Mase

One of the villages situated on the eastern slope of the Val d’Hérens, opposite Hérémence. Situated at an altitude of 1,345 metres, it is not a major tourist destination and forms part of the municipality of Mont-Noble, which was created in 2011 following the merger of Mase with the neighbouring villages of Vernamiège and Nax.

The main road through the Val d’Hérens, which climbs towards the ‘pyramids’ of Euseigne, Evolène and Arolla, runs along the heights on the left bank of the Borgne, the river that flows at the bottom of the valley. As a result, the villages and hamlets perched above the right bank tend to be somewhat overlooked by visitors.

Yet they are by no means lacking in attractions, even though they offer fewer tourist facilities and the access road is less ‘comfortable’ than the one on the other bank.

Until 1898, Mase was known as ‘Mage’, a name which meant ‘cultivated land’ in Celtic. There are still many reminders of those ancient times in the village: storehouses and granaries, a mill, the Maison de l’Ours (‘Bear House’), the Ecurie des Chèvres (‘goat shed’), a church straddling tradition and modernity, and so on.

Every two years, Mase also hosts Lettres de Soie (‘Silk Letters’), a festival dedicated to the art of letter-writing. It is a unique event in Switzerland, featuring performances, readings, exhibitions, workshops, talks and more, all set in a village entirely decorated in keeping with this theme.

During our panoramic shooting in September 2026, many of the decorations from the 2025 event were still in place, transforming the village into a place brimming with poetry and fragments of real or imaginary letters.

Unfortunately, since 2024, Mase has been suffering from a major drawback: the village’s two restaurants have closed down and there is nowhere to have a drink or a bite to eat after a walk.

The upside, of course, is that you don’t bump into a horde of tourists taking selfies at every corner…