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| For many centuries the people of the Val d’Anniviers lived a little like nomads. Each village of the valley developed it’s own district around the borough of Sierre. Much of the land in the Sierre region was owned by the people of the Val d’Anniviers: vineyards, grazing land, fields and gardens. The people of the valley lived there for two months during the spring and another in the autumn. Almost all the members of these villages moved down during these periods: men, women, children, the elderly, the ill, the vicar, the teacher, the postman even small and large livestock. |
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| Before devoting a paragraph to the history of the region where the picturesque village of St-Luc spreads out its old sunburnt chalets and its pretty white belfry, let’s say a few words about Mr Pierre Pont the modest creator of this summer resort relentlessly admired by an unceasingly renewed swarms of tourists. |
The first mountaineers who, around 1850, explored the high peaks of Anniviers, didn’t forget this robust, experienced, cautious and safe guide who combined all these precious qualities with kindness and appropriate modesty. His reputation growing together with the one of the valley, the guide founded the first inn of St-Luc in the old family house in the centre of the village; back in 1860. The hotel was named after one of the most beautiful peaks of the valley : The Bella-Tola. In this cheerful phalanstery of St-Luc, simple, frank and cordiale hospitality was offered to the travellers and made them feel at home after the exhaustion and emotions of the climb up. Twenty years later, in 1883, when the hotel was no longer able to meet the ever-increasing needs of tourists, the Grand Hotel Bella-Tola opened its doors just above the village. With intelligence and forward thinking, its owners, the Pierre Pont family showed their guests they could compete with the best mountain hotels as far as hygiene and modern comfort were concerned. Dominating the valley, its magnificent location above the village and its irreproachable features and fittings didn’t take long to attract a new flow of visitors who immediately fell in love with the place.
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The 18th century windmills |
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| These windmills, which were restored in 1986, have lost none of their charm.
They work today under the watchful eye of Mr Bernard Salamin, a miller enthusiast, who will show amateurs around these constructions.
During the summer they can be seen working and there are frequent guided tours in French and German.
Officially open from July to September on Tuesdays and Thurdays
Price:
Adults: SFr 7.00
children over 10: SFr 5.00.
Group visits must be reserved in advance; contact the miller Bernard Salamin (telephone: 079 610 9271) |
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The bread path |
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Take a step back in time and discover the historical heritage of St-Luc!
The explanatory panels along the bread path illustrate daily life in the mountains in times gone by, with explanations about farming in the community and the traditional old buildings.
Well illustrated and easy to follow for all ages.
The walk take you just under an hour. |
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The bread |
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| What is the bread of St-Luc ? It is not rye bread, nor is it a farmhouse type loaf, nor brown bread and even less white bread; it is simply St-Luc bread, probably different from all the other kinds of mountain village bread and very different from the rye bread bought in modern bakeries. A bread unlike any other! |
Here are the ingredients : rye, sugar, corn, salt, wheat, leaven, potatoes, fennel, water and anise.
It is not known when this recipe was first used. Maybe corn and potatoes were added when the supply of wheat was insufficient. As these ingredients were found to improve the bread they were systematically added. The use of the communal oven is organised once a year in January by the counsel. Any one interested must inscribe beforehand and then the bread chamber and oven are used day and night without interruption according to the order and number of the inscriptions received.
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