Office du tourisme Route du Centre Thermal 14 CH-1913 Saillon

Tel. +41 27 744 18 95 Fax

A beautiful medieval village on a rocky hill in the middle of the wineyards of Valais, part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites, where was killed Farinet, a famous outlaw known as the Robin Hood of the Alps.

In 1052, the year in which the first mention of vine cultivation in Valais dates back, the hill was called in Latin Castellum Psallionis, the Castle of Psallion. The local population withdrew there due to the anarchy and insecurity following the fall of Charlemagne's empire.

Its strategic location attracted Savoy, who took possession in the early 13th century, reinforced its ramparts and built the Bayart keep, with the ambition of turning it into a fairground to compete with that of their enemy, the bishop of Sion. In 1475, however, the patriots of the Upper Valais seized the Lower Valais and set fire to the Savoyard castles, including that of Saillon, so that the town once again became a peaceful village.

In the 19th century, Saillon was the village of refuge for the Aosta Valley outlaw Joseph-Samuel Farinet, hunted by every police force. A cunning smuggler and a kind-hearted bandit who minted counterfeit money and distributed it to the destitute, Farinet was something of a Robin Hood of the Alps. In 1880, after 10 years of tracking, his body was discovered at the bottom of the Salentze Gorge, apparently shot by the police.

He is buried at the foot of the church tower, and his memory, first perpetuated by the writer C.-F. Ramuz and other poets, lives on through an unusual Musée de la Fausse Monnaie, the world's smallest vineyard (just 3 vines), stained glass windows along an extraordinary walking trail and a vertiginous footbridge over the gorge where he perished.

Every four years, Saillon's medieval festivities are an opportunity to relive the Middle Ages, with a procession of over 1,000 performers dressed in period costume, entertainment in the streets and squares, meals in the style of yesteryear, concerts and shows that create a special atmosphere. (Medieval Festivities 2025: September 12-14)