Ski Switzerland
Switzerland in the heart of the Alps is the epitome of the mountains in Europe. The towering Swiss Alps run across the central-south part of Switzerland, taking up about 60 percent of the country’s area. Approximately one hundred mountains in Switzerland rise to nearly or higher than 4,000 metres (13,000 feet), and the famous Matterhorn soars to 4,478 m (14,692 ft) and that’s not even the highest mountain. The Swiss Alps are also home to many glaciers, including the largest in western Europe, Aletsch Glacier.
It’s not surprising that such a mountainous country is synonymous with skiing. There are more than a hundred well known Switzerland ski resorts, many at high altitude, so the snow quality is excellent.
As to be expected, the ski resorts in Switzerland are well organised & efficient, with state of the art snow-making & lift infrastructure to whisk skiers & snowboarders kilometres up the mountain. Despite the efficiency, the Swiss ski resorts have typically done a sterling job of maintaining their traditional charm. Ugly purpose-built ski resorts are negligible. The norm, with some notable exceptions, is the cutesy, charming ski village with mountain refuges that complement the stunning scenery.
Ski Resorts in Switzerland
World famous ski resorts (& some awesome not so world-famous ones) abound in the Swiss Alps - here are just a handful.
Andermatt Sedrun is a Powderhounds favourite & one of the best ski resorts in the world (according to us!). Huge free ride terrain, modern lifts & deep snow in a traditional village. Andermatt Sedrun has recently completed a huge expansion & won’t stay under the radar too much longer.
Another Powderhounds favourite is the massive Arosa Lenzerheide in south east Switzerland. The terrain, snow & facilities are absolutely world class. Powderhounds rated it in the top 3 overall Europe ski resorts for 2018.
Verbier (4 Vallees) is amongst Europe's biggest interconnected ski resorts. Verbier has ski & snowboard terrain for all abilities, but it’s well known for the delightfully steep, nasty off-piste slopes that we can attest to existing! The après and nightlife is more vibrant than at the usual Swiss ski resort.
Saas-Fee is located near the Italian border in the Valais canton of Switzerland. Saas Fee incorporates one of the ski world's most stunning glacier landscapes & offers both winter & summer skiing. A highlight of the area is travelling up to 3,500 metres, before skiing all the way down to the beautiful & romantic Saas Fee village at 1,800 metres. Saas-Fee provides a cheaper, less crowded alternative to the neighbouring Zermatt.
Zermatt sits at the foot of the Matterhorn making it one of the most famous ski resorts in the world. Zermatt has an old traditional town where cute horse-drawn sleighs still travel down cobble stone streets. Skiing occurs across a range of high mountain areas & includes the highest lifted piste terrain in Europe, allowing for extensive summer skiing on its glacier terrain. Zermatt is known for its après drinking & late night revelry, but it’s also popular with families. Has the additional appeal of being connected to wonderful Cervinia in Italy.
The prestigious Swiss ski resort town of St. Moritz is delightfully chic & upmarket, but also a fantastic destination for all levels of skier. Beyond being the Swiss ski holiday hot spot for the rich & famous, St Moritz skiing terrain encompasses 3 diverse ski areas (Corvatsch, Corviglia & Diavolezza Lagalb) with fantastic lifts, pistes & powder catering to all abilities. St Moritz should be on every skier's 'must do' list.
Davos Klosters is a well-known collection of 5 main ski areas high in the canton of Grisons. Davos attracts a diverse crowd but it’s largely a very fashionable ski resort where Powderhounds can excel on the huge off-piste powder terrain with little competition unless the sun is out! Down valley is Klosters, which is famous as the ski holiday spot for the British royal family. The village of Klosters is smaller than Davos and more traditional, intimate & refined.
Other large ski resorts of note include the cross-border monstrosity of Portes du Soleil, the world’s best snow park location at the expansive Laax, the incredible Jungfrau Ski Region plus the diverse (and sometimes frightening!) Engelberg. Fantastic mid-size ski resorts like Aletsch Arena, Gstaad & Crans Montana are absolutely commonplace in Switzerland. All are ready to welcome you and your friends & family.
Switzerland is home to a fabulous number of “forgotten” ski resorts with massive appeal to Powderhounds. We will be visiting (or more likely has already visited!) a host of smaller, secret-stash Swiss ski resorts in the coming years. These include Anzere, Arolla, Belalp, Brigels, Evolene, Grimentz Zinal, Lauchernalp, Rosswald & St Luc Chandolin. The list goes on. Switzerland is full of these powder laden ski resort gems. Discovering them is (and will be) a helluva lot of fun.
