Valere Basilica i s a fortified church which stands on an opposite hill from the hill on which the…read moreCastle of Tourbillon lies. Valere was built during the 12th and 13th centuries and obtained the rank of minor basilica at the time of the visit of Pope John Paul II in 1984. This was the first time I have been to a castle - that was really a Church. It is quite impressive and the inside is well preserved. There is even an organ on the west side of the basilica that is believed to have been built in 1425, which would make it one of the oldest organs in the world that still works. Its pipes are arranged to form a rough outline of a church. There is a small museum here that you need to pay extra to enter. I didn't enter the museum when I was there as I was running out of time, and the church itself was pretty impressive to explore by itself.

From Valere there is a great overview on the city of Sion and the surroundingsread more

This subterranean lake has a length of around 300 meters, which they say makes this the largest…read morenatural underground lake in Europe. Even better it can be explored during a 30 minute boat ride. Most of the guides are able to speak in English, so they translated sections of the tour to those of us on the row boat that were English speaking. The lake is open the 19th of March to the 1st of November. You can take the train easily to St. Leonard and then walk up. At the entrance to the lake is a small cafe and trinket tourist shop, where you can purchase your ticket for 10 CHF. In Switzerland, very few places have indoor air conditioning, so it is hard to find a place to get out of the heat to relax. One extremely hot day, we decided to check out the underground lake. As you walk down the stairs to get onto the boat you can feel the temperature drop significantly. The guide told us that no matter what time of the year the temperature remains the same down there. It was amazing to be on a boat in a cave, you feel like you are in a movie. The water is so clear you can see to the bottom. It was beautiful. The 10 CHF was definitely worth the 30 minute retreat from the hot heat. We almost went on the boat a second time because it was so enjoyable. They have fish that they placed into the lake to keep the water clean. There were HUGE. You could see them swarming all around the boat.

We took a boat as our transportation to get here. We did a tour & the place is big and beautiful…read more It is filled with so much history and they have their own wine that they make from their vineyard. They have huge fireplaces that you don't see anymore and all the artwork on the walls are hand painted & well preserved. Definitely grab a bottle of their wine to try from the gift shop.

Great place to explore during your travels to Montreux. There are 2 ways to get there, bus and…read moreboat. We loved going on the boat due to scenic route. Also, if you have Swiss pass, admission to castle and boat are covered!

This is a beautiful small alpine town with natural hot water springs that feed several nice baths…read more The town has many family friendly accomodations, shops and restaurants and is a great destination for winter sports at all ages. We have been here a couple times and have always had a great time.

Want to step back into medieval times? Then definitely check out the Château de La Bâtiaz. This…read moreis a 13th Century medieval castle built as a fortress, not a residence, in order to protect the neighboring area. No fancy royal balls were thrown here, the only thing thrown here most likely were large objects from a catapult. From Martigny, you need to walk across the river, out of town, and up into the cliffs. It's a short trek, but worth it. Check out the website for information on visiting times. We went during the off season, but were lucky to catch a demonstration of one of the many catapults they have on display in the courtyard as you enter the castle. There is supposed to be a display of torture devices, and while there were a few, I think that either it was shut down for the season, as we went through the turn style without having to pay, or, it was under renovation. We climbed up the tower (which it appears you typically have to pay for, but for some reason there was no ability to pay - you just walked up at the time), and from the top of the tower is a great view of the region. Also, one of the special surprises was that there is a medieval tavern on site. The food was really good! They also appear to put on shows at the castle during the open season. I would definitely go back.

Very original and good medieval food and service :)read more