home Emigration Skiing in Switzerland. Ski resorts in Switzerland: an overview of infrastructure and prices

Skiing in Switzerland. Ski resorts in Switzerland: an overview of infrastructure and prices

I recently read an article about winter views rest, and interesting statistics caught my eye: a crisis is a crisis, and expensive resorts demand fell just the least. And those who rode them did not change their addictions.

So I thought: I still had no time to write something about ski resorts in switzerland , which, fortunately, had a chance to ride. I'm sorry, I'm fixing it. Winter is coming, you can no longer be silent.

Just a warning: there will be a lot of photos. Because one photo sometimes tells better than a hundred words about a particular place. And I will only talk about those ski resorts where I myself have been.

So, if for some reason you have not yet reached the cherished Swiss resorts, but do not lose hope, read this article. In it I will try to give short review: where is it better to go skiing in Switzerland and which of the resorts will you be at ease.

Ride with Paris Hilton and Prince William

Why tourists choose Switzerland

Switzerland… What associations do you have? Banks. Chocolate and cheese. Ski resorts.

This country seems to be specially created for those who love leisure in the mountains. After all two-thirds of its territory is occupied by these very mountains. And the ski infrastructure here is one of the best in the world. Because if the Swiss take on something, they do it not just well, but in the best possible way.

That is why many world celebrities prefer Swiss ski resorts. You can be 200% sure of any type of service here.

First class hotels. The healthiest and best cooked food. Immaculately smoothed slopes. The shade of the tablecloth on your table in the restaurant will match the shade of the mountainside outside the restaurant window. A spoon for shoes in the room will certainly be made of environmentally friendly materials.

Many Russian tourists of both star status - Maxim Galkin, Victoria Bonya, etc., and ordinary citizens - modest owners of car dealerships, restaurateurs, hairdressers - also managed to fall in love with the Swiss mountains. So what? At such resorts it is pleasant to look at others and show yourself.

However, ordinary inhabitants of office prairies from the middle level and above, or, say, the owners of a modest online store, can also afford a fairy tale called the Swiss Alps.

Ski resorts in Switzerland: skiing like in a fairy tale

Once, about 200 years ago, all modern ski resorts in Switzerland were ordinary villages or even just sheds in the mountains, where shepherds grazing cattle in alpine meadows stayed for the night ... But when, in the middle of the 19th century, doctors said that the panacea for tuberculosis is mountain air, Swiss villages began to turn into healing resorts for the nobility. At first they came here only in the summer. And only by the end of the 19th century did the fashion for winter sports in the mountains begin to emerge.

Löchental valley

My acquaintance with ski resorts in Switzerland began back in 2002. It was the resort of Lauchernalp in the Löchental valley, where the Swiss themselves mostly skied. So the Russian word could only be heard from ourselves). The picturesque Swiss Löchental valley is tightly squeezed by steep slopes and powerful three-thousanders, like the Breithorn.

Today there is a railway tunnel. We went there by car. And right on it we drove into the railway train. When all the carriages of the train were filled with cars, the train started moving. Having passed the tunnel, we also got off the train without any problems and drove further along highway. Which led us to a small village

In the valley there is a small (by Alpine standards) skiing area with a center in the villages of Kippel and Wheeler.

But then it seemed to us just huge! Like the Alps themselves, which won my heart once and for all. It was incomprehensible to the mind - how could all this infrastructure be built on these steep slopes? Small hotels and cozy restaurants that work smoothly cable cars, well-groomed slopes - all this was so strikingly different from our Russian ski resorts ...

By the way, it was there that I first got an idea about the work of ski instructors. Our friend Nadezhda then had almost no experience in skiing, like her five-year-old daughter. But her Swiss husband - Robert - skated perfectly. But it never occurred to him to teach them both himself! On the very first day of our arrival, he took a personal instructor for Nadezhda for 5 days, and sent their daughter to a children's ski school. After 5 days, both rode quite cheerfully.

Why it is better to start skiing with an instructor, I explained in the article

However, it is worth going to the Löchental valley not only for the sake of skiing. Winters here are beautiful, snowy, lingering, and the atmosphere of mountain life literally captures in the old Kippel. Narrow village streets, log chalets are comfortably buried in snowdrifts, and stone buildings darkened from time to time stand like huts on chicken legs.

The only thing missing is goblin and other fabulous evil spirits. Although if you visit Kipell in February-March, you can see not such devilry. The Chaggatta holiday walks through the streets: people in wooden masks and sheepskins try to scare the winter with all their appearance.

