Les Epines Nature Reserve – Saillon Medieval Village loop from Saint-Léonard
Les Epines Nature Reserve – Saillon Medieval Village loop from Saint-Léonard
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Les Epines Nature Reserve – Saillon Medieval Village loop from Saint-Léonard
03:31
55.4km
570m
Cycling
Hard bike ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.
Last updated: May 22, 2026
Tips
Temporary access restrictions
Includes segments with temporary access restrictions.
After 49.8 km for 202 m
Permit required
Waypoints
Start point
Train Station
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2.42 km
View of Sion and the Rhône Valley
Highlight • Viewpoint
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4.69 km
Path Along the Rhône With Views of Terraced Vineyards
Highlight • Cycleway
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13.9 km
Les Epines Nature Reserve
Highlight • Natural Monument
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15.7 km
Saillon to Sion, along the Rhône and through villages
Highlight • Cycleway
31.3 km
View of Saillon
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31.8 km
Saillon Medieval Village
Highlight • Historical Site
First mentioned in 1052 as the castle of the Bishop of Sion. Under the rule of the Savoys, the town was one of the most important commercial and military bases in the Valais until 1475
Saillon's history begins early. Hunters from the Mesolithic period (ca. 10,000 - 5,500 BC) may have occupied the portal of the Poteu cave. However, excavations in the first half of the 20th century could not attest to their presence. Saillon was then continuously inhabited since the Neolithic period (Bourneaux's tomb, 4,000 BC) and the Bronze Age (around twenty tombs reported at the foot of the hill between the Salentze and Bourneaux rivers). The remains of an important Roman villa from the 2nd century near the Salentze river indicate the importance of the site at that time. On the same site, the first Christian sanctuary of Saillon was built in the 6th century. The foundations of the walls of this Carolingian church are still visible and the reworked chancel forms the current St. Lawrence Chapel. When anarchy and insecurity replaced the order that reigned in Charlemagne's empire, the population of Saillon retreated to the more easily defended hill. It is known that a castle stood in Saillon in 1052, as it was one of the properties donated to the Chapter of Sion by Bishop Aymon of Savoy. Its strategic location was of interest to Savoy, which took possession of Saillon at the beginning of the 13th century. Around 1260, Pierre II had the city walls reinforced and the Bayart keep built, whose name comes from Lady Bayart, the owner of the property. The Dukes of Savoy had the ambition to turn Saillon into a fairground that would provide shade for their enemy, the Bishop of Sion. It should also be noted that the first written mention of vines in Valais appears in 1052. The dream of glory came to an end in 1475 when patriots from Upper Valais took over Lower Valais and set fire to the Savoyard castles, including that of Saillon. From then on, the village quickly became a peaceful village in the countryside again
Text / Source: Association, The most beautiful Swiss villages, Lugano
borghisvizzera.ch/de/scheda/saillon
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32.6 km
Stained glass path in Saillon, Valais
Highlight • Trail
The route is dotted with 21 stained glass windows, “diamonds sparkling in the sun with the Rhône valley as a cathedral”, works by Robert Héritier for the graphics and Théo Imboden for the glass work.
saillon.ch/tourisme/culture/farinet/le-sentier-des-vitraux.aspx
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49.6 km
View of Château de Tourbillon and Basilique de Valère, Sion
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55.4 km
End point
Train Station
Way Types & Surfaces
Way Types
17.9 km
14.3 km
11.9 km
8.16 km
3.06 km
< 100 m
< 100 m
Surfaces
51.5 km
1.32 km
965 m
874 m
530 m
202 m
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Elevation
Highest point (670 m)
Lowest point (460 m)
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Weather
Powered by Foreca
Thursday 30 July
29°C
18°C
88 %
Additional weather tips
Max wind speed: 17.0 km/h
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Our route recommendations are based on thousands of hikes, rides, and runs completed by other people on komoot.
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