Isérables reveals its hillside setting in its landscape, architecture and paths through the village and surrounding area. At the Musée d’Isérables, a cradle takes centre stage; viewpoints, historic buildings and themed trails offer other ways to discover the village. When planning your trip, you can give different priority to culture, hiking, nature and seasonal activities.
Village history and crafts
The permanent exhibition at the Musée d’Isérables highlights the cradle as one of the characteristic features of Isérables. The museum presents historical documents and tools, as well as the importance of grain cultivation, and shows how the village adapted to its steep hillside setting. Each year, it holds a temporary exhibition on the broader theme of “La pente”. You can continue your museum visit outdoors on the La Voie des érables and Le Chemin de l'Ecoute educational trails. The Chemin thématique de l’écoute draws attention to the soundscape of the village and its surroundings, inviting visitors to hear and interpret it.
The Eglise d’Isérables was built in the 1820s and preserves the choir and bell tower of a chapel consecrated in 1613. The surviving choir and the terrain explain its asymmetrical shape; there is a tunnel beneath the church. The church is classified as a historic monument. In the hamlet of Le Cotayer, several traditional raised raccards stand. They were once used to store grain and keep rodents away—a building style with a practical purpose.
The Scierie de Plantorny is also part of the history of local crafts. It has been renovated and put back into operation. Water channelled through the bisse drives the large waterwheel and saw blade. The site offers a way to see how water and the sawmill work together.
Trails, elevation gain and the Bisse de Saxon
The hiking routes provide different details for planning your day. Du bisse aux mélèzes is an 8-kilometre circular hike that takes about three hours. La Voie des Erables is a 6.4-kilometre day route. The Grimpette des Bédjuis follows the former mule track and has almost 1,000 metres of elevation gain. There are also numerous hiking trails around Isérables for different fitness levels.
The Bisse de Saxon carried water from the Printse to Saxon through forests, alpine pastures and mayens in the municipalities of Nendaz, Isérables and Riddes. It is the longest irrigation channel in Valais. Near Isérables, the 110-metre-long Passerelle des Dzoras connects two sections of the Bisse de Saxon. The suspension bridge allows you to cross safely between Isérables and La Tzoumaz. The Tour VTT à Isérables also passes through the village.
Views and nature
Crête-à-Chapelle sits on a rock and offers a viewpoint overlooking the village and the plain below. More than 250 larches grow in the wooded pasture of Balavaux in the municipality of Isérables. One is described as the largest larch in Europe; its age is estimated at 850 to 1,000 years. Pra da Dzeu is a large, unusual open area at the edge of the forest near Isérables, suitable for picnics all year round.
Plan seasonal activities
In winter, the Patinoire des Comballes offers ice skating in a clearing near the Faraz river at the entrance to Isérables. As operating details may change, check the latest information before your visit. La Prairie aux Alpagas offers guided walks, visits, animal-assisted activities and educational activities. For these activities, it is advisable to check the relevant booking information in advance.
Discover more destinations: Martigny-Combe, Arbarey, Trient Vs, Fully, Saxon, Saillon, Riddes, Leytron.
For the broader travel overview: Martigny.
