Sion

Sion needs 1 day: climbing the twin hills of Valère and Tourbillon, each crowned by a medieval castle that belonged to rival powers (the bishop and the counts), with views over the terraced vineyards of the Rhône valley, in a single day. April-October brings the best weather. It's inexpensive for Switzerland. It's one of Switzerland's oldest inhabited towns, with evidence of settlement going back over 6,000 years, and its terraced vineyards around the city, among the highest in Europe, produce wines that rarely leave the country given their limited production.