Valère Basilica
A fortified church on a hill above Sion, facing the ruined Château de Tourbillon on the opposite hilltop. Inside is one of the oldest playable organs in the world, and the whole site is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.
- Where
- Sion, Valais, Switzerland
- Grade
- Local gem
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site
- Coordinates
- 46.2339, 7.3644
Get the Valère Basilica stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Valère Basilica. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Valais volume with your photos and a note.
Near Valère Basilica
Grande Dixence Dam 17 km
A concrete wall 285 metres high at the head of the Val d'Hérémence, the tallest gravity dam in the world and the tallest dam in Europe. It holds back the Lac des Dix, whose water feeds four power stations of the Cleuson-Dixence scheme.
Lauenensee 18 km
Two small lakes at 1,381 metres in a quiet valley above the village of Lauenen, near Gstaad. The larger one covers under 9 hectares, set among marshy meadows below the surrounding peaks.
Matterhorn 37 km
A near-symmetrical pyramid of rock on the Swiss and Italian border, rising to 4,478 metres above Zermatt. Often called the mountain of mountains, it has become the emblem of the Alps and is said to be the most photographed peak in the world.
Rochers de Naye 37 km
A peak of the Swiss Alps rising straight above Montreux and Villeneuve, reached by a rack railway that climbs up from the lakeshore. The summit looks over the whole of Lake Geneva and sits on the watershed between the Rhône and the Rhine.
Chillon Castle 39 km
A medieval castle on a rocky islet in Lake Geneva, guarding the narrow shore between Montreux and Villeneuve. Held by the House of Savoy and then by Bern, it inspired Lord Byron's poem The Prisoner of Chillon and is among the most visited castles in Europe.
Oeschinen Lake 40 km
A mountain lake at 1,578 metres above Kandersteg, formed by prehistoric landslides and ringed by cliffs and peaks. It is up to 56 metres deep, and since 2007 it has been part of the Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Gornergrat 43 km
A rocky ridge above Zermatt overlooking the Gorner Glacier, with the Matterhorn and Monte Rosa in full view. It is reached by a rack railway from the village, the highest open-air railway in Europe, and the Kulm Hotel at the top has observatories in its towers.
Great St Bernard Hospice 43 km
A hospice and hostel for travellers on the Great St Bernard Pass, named after its founder Bernard of Menthon and kept by a community of canons regular ever since. It is the home of the St Bernard dogs, bred here to help find travellers lost in the snow.
More hidden gems in Valais
Questions
Where is Valère Basilica?
Valère Basilica is in Sion, Valais, Switzerland. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Grande Dixence Dam (17 km), Lauenensee (18 km), Matterhorn (37 km).
How do I get the Valère Basilica stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Valère Basilica and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Valais volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Valère Basilica before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Valais volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 20 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.