A gem of pristine nature, the source of Saillon’s thermal waters is known locally as the “Giant’s Head”. Starting from Saillon, follow the all-weather path along the river to the Salentze gorge. At the end of the path, have fun finding the face of the famous giant, carved into the rock face at the entrance to the cave. This block of volcanic tuff, a soft porous rock, inspired the French artiste Gustave Courbet to paint “La caverne des géants” [The giants’ cave]. This place maintains a welcome freshness even in summer.
1h
70m
1.6km
round trip
Easy
Map of the route
Click on “find out more” for a full description of the route and how to get there.
Practical info
Parking nearby
Park your vehicle in one of the free car parks:
- Parking de la Salentze (blue zone, beware of fines if parking outside the zone)
- Place Farinet, at the foot of the village
- Bains de Saillon
Getting here by public transport
Take the 311 bus from Martigny CFF, Riddes CFF or Sion CFF stations to the Saillon St-Laurent stop. Click here for timetables.
Organise a guided tour
Discover the history of the giant’s head and the famous painter Courbet with a guide.
Saillon application
Download the Saillon app to access all the walks and track your position in real time.
At a glance
