Saint-Maurice: Abbey, Via Francigena and Rhône

Saint-Maurice lies on the banks of the Rhône at the foot of a cliff, between Lake Geneva and the Alpine peaks. The town brings together the history of its abbey and the Via Francigena with an old town, cultural venues and various opportunities for outdoor activities. When planning your trip, you can choose between ecclesiastical heritage, historical visits and walking routes as different points of focus.

Abbey and Pilgrimage Tradition

The Abbey of Saint-Maurice was founded in 515. Ecclesiastical activity has continued there uninterrupted ever since, and its 1,500th anniversary was celebrated in 2015. It is considered the oldest monastic foundation in the Western Christian world still in active use. On a visit, an audio guide takes you through the basilica, the archaeological site of the earlier churches and the treasury’s collection. The cloister also contains an ancient baptistery. The basilica is the ninth church to have been built on this site.

Saint-Maurice is an official Swiss stage on the Via Francigena pilgrimage route between Canterbury and Rome. The Chapelle de Notre-Dame du Scex is also a landmark religious site: cut into the cliff, it stands 90 metres above Saint-Maurice. The climb to the sanctuary involves about 500 steps. The Chapelle de Vérolliez, in turn, marks the traditional site of the martyrdom of Saint Maurice and his companions from the Theban Legion around the year 300.

Old Town and Cultural Venues

The oldest part of Saint-Maurice stretches along the Grand-Rue. This main thoroughfare dates back to Roman times and is now reserved for pedestrians. The town’s architectural history also includes the present-day Église Saint-Sigismond, built in 1715, and the basilica’s eventful history. Acaunum, associated with Saint-Maurice, has yielded Roman archaeological remains, Late Antique walls dating from the late 4th century and informative inscriptions.

A historical exhibition at Château de St-Maurice tells the story of seven centuries of castle history. The Château is also a venue for exhibitions of drawing and illustrated storytelling, with a range spanning illustration and animation to press cartoons and comics. During a visit to Fort de Cindey, you can explore artillery, garrison living quarters and ammunition stores in the underground tunnels.

Performing arts and special visitor experiences are also part of the town’s cultural programme. Théâtre du Martolet regularly hosts public performances featuring music, theatre, singing, dance and variety acts. Veni, Vidi, Bibi combines a guided historical tour of the town centre with a wine tasting in the abbey bell tower. Mekalitopia is a two-hour escape room set in the cliff at Saint-Maurice and made entirely from recycled materials.

Routes, Nature and Activities

The digital experience route Balade anecdotique et ludique takes you through the old town with riddles and point-scoring challenges. For a different perspective, hike to the Plateau de Vérossaz: the route starts and ends in Saint-Maurice, follows the cliff above the town and is 9.02 kilometres long; the stated duration is about three hours. As of 25 August 2026, the tour was marked as closed in the Valais directory. Check current trail conditions before setting out.

The Chemin de la Poya between Saint-Maurice and Vérossaz fully reopened on 1 August 2026. Any remaining work was not expected to hinder pedestrian tourism. As this is a dated update, it is advisable to check the situation locally before setting out.

Le Bois-Noir includes a downy oak and pine forest considered one of the oldest in Switzerland, as well as one of the last remaining stretches of the Rhône in its wild state. There are educational trails and a Vita fitness trail. The Toblerone Trail leads from Saint-Maurice to the heights of Lavey and follows former military anti-tank obstacles, the Courset stream, the forest and the Promenade du Rhône. For cyclists, Route du Rhône 1 runs from Andermatt via Saint-Maurice to Geneva; the route covers a total of 350 kilometres over eight stages.

The sports centre’s indoor swimming pool has a 25-metre, five-lane pool for experienced swimmers, as well as a 15-metre pool for non-swimmers with a gently sloping floor. Trains from Saint-Maurice station run towards Martigny and Monthey. The station also has 73 P+Rail parking spaces and a covered bicycle parking area with 26 spaces; for current information about station facilities, it is best to check with SBB.

Discover more destinations: Salvan, Finhaut, Vernayaz, Saint-Maurice Vs, Vérossaz, Dorénaz, Mex Vs, Massongex.

Back to the main travel overview: Valais.