Stories · Planning · Panorama Bike
Valais Panorama Bike
From the beginning, Bikeplan was convinced of mountain biking’s potential for tourism development in Valais. After three years of work, the second regional mountain bike route of the new generation in Valais is finally complete. Here is the story behind the creation of the Valais Panorama Bike route.
How it all began
Pure singletrack enjoyment in Upper Valais.
From Grimsel through the Conche valley, Bellwald, the Binntal, and the Saflisch Pass to Brig, the regional Wallis Panorama Bike route follows the area’s finest trails.
| Strategy | Launched in 2015, the Bike Valais / Wallis project analyzed the state of mountain biking tourism in the canton of Valais, along with visitor potential and the regions’ potential to become mountain biking destinations. This analysis provided the basis for defining a sound strategy for the canton. |
|---|---|
| Specialist office | From 2017, the BikeWallis coordination office was established to provide technical support for implementing regional concepts and developing a cantonal master plan. The specialist office is the first point of contact for cycling-related questions and acts as an intermediary between destinations, external service providers, cantonal departments, and environmental organizations. Routes connecting the regions are planned by the coordination platform and supported through implementation. Specific marketing and PR activities are also carried out. |
| Master plan | Based on surveys of local conditions and developments, tourism and land use analyses, and coordination discussions with those involved, individual concepts focused specifically on mountain biking are developed for destinations in Upper Valais. Thanks to the participatory approach, the concepts ensure strong acceptance within the destinations. MTB master plans were developed for Goms, Aletsch Arena, Belalp/Blatten, and Brig/Simplon. These networks subsequently served as the basis for approving mountain bike trails / downhill tracks under the recreational mobility routes legislation. |
| Planning | Based on the route networks approved following the master plans and the canton’s strategic vision, planning for the regional Valais Panorama Bike route began in 2021. The aim is to connect the Grimsel Pass and Brig via a main route to which local Schweiz Mobil routes connect. This route forms part of the canton’s Mountain Bike Roadmap 2021/2025 and meets the new mountain biking appeal and quality criteria established in the federal legislation on cycle routes. |
| Route | The regional Valais Panorama Bike route covers Upper Valais and its beautiful landscapes in what are currently 4 stages: – Stage 1: Grimsel – Reckingen – Stage 2: Reckingen – Bellwald – Stage 3: Bellwald – Binn – Stage 4: Binn – Brig a 5th stage in the Aletsch Arena region will be added soon to complete the route. |
