Culture
The Museum of Hérémence
Hérémence
A village, a thousand stories
A heritage saved from oblivion
With the construction of the Grande-Dixence dam, an entire way of life vanished. In the 1960s, modernity transformed the Val des Dix. Subsistence farming gave way to new forms of wealth, and everyday objects were moved to attics… or thrown away.
To preserve this past, the municipality decided to create a museum. In 1977, under the initiative of Lucien Gauye, the idea of a local museum was born. After more than ten years of renovation, collection, and restoration, the Hérémence multi-site museum came to life — a unique trail through the village, blending memory and craftsmanship.
A museum across five authentic sites
The museum unfolds across five emblematic buildings:
- The forge (16th century), active until the 1960s, now devoted to heritage and contemporary creation
- The François-Xavier Bagnoud mill and its communal oven, restored and brought back to life for traditional bread baking
- The wine press, the last of its kind still in place in Valais, with cellars located beneath the forge
- The traditional home, a 1776 house showcasing daily life in old Valais, with pull-out beds and a soapstone stove
- The craft museum, located in the historic bourgeois house (1584), organised by themes around village life.
A living, thematic museum
Inside the craft museum, over 3,000 objects tell the story of Hérémence’s past. Visitors can discover:
- Farming activities: hemp processing, haymaking, cereal cultivation, ...
- Life in the mayen and alpine pastures - with a reconstructed chalet
- Alpine cheesemaking: production of cheese, sérac, butter, ...
- Traditional trades: farmer, carpenter, woodcutter, coopers and more
- The school of yesteryear and how it evolved
- Religious life and objects
- The former courtroom
- The prison and historical weapons
From the raclette oven used by Dixence workers to the Kebeulo from 1700 exhibited internationally, every object holds a story.
Visit the museum
Open at selected times during the tourist high season.
Off-season, guided tours available on request via the tourist office.
Groups welcome: guided tours led by our local storytellers.
An immersive journey into village life of the past
Contact
The Museum of Hérémence
Opening
-
From 23 Jun 2025
to 22 Aug 2025
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
From 10:00 to 12:30 and from 14:00 to 17:30
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Off-season: visits available on request at the tourist office
phone +41 027 281 15 33
email heremence@valdherens.ch
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Chemin Neuf 2
1987 Hérémence
Location / Access
GPS coordinates :
46.17979697881154, 7.40506303303846
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