Bisse du Ro - walk a medieval water channel carved into a cliff face above vineyards

The bisses are medieval irrigation channels that carried glacier water to Valais vineyards. The Bisse du Ro follows a 500-year-old channel carved into vertical cliff faces above the Rhône Valley. Walk the narrow path with nothing but air between you and the vineyards 300m below. These channels made wine possible in Valais - without them, no vines, no wine, no civilization.

What to do there

3 things to do

1. 1 Walk the Channel That CREATED Valais Wine History · Free

   You're walking along a water channel built in 1361 - 663 years ago - that carried glacier water to irrigate vineyards in Montana, Chermignon, Lens, and Icogne. Without the bisses (built 11th-12th centuries onward), there would be NO wine in Valais. The dry climate made irrigation essential, and this channel literally created the wine industry you're here to taste. Start at Lake Tseuzier, walk the marked Bisse du Ro trail, and touch the centuries-old wood and stone while looking downhill at the vineyards 300m below.

   Backup: If the full hike is too long (several hours), just walk the first 1km from Lake Tseuzier to see the cliff section - that's the most dramatic part.

   Log Memory
2. 2 Cross the 120-Meter Footbridge Over Nothing Adventure · Free

   Medieval engineers built a 120-meter footbridge suspended over the Rhône Valley in 1361 with hand tools and no safety equipment. Most bisses are dug into earth or rock, but the Bisse du Ro is unique because it runs along a sheer cliff face. When you reach the footbridge, stop and look down at the vineyards - those vines exist because water crossed this exact gap 663 years ago.

   Backup: If you're afraid of heights, focus on the handrail and DON'T look down. Or skip this section and rejoin the trail past the bridge (there's a longer alternate route).

   Log Memory
3. 3 Find Evidence of the Wealthy Landowner System History · Free

   The bisses operated on a feudal system: wealthy landowners controlled the water, smaller farmers maintained the channels. Every spring, farming families would clean and repair the bisses in exchange for water rights from the 12th to 20th century. Look for stone markers or gates along the channel where water distribution was controlled, and ask any local hiker: 'Which village did your family maintain this for?'

   Backup: Visit the starting panels at Lake Tseuzier for the social system explanation, or read the full history at les-bisses-du-valais.ch before you hike.

   Log Memory