Top 17 Natural Monuments around Unterbäch

West of Visp station, the Vispa flows into the Rhône, which in German-speaking Upper Valais is traditionally called the Rotten. The approximately 8.5-kilometer-long Vispa is formed in Stalden by the confluence of the Mattervispa from the Mattertal valley and the Saaservispa from the Saas valley. Both tributaries carry milky-turquoise water from the glacier-covered high mountain regions around Zermatt and Saas-Fee. After its short course through the Vispertal valley, the Vispa finally joins the significantly wider Rotten. From here, the water continues its journey through the Valais and Lake Geneva, before the Rhône flows on through France to the Mediterranean Sea. The confluence is also a beautiful viewpoint and a fitting place to say goodbye to the Valais once more after a hike through the mountain world around Zermatt. It impressively shows how the water from the Valais Alps shapes the valleys and landscapes far beyond the high mountains.

The bisses are the historic irrigation channels in the Valais mountains. Many are still in use and require a lot of maintenance.

This vineyard still offers manual vine cultivation, without the use of machinery on the steep mountain slope - magnificent.

Impressive renaturation project of the Rohne below the tributary of the Vispa

Great bridge with a beautiful view over the mostly dry Illgraben

EXPERIENCE WORLD UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE The UNESCO World Heritage Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch is one of the most beautiful and valuable mountain landscapes in the world. The world heritage stretches from the eternal ice in the high mountains to the Mediterranean steppe landscape in the south and documents current climate change. The imposing north faces of the Bernese High Alps embody impressive evidence of the alpine mountain formation. Text / source: Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch https://wnf.ch/

Suonen are the historical irrigation channels of the Valais. They consist of open ditches that bring the precious and fertile water from the mountain streams - sometimes in an adventurous way - to the dry pastures and fields, vineyards or orchards. Many of the Suonen are still in use today and are carefully maintained. Since the Suonen were very important as a water supply for the cultures and villages and their construction and maintenance was very dangerous, those who worked on them had an important function and a corresponding reputation in the village community. The Suonen sometimes overcome major obstacles such as rock faces or scree slopes, for which special techniques have been developed over the centuries. The Suonen run in the rock faces in wooden channels that are suspended from beams together with a walkway. The beams are wedged in holes that have been cut into the rock. Small water wheels that drive a hammer striking a piece of wood are sometimes used to monitor the flow of water. The hammer blows can be heard over great distances and confirm the flow of water. More irrigation channels have been created on the dry southern slopes than on the northern slopes. Most irrigation channels are 500 m to 2 km long, the longest being the 32 km long Bisse de Saxon. Text/Source: Brig Simplon Tourismus AG

Europe's highest vineyard Below the village of Visperterminen is Europe's highest, contiguous vineyard, at an altitude of between 650 and 1,150 meters. In short terraces with high dry stone walls, the vineyard, called "Rieben", overcomes 500 meters of altitude in a confined space. Hundreds of these retaining walls turn the steep slopes into small vineyards that are often no larger than two sheets. The southern exposure of the slope, in one of the driest areas of Switzerland, and the large stone surfaces of these dry stone walls make the "grapes" a warming chamber until late autumn, which - together with a few blows of the blow dryer - gives the grapes the necessary ripeness.