Switzerland has it all. Incredible mountains, scenery, cuisine and friendly people await you in the Swiss Alps.
You’ll be pleasantly surprised how many fantastic ski resorts there are that you might not be aware of with the same great mountain skiing and each with their own unique charm.
The second leg of our 12-day Swiss journey took us further into the spectacular Alps to the Val d’Anniviers region which includes Grimentz-Zinal, and St-Luc, Chandolin, all hidden gems with their own unforgettable mountain vibe.
It’s a blast getting to these mountain resorts from the train station in Vespa thanks to a comfortable luxury coach offering stunning views of deep gorges, peaks and valleys, until the first stop at Grimentz-Zinal.
On arrival, we walked five minutes to our hotel in the heart of town. Alpina Hotel is a wonderful Swiss style hotel across the road from the gondola.? The hotel rooms feature traditional Swiss wood design and a large outdoor après area. It’s also a close waking distance to their famous traditional Christmas Market in the old part of town. I always love walking through a great cobblestone market with locals proudly displaying their baking, cooking, designs, and crafts along with the traditional and fragrant aromas of delicious mulled wine.
My visit to Grimentz-Zinal was also a meeting of fate as Alpina head chef Massimo was famous for his pizzas at Dantes in Richmond Hill, Ont., and now we meet 40 years later in Switzerland. It’s a small world. He’s still an amazing chef with some of the most creative and delicious dishes you’ll ever experience.
The skiing at Grimentz-Zinal is equally amazing with 115km of trails surrounded by jagged, snow-covered peaks and stunning scenery.
We enjoyed a heavy snow day and then took a tram to the mountain top for lunch at 2,700 meters. Espace Weisshorn restaurant has more executive chefs (six) than I’ve seen at high end restaurants in Toronto. It’s more than just a lunch stop, it’s a lunch experience that the Swiss have mastered with local cheese, meat, bread and pasta dishes along with local beer and wine.
After a good taste of fresh Swiss Alps lunch and powder skiing, we were ready for the next day of skiing across the valley at St-Luc/Chandolin. It’s about a 20-minute scenic taxi ride from Grimentz then a quick funicular from the parking lot to the first lift. A snowy morning brought on beautiful afternoon sunshine, powder, great conditions and jaw-dropping scenery. The resort has 60km of wide-open trails which caters to every level of skier. We enjoyed another chef’s special, two-hour lunch at another mountain top restaurant. Le Tsapé is 2,470 meters up and offered local cheese, delicious pasta dishes, and local beer.
Our final skiing stop was further into the Swiss Alps to Nandez which is in the massive 4 Vallees ski area, one of the best kept secrets in the country. This is the largest ski area in Switzerland with 410 km of ski runs and six resorts each with its own style and vibe.
The large but quaint town of Nandez was named the top Family Destination in Switzerland by the Swiss Tourism Federation. It’s a cool village with a variety of accommodations from private chalets, low rise condominiums and hotels. We stayed at the centrally located Mad Mount hotel, which is a strange handle but explained as “madly” in love with the hotel, town and mountains. MELI and Suzanna are wonderful hosts and specialize in multi varieties of pizza.
The skiing was once again amazing with stunning views and runs to suit experts to beginners. Your Nandez experience won’t be complete without a trip to the most incredible scenery at the top of Gentianes Mont-Fort at 3,300 meters above sea level. There’s jaw dropping scenery, 360 degree panoramic views of snow covered jagged peaks including Mt Blanc and Matterhorn. For the thrill seekers, you can test your skill on the double black, steep and deep run for experts only or take the 1.4km zip line (Rope Runner) that goes 100km/h and drops 383 meters to the mid-station. We took the gondola down.
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Our 12-day journey through Switzerland came to an end but I’ll leave you with some tips for your enjoyable Swiss mountain vacation.
TRAVEL TIPS
Don’t rent a vehicle as the train/bus service (first class #Swissmountainpass), is clean, safe, efficient and always on time.
Don’t buy bottled water. Glacier water right out of the tap is the best you’ll ever enjoy. Drink more water than you normal. You’re high in the mountains and dehydration can happen quickly
Rent skis as snow conditions can change drastically. Always travel with your own boots and helmet.
Always hire a guide or instructor your first day because Swiss mountains are enormous with many trails. Plus, they know the hidden gem mountain restaurants
Finally, even if you’re not a skier, there are so many attractions to see and things to do in every Swiss mountain village. Take in the culture from sight seeing, museums, tours, hiking, biking, ice skating, dog sledding or just chillin’ in your chalet enjoying famous Swiss Raclette or fondue, both a must try in Switzerland. We particularly enjoyed the twilight cross-country skiing that included a pit stop at a campfire to enjoy local melted cheese, bread and meat.
I can guarantee Switzerland offers everything you’d want in a winter vacation from world famous scenery, cuisine, attractions and hospitality from some of the nicest and friendliest people you’ll ever meet in the world. Switzerland will never disappoint. Up next is Austria.
Glenn Crouter is also ski/lifestyle announcer 640 Toronto radio/ Ambassador Canadian Ski Council.
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