lasts two hours and you will leave with your own fresh cheese or you can come and collect a tomme after a few weeks of maturing.
Price: CHF 50.00 per workstation (one or two people per workstation)
Fondue on a float
Ride through villages and meadows in a horse-drawn carriage while enjoying a fondue. This is a great way to impress your friends, to celebrate a birthday or a school or company outing.
The guests are invited to prepare their fondue and enjoy it in a covered wagon; the cover allows for rides to take place in any weather. The departure and arrival are at the Ferme des Moulins in Sembrancher. It takes about two hours in total.
Price: CHF 50 per person (maximum 12 people)
Package deal possible for CHF 300 (less than 6 people)
Included in the price: walk, 250 g fondue per person, tea, drink
Surcharge of CHF 20.00 per bottle of wine
“Saveurs du Valais” restaurants
The “Saveurs du Valais” restaurants offer seasonal products that delight the senses with the aroma of thelocal terroir and traditional Valais dishes. You will find several restaurants in the Grand Entremont area.
Other discoveries
The Grand Entremont is a real paradise for gourmets, but there are also many activities available for sports, nature and culture enthusiasts.
Hike in Salvan – gorge adventure in the Gorges du Dailley
The fairytale mountains and green valleys of the Grand Entremont region offer ideal terrain for many beautiful hikes. One is the circular hike from Salvan to Van d’en Bas – through the spectacular Gorges du Dailley. The gorge is negotiated with steep flights of steps and footbridges abutting vertical rock faces. While there are guardrails everywhere, the lofty views can sometimes test your courage.
Pays du Saint-Bernard
The Pays du Saint-Bernard offers a wide range of activities in summer and winter.
If you are more sporty, hiking, scootering, canyoning, pedal-boating, paragliding, climbing or fishing await you in summer. Skiing, sledding, skating or dog walking take over in winter.
If you are more interested in heritage and culture, you should visit museums, churches and gardens, such as the Alpine Botanical Garden Flore-Alpe, which has 4,000 species of Alpine plants on an area of over 6,000 m2.
The PASS Saint-Bernard allows you to take advantage of more than 15 activities and unlimited transportation during your stay in the region. Two options are available: daily or seasonal.
Verbier Pure Energy
There is no shortage of activities in Verbier either.
A cultural offer is present with the discovery of chapels, mills and museums. But the region is above all rich in sporting activities, with walks, bike rides, horseback riding, climbing, golf and thrilling activities (paragliding, zip lines, via ferrata), not forgetting the legendary ski slopes of Verbier and the sealskin trekking routes.
Various places of relaxation and well-being are also accessible during a stay in the region.
Recurring events
Bagnes Capitale de la Raclette
Since 2004, at the end of September each year, one of the biggest events celebrating local products, and more particularly cheese, is organised: Bagnes Capitale de la Raclette.
The village of Le Châble hosts these two unique days of events organised by the Bagnes Agritourism Association and enjoyed by over 15,000 gourmets from all walks of life. The aim of this event is to offer visitors the opportunity, over a weekend, to taste the cheeses and raclettes of the producers of the Bagnes valley, but also of the whole Entremont district, whether they are made in the dairies or on the mountain pastures.
Each year, a Valais wine-growing commune and a AOP cheese producer from outside the canton are also invited to take part in the festival and present their products.
On Sunday, the spectator can admire the parade of the queens of the different mountain pastures. Folklore and orchestras are also on the menu of this festival.
Inalpes and desalpes
The Alpine season starts at the beginning of June. The cattle take to the air and settle in the flowery mountain pastures of the Grand Entremont. At the same time, the alpine refreshment stands begin to open and an alpine atmosphere settles in for several months; this is known as the Inalpe.
After a summer period spent at altitude, the Desalpe marks the descent of the animals from the mountain pastures. It is a real traditional festival that takes place on this occasion in various Alpine regions, particularly in La Fouly and Sembrancher: local products, a cow parade and all kinds of entertainment enliven this day.
Alpin Cheese Market
The farmers of the Grand Entremont and the PALP Village are joining forces to offer you a market of mountain cheeses in the heart of the old village of Bruson at the beginning of November.
The Raclettes du Valais AOP made during the summer by passionate alpacists have continued their slow maturation during the autumn and are ready to offer you all their incomparable aromas and flavours. With a glass of Bovernier red wine, come and share a convivial moment at the gateway to winter. The producers will let you taste their cheeses, while the PALP will offer you a concert whose musical notes will pair perfectly with a good raclette eaten on the spot!
Accommodation in the Grand Entremont
A single day is not enough to fully immerse yourself in all that the Grand Entremont has to offer. Different types of accommodation will allow you to enjoy slow-paced tourism, discovering the products and people that make the charm of these mountains and valleys.
Overnight stays on a pasture refuge or on a farm, in a hotel or in a hostel: there is something for everyone.
Regional actors
