Saillon Medieval Village – Château de Saint-Maurice loop from Châteauneuf-Conthey

Bike touring routes & trails

Saillon Medieval Village – Château de Saint-Maurice loop from Châteauneuf-Conthey

Moderate

4.6

(22)

291

riders

Saillon Medieval Village – Château de Saint-Maurice loop from Châteauneuf-Conthey

04:28

78.1km

240m

Cycling

Moderate bike ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: August 20, 2026

Tips

Includes segments that go up or down a series of steps

You may need to carry your bike.

After 3 m for 6 m

After 78.2 km for 6 m

Waypoints

Start point

Train Station

Get Directions

2.37 km

Les Epines Nature Reserve

Highlight • Natural Monument

Detailed explanations on the website of the State of Valais: "Returned to the wild following several renaturations, this former gravel pit offers an ideal refuge for many species, which have become rare in the Valais plain due to the disappearance of their habitats. Composed of a mosaic of environments (expanses of deep water, permanent or temporary ponds, gravelly banks, reedbeds, shreds of riparian forests, bushes, etc.), the site attracts a particular and varied fauna and flora. " https ://vs.ch/web/sites-naturels-proteges/les-epines

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13.9 km

Saillon Medieval Village

Highlight • Historical Site

Saillon "little town"
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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20.7 km

Canal de Fully

Lake

26.9 km

Beautiful cycle path along the Rhône

Highlight (Segment) • Cycleway

Here it is wonderful to roll along the Rhône on a cycle path on the bank of the still narrow river.

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29.9 km

Beautiful bike path along the Rhône

Highlight • Cycleway

Here it rolls very pleasant along the Rhone on a bike path on the river dam. Definitely take the detour to Cascade de Pissevache, very impressive waterfall.

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39.2 km

Saint-Maurice

Highlight • Settlement

The town of Saint-Maurice, located on the Rhône at the end of Lake Geneva, is tucked away at the foot of a looming rock face and is known for its rich past. The place, inhabited since classical antiquity, grew into a stronghold of Christianity at the end of the 3rd century AD. The abbey, the oldest monastery in the Avondland, which has been inhabited since the beginning of its existence, is now home to about forty Augustinians and a renowned school, with about a thousand students from all over French Switzerland.

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39.9 km

Château de Saint-Maurice

Highlight • Castle

The Château de Saint-Maurice, also known as the “Castle of the Governors”, is located at the entrance to Saint-Maurice in the Canton of Valais in Switzerland. This impressive castle is built on the Saint-Maurice Gorge, a location bordered by a steep escarpment on one side and the Rhone River on the other. The castle has a rich history and once played an important role in military and judicial affairs.

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60.7 km