So, if you want to spend a week in the mountains of Switzerland and never meet our "Russo tourist", then the Löchental valley is crying for you. The only thing that can upset you there is the almost complete absence of Apres-ski here. No, there are several cozy restaurants in the resort. But no more.

villars

Another place where there are not so many of our compatriots yet is the village of Villars. Perhaps it cannot be attributed to the most luxury resorts Switzerland, but still it is so cozy here that many people visit it several times. This is a traditional ski resort ideal for beginners, For holidays with children and for those who want to combine skiing and excursions.

Children are especially taken care of at this resort: there are several excellent ski schools, children's garden des Neiges in Villars (children 3-8 years old are accepted), the nursery and kindergarten Trottinette in Villars (from 3 months to 6 years) is open from 8.00 to 18.00. So crazy moms, like me, who don’t want to miss the season, but are worried that there is no one to leave the baby with, urgently pay attention to this village! By the way, there are also toboggan runs for non-skiers.

You can get to the ski area from Villars in eight-seater cabanas or take a train to Bretaye, although this is a little longer. On both sides of the shallow hollow there are simple "red" and "blue" trails, many training grounds. It is generally very comfortable skiing over Villar, there are few truly extreme slopes.

One of the most interesting routes leads from Chaux Ronde to the bottom of the gorge, to La Rasse; from here, pulling up on the ski lift, you can move to the Gryon sector, on the slopes of Chaux (2020). For beginners in this area there is a long calm “blue” track, along which you can slide down to the village itself.

The town is half an hour away from the resort. Lave-les-Bains where to spend a lazy morning enjoying spa treatments. And forty minutes away - winery Bernard Cavet that delivers wine to the best restaurants Switzerland.

The resort made a very positive impression on me. And it is located very well in terms of sightseeing opportunities: a 20-minute drive from Montreux and Veviers, 40 minutes from Lausanne or Gruyères, and a little over an hour from Geneva and Bern, famous for their historical monuments.

Apres-ski here is quite decent: 45 restaurants, 4 bars. For lovers of shopping - shops, fairs and sales.

Nenda-Verbier

The next skiing region will surely appeal to those who are used to getting maximum pleasure for their money. It's called 4 Valleys and includes such resorts as Verbier (VERBIER), Nendaz (NENDAZ), Veyzon (VEYZONNAS) and Thion (THYON). Buy a ski pass and ride in any of the 4 valleys. The main thing is not to get confused in the grid of 100 lifts and 420 kilometers of slopes.

In order for us to have time to explore this region with the greatest efficiency, our group was given a guide - an agile Swiss instructor girl. Following her non-stop, we rushed along the tracks of varying difficulty for more than five hours. And by the end of the skiing, even the most persistent of us gave way to the legs from fatigue. But I really liked the region. Although its picturesque landscapes (and by the way - where are they different in Switzerland?) We managed to look at it only when we got up on the cable car ...

The first two resorts are most popular with our skiers - Nenda and Verbier . They come here to make new skiing trips through the passes, peaks and glaciers of the Four Valleys.

Verbier These are great opportunities for snowboarding. Here you will find several snowboard parks: 1 fun park, 2 halfpipes. There are trails for cross-country skiing of varying difficulty, both short and easy for beginners, and difficult for professionals.

Apres-ski: Verbier boasts a vibrant nightlife with over 100 bars, nightclubs and discos. The resort has a sports center with swimming pool, sauna, Turkish bath, fitness and jacuzzi. Covered ice rink. Also in Verbier is the cultural center Museum of the Alps with exhibits telling about the history of the region, and a church with a unique organ.

Optimal accommodation in Verbier:

Hotel Bristol Verbier
Hotel Montpelier
Chalet Luxe Terrier
Apartment Le Mandarin 2*
Apartment La Toura 2*
Apartment Stemm-2 3*
Residence Emeraude 3*

Nenda has 10 tennis courts and a fitness center. Excursions in the mountains with professional guides, descents from the glacier are organized. Many hiking trails (with a total length of 70 km) are laid both in the resort itself and not far from it. There is an artificial ice rink where curling matches and discos are often held. In general, you will definitely not be bored here. Too bad we only had one day to explore this ski area…

Accommodation in Nende:

Chalet Le Ruisseau
Chalet Tsamandon 7
Chalet Les Etoiles
Chalet Chocolat - Nendaz 4 Vallées

As you can see, the main types of accommodation in this resort are chalets and suites. If you have never had a rest in this option, choosing hotels with meals, try it, because chalets and apartments in Switzerland, like everything else, are of a very good level.