Skiing in Switzerland Experience
Expect the best scenery, ski lifts, snow & terrain diversity in Switzerland. From learn-to-ski areas with a view of the Matterhorn to wide long intermediate cruisers & extreme couloirs, Switzerland has it all. Not all resorts provide the heated seat hooded chairlift ski experience though. Numerous smaller resorts have been forgotten by the masses & provide an intimate, traditional snow holiday experience which has been lost in the mega resorts. Use the superb Swiss public transport system to re-discover them for yourself.
Like most skiing in Europe, the actual snowboarding or skiing in Switzerland is just a small part of the overall experience. Reclining in sun lounges whilst working on the tan & visiting the mountain restaurants for a long leisurely lunch is a big priority. And considering the number of cows in Switzerland (yes, they do have bells around their neck in summer!), it would seem churlish not to try a gourmet cheese fix via fondue & raclette. But go easy & don't forget to eat your greens. Remember too that there is a whole lot more to Swiss cuisine than cheese & rösti potatoes.
After your long lunch, ski a little in the afternoon before stopping for some schnapps or wine on the way home. Typically, the Swiss version of après is sedate & not a patch on what you’d find in the Austria ski resorts, but a few of the high profile Swiss ski resorts provide some lively après & evening festivities.
Travel To & Around Switzerland
Getting to Switzerland is easy via wither of the major international airports at Geneva (GVA) & Zurich (ZRH). Search for great flight deals to Geneva or Zurich airports here.
From the airports, it would be a skiing crime not to use the best railway system in the world to get around. Aside from the eye-popping scenery from the train, many Swiss ski resorts (most really) are reachable directly by train from the airport. Engelberg is simple from Zurich. Verbier & Portes du Soleil are easy from Geneva.
Through the valleys of the Upper Rhone & Rhine Rivers in cantons Valais (Wallis) & Grisons (Graubuenden), the Matterhorn-Gotthard line & the Rhaetian railway link a huge number of ski resorts across the mountainous south. Zermatt, Crans Montana, Belalp, Andermatt Sedrun, Disentis, Brigels, Laax, Arosa, Lenzerheide, Davos Klosters & St Moritz ski resorts are all on or close to the train lines. The Glacier Express links the entire journey from Zermatt to St Moritz. Aletsch Arena ski resort now has the equal best access by rail to ski lifts in the world. Two base areas (Betten & Fiesch) have ski lifts integrated into the train station for seamless transfers up to the mountain. And that's just a start! Take the train - an absolute 'must do' Swiss ski holiday experience.
Search & book train tickets in Switzerland here.
Whilst getting around Switzerland is simple comparative to other locations in the world, there are always so great helpful hints to help make the journey go as smooth as possible. For more information & hints on the best travel options to Swiss ski resorts, see our Travel to Switzerland page.
When to Go
High season at Swiss ski resorts is from Christmas to the first week in January, all of February & most weekends through to early April. The last 3 weeks of January & mid-week in March & all of April can be a good time to save a few pennies, ski deserted slopes & some amazing late season powder days in the high alpine. Our pick is the last few weeks of January for deep, cold powder snow & no competition for fresh tracks. Later in the season (particularly April) is best for the glorious sunny days & stable snow-pack for alpine touring.
For more information on the best times to ski or snowboard Switzerland, see our When To Ski Switzerland page.
Cost of Skiing in Switzerland
The cost of Switzerland skiing is largely dependent on the strength of the Swiss franc (CHF). Typically, the Switzerland ski resorts are reasonably expensive, but you get what you pay for. They’re less crowded & generally, provide a more exclusive ski holiday than many other Europe ski destinations. The Swiss ski resorts are more costly than the Austria ski resorts & skiing in Italy, but less pricey than the super popular mega French ski resorts. Of course, it’s possible to stay in pensions & guesthouses rather than hotels & ski Switzerland on a budget, so long as you keep the restaurant food & wine consumption to a minimum! You might even have some money left to buy a new watch & a Swiss army knife!
More Reasons to Ski Switzerland
Enjoy the benefits of a country that runs like clockwork, has wonderful transport links and hotels with well-organized service. Combine this with the charming ski resort villages that have been carefully developed without losing the traditional alpine essence of Switzerland. Ski Switzerland - you will not regret it.
Compare Swiss Ski Resorts to Europe & the World
See how ski resorts in Switzerland compare to the rest of the European ski areas on the Europe ski resort ratings page. Alternatively see comparisons to the rest of the world on our Best Ski Resorts page.
Reviews
The Powderhounds Europe team are constantly reviewing new Swiss & European ski resorts or having a second or third look at old ones. See our reviews via the links on each ski resort overview page.
Follow Powderhounds Europe on Facebook or Instagram to see where we are currently skiing.
