One very beautiful element of the Valais mountain landscape are the bisses. These are ancient irrigation canals that channel water from the glaciers and alpine springs to the dry plains and vineyards below.
Originally the Bisse de Levron guaranteed vital water for the people of Levron. Nowadays, the villagers have other water supplies from the nearby dam but the Bisse de Levron is maintained and there is a lovely hiking path that runs adjacent to the ravine which is carefully maintained and a very pleasant walk. Two guardians keep watch on the bisse, going up one day and coming down the next. When they meet halfway, they exchange their observations and instructions.
In Verbier the Bisse de Levron starts not far from the top of La Ruinette ski lift and continues around the mountain to the ‘Chute de Bisse’ waterfall where the water goes over the side of the mountain. Along the way, the bisse flows through pastures, flowering meadows, and larch forests with wooden sculptures carved into the wood along ‘Le Sentier des sculptures’. There are two mountain huts where you can stop and eat a picnic or some mountain restaurants along the way.
We ate on the terrace at Le Marlenaz. The walk is not difficult and the bisses normally run from mid-May to mid-October.