But in general, 4 valleys is the optimal combination of price-quality parameters.

Zermatt

Any skier has ever heard of Zermatt. This resort is considered to be one of the most prestigious ski resorts in the world. His majestic symbol Matterhorn peak , which has the shape of a regular pyramid, on which the glacier is located.

It is thanks to this glacier that skiing in Zermatt can be done all year round. The resort is located at an altitude of 1620 m above sea level in the upper reaches of the Visp valley. It is surrounded by 36 peaks of the Main Alpine Range with a height of more than 4000 meters.

About the resort itself, one can speak only in superlatives. The most fashionable. the most prestigious. The most environmentally friendly. Car traffic is completely prohibited here, and you can only move on electric mini-cars and horse-drawn carriages.

With our large group, we walked to our hotel, leaving our suitcases at the railway station, from where they were picked up by hotel employees (apparently, in an electric car). And even this first walk around the resort put everything in its place. It's great here, friends! This was the general summary of our expert group.

ABOUT

Zermatt is in the top 10 for the quality of pistes. the best resorts peace. Here is the highest lift station - Klein Matterhorn - 3885 m. The mountains in the Zermatt region are quite steep, but there are also suitable slopes for beginners.

The whole territory is divided into 3 different districts: Sunnega, Gornergrat and Klein Matterhorn.

Well, a bonus to this magnificence is the opportunity to make a ski-safari for the pass - to Italy, on the slopes of the popular ski resort of Cervinia . In fact, only topographers and border guards know exactly where exactly the conditional line separating the two countries passes. On skis it can be crossed without any formalities.

What we did on one of the days when it was very frosty in Zermatt in the morning. It will be warmer in Cervinia, our Swiss guides told us. And we went to the "pasta", to test their tracks. Our path lay past the majestic pyramid of the Matterhorn.

We also visited the glacier. More precisely - in the glacier. After all, inside it is a museum of ice figures.

Hotels in Zermatt There are different, the most popular of them: ALEX 4* Super , GRAND HOTEL ZERMATTERHOF 5* Deluxe, MONT CERVIN PALACE 5*.

In addition to these hotels, Zermatt is full of many hotels and apartments: find accommodation in Zermatt.

However, one cannot count on cheap accommodation in Zermatt.

A characteristic feature of Zermatt is the preservation of old buildings, protected as museum exhibits.

Evening Zermatt will please both gourmets and music lovers. Grampi's - the main street of the resort - the concentration of the most popular pubs and bars. These are Gitan, Hexenbar, Elsie's; closer to the river are the trendy Papperla Pub, Ascot, Ex-Bar, Le Mazot.

And I will always remember mine trip to the SPA-center of our hotel which was a culture shock for me. All 5* hotels and most 4* hotels in Zermatt have their own wellness centers. So I decided one day to pamper my tired body from conquering the slopes and go warm up and swim in the pool ...

A polite girl at the counter of the SPA center specified which branch I intended to go to. And there were two of them: one is purely for women, but there are only a couple of saunas in it, the other is common for both men and women, and there are about 15 bathrooms and all sorts of salt rooms and something else, judging by her description - a lot of things. And the second cost twice as much as the first. That is, you generally advise me to visit, I asked her. Yes, mademoiselle, she replies, you are not an "Arabian wife." While I was going down the elevator to the minus first floor, to the general department, I was still trying to understand what she meant ...

But when I got out of the elevator, and two completely naked men were parading towards me, it began to dawn on me ... While I was making my way to my locker past other naked people, I had to painfully decide whether to leave right away or try these wonderful saunas after all. . There must be women in them, even purely theoretically, since this is a general separation. Yes, I got a couple of women, and I persuaded myself to stay. Well, in general, I’ll tell you this: the SPA center is gorgeous, of course, there are no words. Yes, and I don’t seem to be a hypocrite. But I still felt uncomfortable. The rule is that you can not go to these saunas and steam rooms in swimsuits. So, decide for yourself whether you are weak or not weak.

And I also remember shopping in Zermatt . Clothes there, of course, are not cheap. And the choice is not particularly great - either skiing and sports, or purely traditional Swiss. But watch shops are just a dime a dozen! You won't leave Zermatt without a watch! I left with two. And I wear them, satisfied and happy, to this day.

