10 Days At Ski Station Anzère and Barrage Tseuzier In A Motorhome - Summer 2018

Accessed from the historic town of Sion in the Rhone valley, close to our much beloved Val d'Anniviers, the Vallee d’Anzère is not a place we have given much attention to in the past. We'd noticed it on the map, but never felt the need to go there. This year, however, when we discovered that the summer Liberte pass scheme which we'd used extensively to access unbelievably low cost buses, ski lifts and other activities in the Val d'Anniviers, was also running in nearby Vallee d’Anzère we decided to come over and take a look. We came for a day or two, and stayed for ten. Turns out that it is such a wonderful, peaceful and welcoming place, with so much to do, that we feel sure that this first visit will not be our last.

For our first first 5 nights we parked ourselves in the ski station of Anzère at around 1550 metres, where a collection of free parking areas welcome motorhomes during the summer months. There are no water/dumping services available on offer in Anzère, but there is a camping about 5km down the road with services. What was really nice was that when we asked in the tourist office and queried if they really were okay with us parking a motorhome in any of the four or five parking areas for an extended period, they simply replied "you're welcome". It was our first encounter with the nice relaxed atmosphere which seems to extend over the village.

Collecting a raft of leaflets from the tourist office, it was the hiking overview which interested us the most initially. There were 21 different options mapped out (which are all well signed on the trail as well) to suit all ages and abilities. Also, with our 3.50 CHF each per day Liberte Pass (about £3), we could also access the cable car up to the Pas de Maimbre where a bunch of other hikes begin at over 2300 metres, which usually costs 10 CHF per trip. Or, if that wasn't enough, if we had felt the need we could have taken any of the local buses to other starting points or even down into Sion if the mood had taken us, also on the Liberte pass. Great isn't it.

We did 4 big hikes during our time here. One around the 16 km Tour des Alpages, another from Anzère along the Bisse de Sion (an irrigation channel cut into the mountain, part of a huge network which is explained in a local museum also included in the Liberte pass) to the 156 metre high Barrage Tseuzier (sixth highest in Switzerland), one around the lake at the barrage and another up to Lac Tenehet at 2440 metres altitude. I've included a few pictures  to capture just how beautiful the area is.

We didn't actually start any hikes from the top of the cable car at Pas de Maimbre, but we did take a few trips up there just to marvel at the view across the valley, which extends for miles all the way from the Mont Blanc Massif, along the Rhone valley and right around to the Bernese Alps with the Jungfrau, Eiger and Monch. It is staggeringly beautiful and, if I haven't mentioned it enough already, all included in the 3.50 CHF per day Liberte pass!

After 5 days in Anzère we relocated up to the barrage Tseuzier where, yet again, we were told we could park for free close to the restaurant. It was quite a busy place during the day, but as night felt at 1780 metres the day trippers left and silence fell. Parked as were by the lake, it was a stunning spot to go to sleep and wake up in for the 4 nights we spent up there.

The dogs also had a wonderful time, walking around the town and especially up during our time at the lake. We had a lot of playtime with them all together.

Yet the most 'special' facility that we enjoyed in Anzère, and hence why we didn't need to use any services, was the swimming pool. It was amazing. With an interconnected indoor and outdoor pool featuring several jacuzzi areas, massage jets and waterfalls, it was like living a millionaire's lifestyle and all for the 3.50 CHF that it cost us to by the Liberte passes. It was great. Each day that we were in Anzère we must have spent at least 2 hours there splashing around and keeping clean.

So, even though it is now time to move on it is with a somewhat heavy heart that we are saying farewell to Anzère. We feel that we would like to come back again in the future, but with a whole lot of other mountain areas to explore the pull of the road is calling. Just one more night back in Anzère enjoying the pool before we move on further up the Rhone valley to....somewhere else that we haven't quite decided upon yet. I guess we'll work it out tomorrow.

A few more pictures of our time in Vallee de Anzère....