TownBest June – September for hiking, December – March for snow
Monthey
A valley town in Valais, launch point for the slopes and shelves rising steeply above it.
Monthey itself is an ordinary Valais valley town, industrial history and all — the reason to stop is what's built into the mountainside above it, where the ground climbs fast enough that a short drive gets well above the valley floor. It's a practical base for the surrounding Alps rather than a sight in itself.