Switzerland
The Country
Along with Austria, France and Norway; Switzerland can claim to be one of the four most important countries in the development of modern skiing at the turn of the last century. The world's first-ever recorded 'winter ski holiday' took place in St Moritz in 1865 (see Introduction) and the first proper lifts for skiers were built in Davos.
In the meantime some of the best known winter resorts were established, including Gstaad, Mnrren, Wengen, Grindelwald, Villars, Klosters (famous in recent years for the patronage of Prince Charles) and Crans Montana.
Switzerland also contains some of the most spectacular scenery in the Alps - the classic vistas depicted the world over in 10,000-piece jigsaws and on chocolate box lids. Some provide excellent skiing, others are simply great to wake up to in the morning.
The combination of such magnificent scenery, often spectacular skiing, atmospheric alpine villages, quality of food and service is very difficult to beat, although making many of the top Swiss resorts car-free has enhanced the Swiss ski-holiday experience yet further.
The major undeniable downside is the cost of it all – although “it’s not as bad as it was.” The Swiss Franc remained strong as other currencies declined in the 1980s and 90s, pushing prices ever upwards for those coming in from most countries outside and the imposition of VAT on already pricey key outgoings for skiers has exacerbated the financial challenge of a Swiss ski holiday for many. However in recent years ticket pricing has hardly moved in many Swiss resorts and the Franc has lost a little of its buoyancy so that other countries, especially France, have become more expensive in many cases for lift tickets at least. Switzerland also offers some of the best lift ticket value in the world for children with prices often a third to a half of the adult fare, when in other countries they may be 70 or 80% of the full cost from age four. Many Swiss resorts don’t even charge for children until age eight or nine.
Anyway how much is that view of the Eiger from Wengen really worth? or for that matter the fact that you can put your skis on the plane at your local airport and they'll arrive at your Swiss hotel without your ever having to touch them?
Good Points
Unbeatable scenery
Unbeatable rail transfers from airports. Luggage can be sent from your departure airport and arrive at your resort hotel ahead of you.
Many of the well-known resorts have excellent public leisure complexes and several are free or discounted to lift-pass holders.
There are some huge lift-linked ski areas, including the famous Four Valleys around Verbier.
The Swiss take preservation of the mountain environment more seriously than any other country.
Many of the top resorts are car-free.
Bad Points
Staying in Switzerland is usually expensive.
There's some aged lift infrastructure in some classic resorts - although at the same time many do have ultra-modern systems, such as the underground funicular, the Metro Alpin, at Saas Fee.
Resort-run child-care is rare, except in the biggest resorts and in individual hotels.
Resorts in Switzerland
AdelbodenHeight: 1,353m
Picturesque traditional Swiss resort but with an unusually large modern ski area linked to Lenk'...
Andermatt
Height: 1,436m
One of Switzerland's oldest and most picturesque villages, just north of the St Gotthard Pass and...
Anzère
Height: 1,423m
A south-facing purpose-built resort in traditional Swiss architectural style, close to Crans. It...
Arolla
Height: 2,003m
Located at the head of the Herens Valley, Arolla is a quiet centre with several large high-calibr...
Arosa
Height: 1,739m
A classic high-altitude resort of the type that only exists in Switzerland. It is famous for its...
Bad Ragaz
Height: 508m
A traditional village sharing its ski area with Wangs. The varied skiing is above the treeline, ...
Beatenberg
Height: 1,200m
Spread out on a sunny plateau above Lake Thun, with magnificent views of the Jungfrau's highest p...
Beckenried
Height: 435m
Lakeside Beckenried is a small settlement in the canton of Nidwalden, one of the three forest sta...
Belalp
Height: 1,322m
A mixture of modern resort with historic sectors, the local skiing is known for its remarkable gl...
Bellwald
Height: 1,600m
A pretty mountain village in the Western Valais, slightly unusual in that it is located on the mo...
Bergün
Height: 1,373m
A small, quiet family resort presenting Switzerland in its natural form. Located mid-way between...
Bettmeralp
Height: 1,950m
A peaceful (car-free), high-altitude but traditional village linked to Betten below by cable car....
Braunwald
Height: 1,256m
Braunwald is a mecca for sun worshippers and offers excellent opportunities for sunbathing as wel...
Brigels
Height: 1,289m
Full feature resort with riding school, indoor pool and tennis and sledge run as well as an inter...
Celerina
Height: 1,730m
The Corviglia Ski Area above St Moritz is easy to access from Celerina, 2km away and 50m lower th...
Champéry
Height: 1,050m
Key resort in the Swiss sector of the world's largest international lift-linked ski area (the Fra...
Champex-Lac
Height: 1,472m
A quiet lake-side village between the Great St. Bernhard and Mont Blanc massifs. There are 1.5km...
Champoussin
Height: 1,310m
A small purpose-built ski station built in tasteful Swiss 'giant chalet' style and thus looks old...
