If you've a mind to virtually disappear from the face of the earth for a week or so, this just may be the hideout you're looking for.

Scenery around Evolène

Everybody wants to see Zermatt and Grindelwald, but after that if they're a little curious they might find themselves in Evolène and suddenly realize that that was where they really wanted to be all along. They sought remote, authentic Swiss villages, but what they got with the gorgeous views and four-star hotels was tee-shirt shops and lots of folks from back home.

Of course, this French-speaking mountain hamlet, about a 25-minute drive from Sion, is not without tourists - hikers and climbers in summer and skiers in winter - but it is a much different breed of Swiss mountain town from the likes of Zermatt and Grindelwald.

Among the wooden, weathered, brown/black Valasian houses of Evolène, you'll find a simple hotel or pension, or perhaps a small chalet to rent. In the daytime you can walk mountain trails that range from easy to challenging, and in the evenings enjoy hearty mountain food and Valasian wine alongside grizzled locals at one of the town's cheery inns.

Evolène is also much less expensive than the famed mountain resorts. The top hotel in town charges about $80 for it's best room, you can rent an apartment for as little as $175 per week and a small beer is less than $2.