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Europe still harbors community-based resource management systems that date back to the Middle Ages, which we refer to here as "historical commons" (HCs). Particularly prevalent in Switzerland, especially in mountain regions, these collective management systems have ensured shared governance of land and natural resources, thereby overcoming the challenges posed by the difficult nature of the terrain. Over time, these practices have evolved with the emergence of modern states, transforming these institutions, which persist in Switzerland today. These institutions, termed "historical commons in transition" (HCTs) in this study, have been joined by new collective management initiatives, called "new commons" (NCs). Based on an inventory conducted through semi-structured interviews and documentary research, as well as the analysis of six case studies through semi-structured interviews, this work examines and contextualizes commons in a Valais valley, the Val d'Hérens, in the territories of the municipalities of Mont-Noble, Saint-Martin, Evolène, Hérémence, and Vex. It explores the presence and role of these different collective management practices in relation to the socio-economic and environmental challenges affecting mountain regions.