Martigny-Combe stretches from the plain into the mountains. One particularly striking way to explore the area’s history is through Plan-Cerisier: the protected site is listed in the Swiss Federal Inventory of Sites of National Importance Worth Protecting. Here, the history of viticulture meets a distinctive settlement pattern. This picture is complemented by a puzzle trail through the vineyards and an annual festival honouring regional craftspeople and artists. For your stay, you can choose between historical context, an outdoor adventure, and a set date in August—three different ways to experience Martigny-Combe.

Plan-Cerisier and viticulture

Plan-Cerisier has always been a temporary settlement associated with working the vineyards. The vineyard houses, or mazots, were occupied during vineyard work and the grape harvest. This gives the village a tangible historical dimension: the houses represent the connection between settlement, work in the vineyards, and the harvest. There is also a striking feature in the landscape: the Plan-Cerisier vineyard has a flat section, which is rare in Valais. At the municipal level, Martigny’s vineyards cover around 120 hectares, about two-thirds of which lie within the municipality of Martigny-Combe. The Plan-Cerisier vineyard and the municipality’s total area of vineyards thus represent two different scales.

Puzzle trail through the vineyards

The “L’enchanteur Magnus” Traptour adds a different kind of experience: this outdoor adventure combines puzzles and exploration and leads through the vineyards of Martigny-Combe. It starts at the Eaux Vives car park. The stated duration is approximately two hours, including about one hour on foot; the duration may vary depending on the group. Before your visit, check the latest starting information and treat the time as a guide, not a minute-by-minute schedule. This will help you decide whether to make the tour the focus of your outing or concentrate on Plan-Cerisier and its history.

A regular date in August

“Plan-Cerisier en fête” has been organised every year since 1994, on the last Saturday in August, by the Amis de Plan-Cerisier association. The festival honours regional craftspeople and artists. When planning, it is therefore important to consider not only the month but also the specific weekend: if you would like to plan your stay around the festival, check the date for the relevant year.

Local history in a wider context

The heights near the present-day village of Brocard and at Les Rappes are associated with the Véragres. The historian Louis Blondel suggested that their vicus, a Véragre settlement, was located on Colline Saint-Jean; in the Middle Ages, a castle stood on this hill. This brings together a local connection and a specific, but uncertain, location.

The regional setting

Martigny-Combe is one of seven municipalities whose combined territories make up the 222 km² Trient Valley Nature Park. The nature park is a candidate park. This wider regional setting adds to the picture of Martigny-Combe’s local and viticultural history.

Which focus suits your visit?

The different offerings answer different planning questions: the festival provides a fixed date in August, the Traptour a rough time frame that includes walking, and Plan-Cerisier a cultural and historical perspective on viticulture. Choose according to whether a particular weekend, an activity, or the history of the area matters most to you.

Discover more destinations: Leytron, Saxon, Martigny, Saillon, Fully, Trient Vs, Riddes, Isérables

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