Valais, Saxon
Distance: 4.55 km.
Walking time: 1h 30 min.
Elevation gain: 340 m.
Access: Car or train.
Parking: large parking next to Eglise de Saxon
Apricot trail is a true pleasure for eyes. If you enjoy flowers as much as I do, this hike is a must. The best time to visit is either during flower blooming (around March) or when the fruits are getting ripe. Different apricot varieties allow the fruits to be collected throughout 3 months from around mid-June. The route is marked with apricot signs and every so often there are information boards about apricots. The tree varieties also have signs indicating which trees are which type. We didn't meet many people or kids on this hike.
The pathways has rather steep inclines. The start follows the road, making it easier to climb until the arrival at Saxon Tower. You can find out more about its history here. Once we entered the forest, the pathway was covered in dead tree leaves, making it very slippery on steeper slopes. For this reason, I would recommend wearing shoes with good ground grip. Most of the route outside of the forest follows wider tracks. The views are spectacular throughout the walk. We even managed to see a number of honey-bee hives around the trees.
There are numerous benches along the way and a few family benches overlooking the view below the Saxon Tower.
It is possible to walk this hike and manage to attend the Apricot Festival held in July. More information about the festival is here. There is also a "Gourmet walk around the apricots" - for more information visit here.
More information about this hike can be found on Le Sentier de l'Abricot website here.
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