The Bisse des Miriouges presents Icogne as both a waterside landscape and a hiking destination. The trail passes through a chalet area and a forest to Lac des Miriouges. It is wide and suitable for strollers; after weather events, check its accessibility locally. For much of its route, the bisse runs in the open air between Lac d’Icogne and Lac des Miriouges.
Hiking Trails with Different Highlights
A longer hike follows the Grand Bisse de Lens from Icogne to Chermignon-d’en-Bas. The bisse runs below the village; the hike is described in Valais as moderately difficult and 16.4 kilometres long. Larch-wood channels and footbridges allow the public to walk the route around the Christ-Roi hill. The trail is also known for sections alongside steep rock faces. It loops around the hill above the Rhône plain. Check trail conditions before planning your hike.
The 15-kilometre Chemin des Contrées connects Mollens with Icogne via Diogne. Forests, scree slopes, mountain streams and viewpoints shape the trail. You can hike it in stages; seven interpretive panels with QR codes describe them. Route details may change in the event of closures or diversions. On the way to Icogne lies Le Boup: a 140-hectare cirque formed by glacial retreat, with water-rich schist and gypsum and multicoloured rocks. Foxes, roe deer and wild boar inhabit the area; sightings are seasonal and not guaranteed.
Bisses and Village History
The Grand Bisse de Lens was built in the 15th century to carry water from the Lienne uphill for irrigation. The Lienne feeds the bisse, which irrigates meadows and vineyards in Icogne, Lens, Montana and Chermignon. Another way to explore the history of water supply is the Sion–Bisse de Clavau–Icogne route: it starts in Sion and ends on Route du Village in Icogne, descending through hay meadows and forest to the river and showcasing several construction methods used for Valais bisses. Interpretive panels there explain the historical development of the water supply.
Two old millstones at the village entrance symbolically recall Icogne’s historic abundance of water. As early as the 15th century, numerous mills and sawmills flourished on the left bank of the Lienne. The Chapelle d’Icogne also tells the story of several eras: it was built in 1678 under the patronage of Saint Gregory of Nazianzus and blessed on 9 June 1680. After suffering severe damage in the 1946 earthquake, it was rebuilt as a new structure in 1948. Its stained-glass windows by J. Le Chevalier depict saints venerated in the region.
Music and Local Products
Founded in 2007, IcogneJazz aims to promote jazz and enrich the cultural life of Icogne and the region. The festival offers free concerts for jazz fans and the general public. Check the dates and programme for the relevant season before visiting.
At La Fermette à Didi, a self-service farm shop, you can buy products from Icogne: goat’s cheese, goat and pork meat, seasoning blends, goat’s milk soaps and eggs. The selection may change. L’Essencier sells essential oils, hydrosols, room sprays, plant oils, infusions, cosmetics and related gift items; this selection may also vary. L’Essencier arranges guided distillery visits on request. Contact them in advance, as arrangements may change.
Stays and Planning
When looking for a hotel in Icogne, you can first decide what you want to focus on: longer walks along the bisses, nature and geology, or village history and local businesses. This helps you plan your days around the activities you actually want to do. Both endpoints of the Grand Bisse de Lens hike can be reached by public transport; check the timetable for your hiking day. The La Scie picnic area has a covered space with a plancha grill, two barbecue grills, and benches and tables for 50 people.
Discover more destinations: Venthône, Vercorin, Chandolin, Grône, Miège, Chalais Vs, Saint-Jean Vs, Ayer.
Back to the main travel overview: Siders.
