The Alpine village of Evolene nestles in a narrow valley south of Sion, at the foot of the Pennine Alps, and is the last remaining stronghold of Franco-Provencal, spoken by all of its 1,600 inhabitants. Set in wild and unstable glacier-topped mountain terrain, the village is at risk from avalanches and rapid erosion caused by the river flowing down the valley. Evolene is the main village here, set on a plateau above the river and protected by its surrounding forests. Many writers and artists have taken up residence here, and the village is a hub for winter sports and nature lovers. Evolene hotels are set along the valley, welcoming skiers and snowboarders in winter and hikers, walkers and outdoor pursuit enthusiasts in spring and summer. The valley is famous for its unique and ancient breed of small, bad-tempered and extremely hardy cows, carefully bred to withstand the extreme cold of the winters. Each year in spring, a cow-fighting festival is held, at which time the beasts are released from their winter shelters to roam in the pastures.

other spellings: evolenehotels, evoleme otel, evoleen hotell, evolnee hote, evoelne hotes, evloene