Chandolin
Height: 2,000m
At 2000 metres Chandolin is one of Europe's highest communities. The altitude guarantees snow as...
Château d'Oex
Height: 1,000m
A lovely village on the French side of the French/German language border within Switzerland. Hom...
Chur
Height: 600m
An excellent base for day trips to the major ski areas of Graubünden - Arosa; Lenzerheide, Flims ...
Crans Montana
Height: 1,476m
Once two separate villages, Crans and Montana officially met up and merged in the 1960s, Togethe...
Davos
Height: 1,560m
The centre of one of Switzerland's largest, oldest and best known ski areas. A large town, spli...
Diemtigtal
Height: 820m
The Simmental - Diemtigtal valley contains several ski areas. The first and largest at Wiriehorn...
Disentis
Height: 1,150m
Typically picturesque Swiss village in the Rhine Valley, dominated by its twin towered Benedictin...
Elm
Height: 1,000m
Picturesque old village and year round tourist destination. The Empächli cable cabin begins from...
Emmetten
Height: 780m
Year round traditional resort offering skiing on pretty tree-lined slopes over-looking a spectacu...
Engelberg Titlis
Height: 1,050m
A historic isolated village which grew up around a Benedictine monastery (established in 1120). ...
Evolène
Height: 1,380m
Fiesch
Height: 1,050m
Year round multi-sports and leisure resort with spectacular Swiss Alpine scenery. High altitude ...
Flond / Surcuolm
Height: 1,250m
Two small hillside holiday villages sharing the huge ski area beneath Piz Mundaun, which offers d...
Flumserberg
Height: 1,400m
The largest winter sports area between Zurich and Chur, with good snow conditions the normality b...
Grächen
Height: 1,620m
Traditional and picturesque year round resort in stunning scenery and with an excellent resort in...
Grimentz
Height: 1,570m
Fabulous untouched village meeting virtually every conceivable criteria for an 'ideal ski resort'...
Grindelwald
Height: 1,034m
A very pretty, historic, year round resort, the largest in the Jungfrau region, which includes We...
Grüsch
Height: 630m
Pretty little village in the Grisons with a well-designed snow making system that helps to ensure...
Gryon
Height: 1,200m
The picturesque and usually peaceful village of Gryon is linked in to the skiing at Villars which...
Gstaad
Height: 1,050m
One of the world's top resorts incorporating an excellent sports centre with free access to lift ...
Interlaken
Height: 567m
Interlaken has no skiing of its own, with limited local skiing at Habkern, but it markets itself ...
Kandersteg
Height: 1,180m
Picturesque, traditional village (a winter resort for over 100 years, visitors initially attracte...
Klosters
Height: 810m
A pretty village that is a favourite with British royal skiers, lift-linked to skiing at Davos an...
La Tzoumaz
Height: 1,500m
Part of the famous Four Valleys ski area below the Mont Fort glacier. Slopes are north facing an...
Laax
Height: 1,400m
Flims Laax Falera is the name that the tourist office of the villages of Flims, Laax and Falera p...
Lauterbrunnen
Height: 796m
Located on the valley floor between Murren and Wengen this is the ideal resort for those wanting ...
Le Châble
Height: 1,100m
A quiet mountain-side village across the valley from Verbier. Plans for a major lift expansion f...
Lenk
Height: 1,068m
Traditional, picturesque resort with a compact ski area linked to that of Adelboden. Originally ...
Lenzerheide
Height: 1,470m
Two centres with a large, mostly intermediate standard ski area between them. Particularly good ...
Les Crosets
Height: 1,670m
A small ski station best suited to dedicated skiers, with three hotels located at the foot of the...
Les Diablerets
Height: 1,200m
A rather pretty old mountain resort, better known as a year round glacier skiing destination (th...
Les Mosses
Height: 1,448m
Les Mosses is located close to Leysin and a ski bus links the two ski areas, opening up 100km of ...
Leukerbad / Loèche - les - Bains
Height: 1,411m
It doesn't matter whether you're sports mad, a wellness fan, in search of peace and quiet, or mor...
Leysin
Height: 1,263m
Situated on a plateau above the Rhone Valley with magnificent views of Mont Blanc and the Eiger. ...
Lötschental
Height: 1,400m
The Lotschental Valley, with the Langgletscher glacier at its head contains many picturesque and ...
Meiringen Hasliberg
Height: 600m
The Haslital Region mixes rural traditions with a modern outlook - including a thriving snowboard...
Melchsee - Frutt
Height: 1,080m
Sandwiched between Engelberg and Hasliberg's ski areas, Frutt is a high altitude holiday village ...
Montreux
Height: 1,000m
A cosmopolitan town with a population of over 20,000 and a lively leisure scene. Much of the ski...
Mörel - Breiten
Height: 759m
Small historic village surrounded by forest with a good tourism infrastructure. The outdoor pool...
