A little off the usual tourist tracks, the town of Monthey is by birth Savoyard.  Over the years it has become the guardian of the Illiez valley hinterland and the vast franco-swiss area known as the “Portes du soleil” (“gates of the sun”). The town, which shows both traits of Valais and Chablais with residual overtones of Savoy, became industrialised in the 20^th century.

 

Its weekly Wednesday market under the plane-trees in the central square, the hundred-year-old carnival, its famous Crochetan theatre and its proximity to the Choex plateau and the Giettes ski resort, make it an ideal starting point for hikes or ski outings.