Riversong - Wellness area in the heart of nature

Imagine immersing yourself in a vat of hot water enriched with Bex salt, surrounded by nature and majestic scenery... With a desire to pamper ourserlves and relax, we tried out the Riversong experience at Les Plans-sur-Bex, which offers total and beneficial disconnection in both summer and winter. We tell you all about this 100% nature and serenity activity!

✎︎ Alpes Vaudoises, ©︎ Alpes Vaudoises, ※︎ August 2023

Why we loved it ❤️‍🔥

• It's the perfect activity for lovers or friends 👩‍❤️‍👨

• Waking up the arches of your feet on the barefoot trail 🌿

• Take in the scenery from our hot water tank 🛀

• Treat ourselves after the baths at the Auberge du Pont-de-Nant 🤩

Riversong: a unique concept in the Alpes vaudoises

Just before Pont-de-Nant, a Riversong sign indicates that we have reached our destination. We can park in the designated spaces, and Bernard, the owner of the site, comes to welcome us. He explains that Riversong is a space specially created to retreat from stress, to be calm and close to nature.

Here, you put down your phone (in our case, we only use it to take photos, there's no 4G anyway!), and simply reconnect with what's around you. In fact, the sheep grazing peacefully in the meadow next door are already encouraging us to do just that!

Barefoot trail: energising the whole body

To begin with, Bernard invites us to take off our shoes and experience the "barefoot trail". Walking in direct contact with the earth relaxes many muscles and energises the whole body. The trail winds through the forest, where we walk on grass, pines, earth, tree trunks... The trail is kept as natural as possible, so watch out for a few stinging nettles that might wake up the soles of your feet a little too much!

La Rippaz spring water baths

As the little chimes ring out, we approach our personal vats, larchwood barrels, into which Bernard pours salt. The water temperature today is 39°C, but you can ask for it to be colder. Bernard explains that to enjoy all the benefits of the bath, you need to take a hot bath, followed by a cold bath (a small bathtub is set up next to the barrels), 3 times.

After the hot bath, it takes a bit of courage to plunge into the cold water bath, but it really does revive the whole body. All in all, a very pleasant experience on a hot summer's day! Bernard explains just how good baths can be for the body and mind: they can cure certain skin conditions such as eczema and give the immune system a real boost.

Reviving the thermal history of Bex-les-Bains

Let's take a quick look back at the past here. Actually, during the 19th century and up until the first part of the 20th century, Bex-les-Bains was a popular destination for spa visitors, who came to enjoy the benefits of the thermal waters and relax in its luxurious hotels. Many of the leading figures of the time also stayed here, including Victor Hugo and the philosopher Friedrich Nietzche. The Riversong space echoes this spa past, which has now disappeared.

Gourmet delights at the Auberge de Pont-de-Nant

It's already time for us to leave our soothing little barrels. After enjoying an excellent, calming herbal tea, we take our leave of our host to continue our walk towards the Nant valley and soak up the magnificent scenery all around us.

At the Auberge du Pont-de-Nant, at the foot of the Grand Muveran, we settle down on the pretty wooded terrace to enjoy some excellent salads (we will try out the fondue another time!). Relaxed and replete, we set off for home, promising ourselves that we'll take more precious moments to totally switch off!