Morgins
Height: 1,350m
Highest and oldest of the 'genuine' resorts on the Swiss side of the Portes du Soleil offering a ...
Mürren
Height: 1,650m
Pretty car-free village linked by mountain railway (since 1891) to Wengen and Grindelwald and oth...
Nendaz
Height: 1,365m
Haute - Nendaz and it's small satellite Siviez are modern resorts offering mostly family orientat...
Oberiberg
Height: 900m
The Hoch Ybrig ski area has two access points from the village of Oberiberg. The main cable car ...
Obersaxen
Height: 1,280m
Part of a ski region that links Val Lumnezia and Piz Mundaun. The men's and women's FIS Super G ...
Ovronnaz
Height: 1,350m
A year-round multi-sports and relaxation centre, Ovronnaz has a children's lift in the village an...
Parpan
Height: 1,470m
Linked in to the increasingly huge Lenzerheide - Valbella ski region, Parpan is an oasis of peace...
Pontresina
Height: 1,800m
Located on sunny south-west facing slope in the highest valley of the Upper Engadin, Pontresina i...
Riederalp
Height: 1,875m
Situated on a sunny terrace high above the Rhone valley with awesome views to the chain of the Va...
Rougemont
Height: 992m
Just on the French side of the Swiss language border, a few km from German speaking Gstaad and li...
Saas - Fee
Height: 1,800m
One of the world's top resorts, picturesque, car free, excellent facilities. Year round glacier ...
Saas Almagell
Height: 1,672m
On the Saas lift pass with Saas Grund and best known Saas Fee, this small traditional village wit...
Saas Grund
Height: 1,560m
Two lovely villages of large chalet hotels with a good intermediate skiing area and a lift pass t...
Salvan - Les Marécottes
Height: 1,100m
Picture-postcard villages in the Trient Valley, a funicular train lovers paradise, with normally ...
Samnaun
Height: 1,846m
World-class centre on Austro-Swiss circuit linked to Ischgl since the early 1980s- together creat...
Savognin
Height: 1,200m
One of the best equipped ski resorts in Switzerland, with a long list of facilities and excellent...
Schwyz
Height: 516m
Lying on the shore of the Lauerzersee, Schwyz is one of several small to medium size villages whi...
Scuol
Height: 1,250m
Ancient, Romansh speaking village with five fountains spouting forth pure mineral water. The ski...
Sedrun
Height: 1,450m
Historic village with more than 14 chapels and churches in the vicinity, the ancient Romansh dial...
Sils - Maria
Height: 1,797m
The philosopher Nietzsche thought Sils the most beautiful place on earth. Despite the omnipresen...
Silvaplana
Height: 1,870m
With its pretty lake-side setting, Silvaplana has been popular since Roman times. In addition to...
Sörenberg
Height: 1,166m
Sitting at the foot of the Brienzer Rothon, Sörenberg is a typically picturesque Swiss ski resort...
St - Luc
Height: 1,650m
Sharing the skiing above the tree line with neighbouring Chandolin (1936m), St Luc is a tradition...
St Moritz
Height: 1,856m
The world's most famous ski resort and the pioneer of Alpine winter holidays in 1864. Home of th...
Thyon 2000
Height: 1,300m
A satellite village above Veysonnaz, not yet trendy, with magnificent views over the Rhone Valley.
Torgon
Height: 1,150m
Torgon is one of the Swiss representatives on the huge Portes du Soleil pass, though its neighbou...
Unterwasser
Height: 900m
A small traditional village linked by funicular railway to the Churfirsten ski area linking Wildh...
Verbier
Height: 1,500m
A world class resort, ranked by many in their global top ten. Capital of the 4 Valleys ski circu...
Vercorin
Height: 1,341m
Located above Chalais (cable car link) Vercorin is on the Val D'Anniviers pass which it shares wi...
Veysonnaz
Height: 1,470m
Relatively untouched by skiers until recent years, Veysonnaz is today one of the key resorts in t...
Villars
Height: 1,253m
A pretty traditional Swiss resort on a sunny south-west facing plateau above the Rhone Valley. ...
Wangs
Height: 511m
Picturesque village close to rail and motorway access and the spa resort of Bad Ragaz with which ...
Wengen
Height: 1,274m
A very picturesque resort that has welcomed skiers since the turn of the century. Car-free, with...
Wildhaus
Height: 1,098m
An attractive and friendly village with a varied ski area linked to the lifts of Unterwasser and ...
Zermatt
Height: 1,620m
Regarded by most as Switzerland's top ski resort and by many as the world's best. Picturesque, ca...
Zinal
Height: 1,671m
A small, pretty, typically Swiss village, standing on a high sunny plateau in the Val d'Anniviers...
Zweisimmen
Height: 948m
At the German-speaking end of the rail-link included Gstaad ski pass and now lift linked to the s...