SWITZERLAND — When looking for the perfect ski vacation, look no further than Switzerland.
This culturally proud, beautiful country has everything you’d want in a winter vacation for singles, couples and families. Jaw dropping “oh, wow” scenery, incredible food, one-of-a-kind shopping, amazing hotels for every budget, fabulous train and bus transportation and most importantly, you’ll meet some of the friendliest, happiest people in the world Swisstravelpass.com.
I have just returned from a 12-day dream trip to five spectacular resorts in Switzerland. I started in the world-famous Zermatt, but then was blown away by the less famous resorts in Vald’Anniviers area, with Saas-Fee, Grimentz-Zinal, St-Luc/Chandolin, and then finished skiing the massive 4 Vallees in Nendaz.
Zermatt is the ultimate ski village with incredible scenery, amazing restaurants (a foodie’s paradise), boutique shopping, novelty shops, endless après bars, and hotels for every budget all under the watchful eye of the towering Matterhorn (4,478 ft above sea level) – one of the most photographed mountains in the world with its iconic pyramid-shape peak. Fun fact: The Matterhorn was once referenced on the Labatt 50 beer label.
A big seller for me is that the village is “pedestrianized”, meaning there are no cars. Zermatt is a pedestrian only village, which makes walking around town safe and a real joy. Battery powered e-taxis or e-buses will take you anywhere in town, including the main gondolas. I like walking to the gondolas with my ski boots on and skis over my shoulders, giving a good warm-up before enjoying over 300km of trails for every level of skier. On a clear day you can have lunch in Italy, with connecting trails, then be back for dinner in Zermatt.
Don’t be in any rush over lunch, as meals can last a couple of hours, while you enjoy authentic Swiss food and wine. We went to one of the most incredible mountain restaurants called Findlerhof, famous for many traditional dishes, including Rostis or a puffy pastry quiche with local vegetables. Your ski day may just end there, with a gondola ride down to the village. You’ve had a full morning of skiing, and keep in a mind a run in Switzerland could be 14km long, so completing a few of those run is full day.
Accommodations abound in Zermatt with several hotels for every budget. We enjoyed staying in the heart of the Village at the beautiful La Couronne Hotel and Spa overlooking the Vispa glacier river. La Couronne hotel is not only famous for its spacious beautiful rooms but also a spectacular spa featuring traditional Swiss jacuzzis, thermal saunas and a unique snow-covered cave for that quick refresher after a hot sauna. Pro tip: Don’t buy bottled water in the mountains. Almost every Swiss ski town has a gushing, clear glacier river running through it, so tap water is cold, crisp and delicious.If you’re not a skier, don’t worry, Zermatt has plenty of fun things to do zermatt.com. There is an outdoor skating rink, trail walking on Pensioners’ Trail, scenic lookout at Kirchbrucke Bridge, and hiking at Gornergrat. We enjoyed the Matterhorn museum, with free entry thanks to our Swiss train ticket. We also took a stroll through the fascinating “old village” with heritage food storing sheds and Swiss mountain design. The train pass also gives you free mountain excursions, access to 500 museums and unlimited travel by train, bus and boat. Zermatt is a famous shoppers haven with a number of brand-named shops and labels from around the world. If you’re a foodie, Zermatt is your place to feast, with a great variety of cool restaurants including Brasserie Uno, Republic Zermatt, Restaurant Julien, and Christiana.
Leaving Zermatt was disappointing, but it was on to the next stop.
My second resort was Saas-Fee, an incredibly scenic two-hour train and bus ride from Zermatt. There are two things you will immediately notice when you arrive at the bus station. First, the 18 imposing enormous snow-covered mountains that rise 4,000 meter and surround the village like symphony of nature. They’re massive and impressive.
The second surprise is a Karaoke booth, a Wham Karaoke booth to be precise. I learned that 40 years ago the famous British rock band, led by George Michael, shot their famous video “Last Christmas” in Saas-Fee. Their history is everywhere, with the actual chalet that hosted their snowball fight still standing along with George Michael’s room in the beautiful five-star Walliserhof Hotel and Spa. The hotel even offers a unique George Michael cocktail with vodka and watermelon. There’s even a small museum downtown, Sasser Museum, dedicated to Wham and their chart-topping song that is still heard around the world today.
We stayed at the stunning five-star Capra hotel and spa in the heart of the Village. You know you’re at a five-star resort when they pick you up at the bus station in their e-taxi. On arrival, hosts welcome you with complimentary signature cocktails and your bags are delivered to the room. The hotel takes care of everything, including a delicious a la carte breakfast and creative chef inspired dinners. The hotel also has a cabin next to the gondola where skis and boots are stored so you don’t have to trek them back to the hotel. The village of Saas-Fee may be smaller and quieter, but it’s a world renown skiers paradise with 141km of trails for every level of skier. The trails are so good and challenging that ski teams from around the world – including Canada – use Saas-Fee as year-round training grounds thanks to the glaciers.
Saas-Fee is famous for other reasons. It’s home to the highest funicular in the world (Metro Alpin) taking you to the highest revolving restaurant in the world. Saas-Fee Mittelatlotin, Drehrestaurant Allalin will dazzle, as it slowly revolves 360 degrees in one hour with views of Fee Glacier and stunning snow-covered peaks. The food matches the incredible scenery with traditional and international cuisine.
Next, I will share my adventures at three more resorts as we head further into the Vald’Anniviers area with Grimentz-Zinal, St-Luc/Chandolin then Nendaz in the massive 4 Vallees.
Glenn Crouter is also ski/lifestyle reporter 640 Toronto radio and Ambassador for the Canadian Ski Council.
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