The Valais

Within the southwest part of the country, you will find yourself juggling with the contrasting images of medieval towns surrounded by sun-baked terraced vineyards, and the awesome might of the highest peaks and longest glaciers in the country. This is the region of remote and wild valleys, mountain hamlets apparently untouched by time, scorched-wood centuries-old chalets, sun-bleached scree slopes, crystal-clear mountain lakes and stunning Alpine scenery.

 It is also the region that offers the widest choice of mountain resorts, ranging from the world's most sophisticated to the pleasingly unpretentious. But if there is one image that captures this region's essence, it is the distinctive jagged outline of the 4,478m Matterhorn.