So Zermatt is a resort that suits everyone. Perhaps the only limitation is the size of the wallet. Here and guaranteed snow, and best hotels, quality piste and off-piste, activities for non-skiers and programs for families with children, great restaurants and great shopping.

Now let's move on to the next resort.

Crans Montana

And the last on the list, but not the most important Swiss ski resort, where I had a chance to ride, is Crans-Montana. Thinking about this resort, the first word that comes to my mind is BEAUTIFUL! As I said, there are no ugly resorts in Switzerland (I didn’t come across, at least). But Crans-Montana somehow overshadowed them with its postcard views and inexplicable attraction ...

By Swiss standards, Crans-Montana is a fairly young resort, just over 100 years old. Today there are more than 50 hotels and hundreds of large chalets with apartments.

Residences Kandahar
Apartments Nationale
Le Mayen de Colombire
Hôtel de la Forêt
Hotel Splendid
Sport Palace
Hotel La Prairie

7,000 people permanently live in Crans-Montana, but at the peak of the season, the population rises to 40,000! This is an ideal place for lovers of leisurely walks along the picturesque shores frozen lakes (there are seven of them on the plateau), a fabulous winter forest, snow-covered golf courses. And also from Cran to Montana or from Montana to Cran (between them a quarter of an hour walk) - shopping and boutiques, which abound in both parts of the resort. Huge shopping opportunities: fashionable clothes and shoes of the world's leading brands, watches, cosmetics, sports equipment.

The total length of the slopes over Crans-Montana is 140 km. Red slopes of medium difficulty prevail, although some of them are quite steep, requiring certain skills. A distinctive feature of the region is a comfortable combination of wide open trails at the top and a large number of duplicating each other, picturesque, winding forest paths at the bottom. Almost all slopes are oriented to the south and are well lit throughout the day. This is also their main drawback: the sun mercilessly scans them with its direct rays, and already in March in many areas in the mornings ice mixed with stones, and in the afternoon - "porridge".

We were lucky: the weather that January was sunny, but quite frosty. Therefore, the slopes were in perfect condition. We just rode until we dropped...

A few years ago, a large snow park of 25,000 sq. meters. Now, throughout the season, it constantly hosts various fashionable hangouts, which may soon change our idea of Crans Montana as a resort for serious middle-aged people.

There are no problems with apres-ski in Crans-Montana either. Bars and pubs are everywhere. Aprés-ski is perhaps even more valued here than the skis themselves. Crans-Montana is the perfect place to sunbathe on hotel loungers, enjoy spa treatments, dine in restaurants (there are more than eighty!) and buy equipment (and more) in the latest fashion: the resort claims to the best place for shopping in the Alps.

Only now, after such a crazy ride, I didn’t have any more strength left for all this. Only cuddling with the polar bears at the entrance of the hotel, who seemed to quite share my passion for snow adventures…

Ski insurance

Tour operators usually include medical insurance in their package tours to Swiss ski resorts. But if you organize your vacation on your own, or like to ride in powder, off-piste, all the risks of traveling are your responsibility. Therefore, I recommend to think about buying ski insurance .

You can see how much it will cost and apply for it here: ski insurance. To do this, follow the link, enter your data (country of trip, your age), select the item "Alpine skiing and snowboarding" in the tab "Other types of recreation and sports" - and the system will calculate the cost of your policy. You can also add insurance for cases such as trip cancellation, luggage loss and so on.

Conclusions: the pros and cons of Swiss ski resorts

So, today I tried to persuade you not to deny yourself the pleasure of riding at least once on ideal tracks in a fabulous beautiful country Switzerland. After all, it's not that expensive. Okay, it's expensive. But trust me - it's worth it! You will enjoy every moment spent there and every euro spent, sorry, Swiss franc (yes, they still have their own currency, and no euros).

So, the advantages of skiing in Switzerland include:

Very beautiful resorts and mountains
Long tradition of hospitality, high level of hotels, chalets, restaurants, pistes preparation.
Possibility to combine ski holidays with excursions and/or treatment.
Guaranteed snow cover at high and glacial resorts.

Swiss mountain resorts, equipped with high-tech funiculars, electric cars and other devices, retain the sweet charm and comfort of antiquity. In short, Switzerland is a fairy tale, guys!

