Evolène elected most beautiful village in French-speaking Switzerland

09 / 02 / 2021

In 2012, the readers of l'Illustré voted to elect "the most beautiful village in French-speaking Switzerland" from among the 36 finalist candidates. A jury made up of cantonal governments and representatives of the chief editorial offices of the regional daily newspapers in French-speaking Switzerland selected 6 finalists for the 6 French-speaking cantons from among the readers' proposals. That year, it was Evolène's turn to win thanks to the 1096 votes won out of the 10,000 votes cast. Evolène, in the name in patois means "easy water", has managed to preserve a rich and varied built heritage, from hutches to attics, barns and barn-sheds. The parish church stands in the middle of the village, also benefiting from its past and the additions of successive parts. Recognised ISOS (Federal Inventory of Built Sites of National Importance to be Protected in Switzerland), these remains of a past life are nevertheless very much alive and are still home to local traditions and cultures such as the Evolène Carnival and Mid-Summer Festival or the use of the patois.

"The Most Beautiful Villages in Switzerland" is an independent association founded in 2015 with the aim of protecting, promoting and coordinating in a tourist network those Swiss communes which, meeting the criteria set out in the quality charter, are classified as such. (Source of the article)

Articles referring to this event :
https://www.immo-tourisme.ch/sites/default/files/presse/ILHP2012_39_0036_0047_PLUS_BEAU_VILLAGE.pdf
https://www.borghisvizzera.ch/fr/scheda/evolene/
https://www.lenouvelliste.ch/articles/valais/valais-central/evolene-plus-beau-village-de-suisse-romande-237355
https://www.commune-evolene.ch/fr/evolene-36.html
https://www.valais.ch/fr/lieux/val-d-herens/evolene/apercu
https://www.valais.ch/fr/information/landingpage/listical/les-plus-beaux-villages-du-valais
http://chaletlerucher.ch/2016/08/20/evolene-val-dherens/