Arolla

Arolla

The north face of Mont Collon above Arolla

Above Arolla

Arolla is a village in the municipality of Evolène in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.

It is situated at the end of the Val d'Hérens south of Sion at 1998m altitude in the Pennine Alps. It is situated at the foot of Mont Collon and is a popular start point for mountain expeditions.

The village is a popular stop-off point on the Haute Route, a classic high-altitude mountain trek between Chamonix and Zermatt. The expedition can be tackled either by foot in the summer or by skis in the winter and spring. It is also on the itinerary of the Patrouille des Glaciers.

In the winter, Arolla has its own small Alpine ski area which makes up for its lack of scale with reliable snow cover, spectacular scenery and quiet pistes.

Hotels in Arolla include the historic Hotel Mont Collon, located near the entrance to the village, and Hotel Kurhaus, situated at the top of the series of hair-pin bends that rise through the village. There is a post office, mountain sports shop, hotel Du Pigne and bus stop in the small village centre.

In addition to Mont Collon, the village is also overlooked by Pigne d'Arolla, a 3796-metre mountain, which can be climbed from the Cabane des Vignettes or Dix Hut mountain huts above Arolla. Pra Gra (2479m), an abandoned hamlet above Arolla, can be reached by a moderate walk of approximately 80 mins. The views of Mont Collon and the glacial trench at the end of the valley are particularly striking from this location.

The Arolla pine, also known as the Swiss pine, a high-altitude species in the white pine group that grows in the Alps and the Carpathians, is named after the village.