There are not so many minuses in this "fairy tale" - but they are:

Expensive prices for everything: for ski passes (especially for large ski areas), in hotels, restaurants and shops.
There are very few Russian-speaking staff and instructors in Switzerland.

The choice, as always, is yours. If you have any questions for me about Switzerland - ask in the comments.

See you on the blog!

Current prices for ski passes for Swiss ski resorts in 2019

Probably, one of the first associations that arise in the head with the word Switzerland is skiing. The country is known as perhaps the main trendsetter in this sport, and also as the birthplace of numerous world and European champions. Swiss resorts, due to their magnificent slopes, the highest service and technical equipment, claim to be the reference ones. At the same time, vacation here cannot boast of something, but cheapness, but you should not expect anything else from Switzerland. However, every winter season, places like Zermatt and Davos attract huge numbers of tourists from different countries those who want to try the best European slopes, and then have a glass of mulled wine in cozy local cafes.

Below we will provide information on the cantons where skiing is developed, as well as list the ski resorts in Switzerland. By clicking on the links, you will receive all the necessary information about a particular region (how to get there, the cost of ski passes, après ski options, hotel facilities and much more).

Cantons of Valais and Vaud

The canton of Valais is located in the south of Switzerland on the border with Italy and France. He is considered one of best regions for skiing, and in the summer months it turns into a wonderful land of flowering Alpine valleys, which has so far been little explored by Russian tourists. The canton is formed around the valley of the Rhone River, which flows into Lake Geneva, located in the western part of the region. One fifth of the territory of the canton is glaciers, and in total there are over 50 peaks more than 4 kilometers high, among them the Dufour peak (4,634 m) and the famous majestic Matterhorn of 4478, in the vicinity of which perhaps the most famous Alpine resort Zermatt is located. Among other well-known ski centers are Champery, Verbier, Crans Montana, Leukerbad and a number of other resorts, which may not be very well known, but are able to satisfy the most demanding taste.

As for the canton of Vaud, it lies in the very west of the country, as if skirting Lake Geneva, and the mountains located on its territory, where the main ski resorts are located, are a continuation of the ridge of the canton of Valais, so they can be conventionally designated as a single ski region.

One of the most famous ski resorts not only in Europe but also in the world, Zermatt is located on northern slopes the most beautiful European mountain Matterhorn, surrounded by other peaks of the so-called Pieninsky Alps. By and large, it is precisely the most picturesque landscapes that are one of the reasons for the popularity of Zermatt, although, on the other hand, it is unlikely that anyone will undertake to argue that the tracks here are not very good - quite the contrary. The Zermatt-Matterhorn ski area includes three villages - Zermatt itself, as well as Randa and Täsch. Behind the Teodul pass is the Italian ski village of Cervinia (you can buy a ski pass that allows you to ski there too).

In total, there are about 360 kilometers of pistes of all levels in the Zermatt area. The village itself is located at an altitude of 1620 meters, the highest point of the resort is 3900 meters on the Matterhorn glacier. Actually, thanks to this impressive height, Zermatt remains one of the resorts that operate all year round. There are three major ski areas here: the eastern Sunnega-Rothorn on Mount Unterrothorn; Gornegrat-Stockhorn and Schwarzsee - Klein Matterhorn in the south. Zermatt is also famous for the difficulty of its slopes, for example, experienced skiers are probably familiar with the Triftji Bumps black slope. For snowboarders, a magnificent Gravity Park snowpark has been created with a halfpipe, jumps, rails and kickers. Fans of heli-skiing and freeride will not be offended here, as there are excellent slopes for these types of skiing.

Zermatt is also famous for its après-ski. There are all possibilities for this, for example, in the Schwarzsee-Klein Matterhorn area at the bottom of the Furi slope. Such places as The Papperla pub, The Hotel Post entertainment spot, Pollux disco and other places are popular with tourists.

Champoussin is an excellent Swiss ski resort near the village of Val d'Illier, part of the Portes du Soleil ski region, most of which is located in France. Unlike Champery or the same Zermatt, it is quite quiet here, there are no loud parties and mass festivities in bars. The resort offers access to 650 kilometers of Portes du Soleil pistes. Champoussin itself boasts 15 pistes, of which 7 are blue, 6 are red and 3 are black. The village is located at an altitude of 1310 meters, the height difference of the slopes is 1680-2350 meters. All this small resort has seven lifts. You can buy a ski pass for the entire Portes du Soleil region.