A literary hiking tour across a Swiss language border in Pfyn or Finges

The forest of Pfyn/Finges, on the French-German language border between Sierre and Leuk, is home to one of Europe’s last large-pine forests. Once the haunt of robbers and highwaymen, it is now a nature paradise prized for its diversity (from insects and amphibians to plants and birds) with rich literary associations.

If you can manage a four-hour walk you can take a guided literary tour of the forest from Leuk railway station to the murder stone (where robbers lay in wait for travellers), past Corrine Bille’s secret hut, to Sierre where the poet Rainer Maria Rilke spent the last year of his life, and up to Salgesh/Salquenen (a treasure trove of Valais wines, with wine tasting) and back again. In the company of four Swiss writers, with appropriate readings. In German. Cost: CHF 25. Booking required by Friday. Meet at Leuk Station at 09.30.

The Finges restaurant at the information centre has recently changed hands and offers Alsatian Flammkuchen (not pizzas!) and a barbecue (the new manager is from Alsace) at reasonable prices in a Mediterranean atmosphere.

Open Day: 28 June, 2014

Find more information here.