22.05.2012
Hike along the Suonen (leats) in Wallis
Suonen in Wallis
Leats are open aqueducts, many of which can be found in Switzerland and especially in Canton Wallis. Grächen alone boasts four stunning ones. These water canals were originally (and partly are still today) used to conduct water to the fields.
Trips along those leats (on foot, by bicycle or on horses) have an almost spiritual quality. They are ideal hiking trails, with very few changes in altitude, perfect for long, meditative hikes.
Due to the small amounts of rain in the region, agriculture was always made quite difficult. Farmers therefore needed to come up with inventive ideas quite early on. In order to conduct the water from Ried glacier and brook to the fields, the leats system was born
Many of those leats have nicknames: in Grächen they are called “Bineri”. Those originate from the 17th century and conduct water to the part of town called “Bina”. The “Drieri” canals are called like this because they conduct water from as many as three different sources, i.e. the stunning amount of 110 liters per second. “Chilcheri” is the name of the second highest leats which lead to the area of the church, and “Eggeri” conducts glacier water from the Ried glacier to Bärgji. With a length of over 6 kilometers, this is the longest and possible oldest leat in the area. Its oldest mention dates back to the 13th century.
Hiking suggestions along the leats can be find at summer hiking.
Find out more about their history here.
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