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The birth of a cheese in the mountain pastures

Every Wednesday evening between July and August, discover the Alpage de Thyon.

This visit with Inès will teach you all the intricacies of making the famous raclette cheese and other cheese specialties of the region. The little extra? The tasting at the end of the activity!

Getting there

An evening

at the Alpage

with Ines and Georges

After a day rich in activity, Inès meets you at the Alpage de Thyon. So it’s this long rectangular building, or small cow “rooms” are arranged along the length.

If you look at the landscape, you can observe all the emblematic peaks of the Val d’Hérens, the Dent Blanche (The Monstrous Coquette as Maupassant called it), the Maya and its square top, or the famous Matterhorn!”

In the evening, the time has come for the Hérens cows, emblematic breed of the region, to be milked. A milk rich in grass and alpine flowers that will confer a unique and tasty taste. But how is this treasure transformed? Georges the cheesemaker will explain all his know-how and you can admire a hundred cheeses in his cellar.

What do we do?

Practical information

Date and place

Wednesdays from July through the end of August

from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

For whom?

People wishing to discover a mountain pasture, to learn more about the famous Hérens breed, the milking of the cows as well as the making of the cheese.

Practical information

Address

Alpage de Thyon
Route de Thyon, Vex

Prices

Adult	25CHF
Child	15CHF

Opening hours

Wednesday 18:00 - 20:00

Discover the Hérens cow

Queen of the Region

The Hérens cow is emblematic in the region. They are best known for the Queen fights. It must be said that this breed, originally from the Val d’Hérens has its temperament.

Easily recognizable by its black dress and its stocky musculature. You can see it in the fields of the Alpage de Thyon.

Learn more:Herens cows belong to an ancient and traditional breed of Valais. They have a highly developed sense of hierarchy and a fighting temperament. Their black coat, muscular body and short limbs give them a special charm.

During the inalpe, which takes place in spring, they engage in fights that continue during their stay on the mountain pasture. The strongest cow must prove during the summer that she deserves to be decorated as a “queen” on the occasion of the desalp. This is the origin of the tradition of queen fights which attracts many breeders and spectators. Divided into several categories according to their age and weight, they fight instinctively in the arena. Cows that run away from their rival or lose their fight are eliminated. The fights take place under the supervision of the beaters to ensure the welfare of the animals. During the afternoon, the strongest cow in each category is finally elected “queen.”

The queen fighting season culminates in May with the National Final in Aproz. The finalists of the first four categories then fight for the title of the “queen of queens”. (Source Valais.ch)

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