Bisse de Salins
Natural site
Come and discover the oldest bisse in Nendaz. Built in 1435, it is still used today.
With a construction dating back to the Middle Ages, it is the oldest bisse in the district. With a length of 12 kilometres, the Bisse de Salins still irrigates the mid-mountain pastures, meadows, orchards and crops of Beuson, the Bioleys and Salins.
Its path passes though various environments: first of all a humid forest right above the village of Beuson before reaching the metal footbridge over the Ojintse torrent, then a dry meadow on a moraine. The unique fauna and flora of this arid region is worth the visit.
A BISSE, WHAT IS IT ?
The bisses were originally irrigation channels that diverted water from the rivers to water the farm land crops growing on the mountain slopes. They are true historical relics and bear witness to the Valaisans' relentless fight against drought. It is their construction that makes them so special. Indeed, these channels had to adapt to the different terrain and environments encountered along the way, giving rise to impressive workmanship, especially when we imagine what the means of construction were at the time. The bisses of our region take their source from the Printse, a river that flows along our valley. Of the eight bisses located in Nendaz, six still have water flowing within their banks and are still carrying out their original task of irrigation.
- Summer, Autumn
- Panorama / belvedere