Salgesch
Salgesch’s winemaking roots run deep. For decades now, the red grapes of Upper Valais’s largest viticultural municipality have been famous amongst wine connoisseurs. The people of Salgesch managed to link the municipality’s name with its products early on, thus giving the red wine an unmistakable identity. This trademark has allowed the winegrowing village of Salgesch to flourish.
Salgesch’s transition from a farming village to a contemporary winegrowing village began around fifty years ago. Today, daily life in Salgesch is dominated by its 203 hectares of vineyards and over forty wineries. Home to 1,450 residents, it bears the cross of the Order of St John as its municipal coat of arms. The brothers in faith settled in Salgesch in the 13th century to build a hostel for pilgrims and travellers in the spirit of the Order. The Order stayed in Salgesch for about 400 years, and though there is no documentary evidence they chose it for its good wine, it nonetheless seems a strong probability.
The village is famous for its vineyards and wine, but also for its closeness to the Pfyn-Finges nature reserve, the largest contiguous pine forest in the Alps.
Salgesch lies directly on the French-German language border between Upper and Lower Valais.
Altitude: |
581 (m. above sea level) |
Number of inhabitants (as of 31.12.2023): |
1'693 |
Languages of municipal administration: |
German, French |
Travel time by car to/from Visp: |
29 min |
Distance by car to/from Visp: |
24 km |
Gemeinde Salgesch
Kirchstrasse 6
3970 Salgesch
Phone: +41 (0)27 452 21 31
gemeinde@salgesch.ch
www.salgesch-gemeinde.ch