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Winter tourism began in Switzerland way back when, and these resorts have remained at the forefront of all things ski related ever since – earning a rightful place on every skiers bucket list.
Not only are the ski areas fabulously groomed and mind-bogglingly pretty, they also play host to some of the fiercest powder descents on the planet – no-one’s unaccounted for in the best Swiss resorts.
Switzerland: Top 10 Ski Resorts
Anyone in pursuit of powder snow and smashing parties simply has to ski Verbier. This is the main resort of Switzerland’s biggest ski area - the 4 Valleys – where the 412km of groomers are just the foundations. Get a guide and you’ll experience some of the finest off piste on the planet. The ungroomed itineraries around Tortin are the stuff of legend, with mighty bumps and powder pockets to test the hardiest skiers. Upping the ante is the backside of the Mont Fort Glacier, and pushing limits ever further is cliffy Bec des Rosses (often the end point of the Freeride World Tour). As you’d expect from a resort with such a ski area, Verbier knows how to let its hair down. Après doesn’t get more hedonistic than this, with venues like Farinet and Farm Club throwing wild and wonderful parties for royals, oligarchs and mere mortals alike.
Zermatt has class: Five star hotels and chalets housed in classic choc-box buildings? Tick. More gourmet restaurants than any other ski resort? Tick. Glorious views of the Matterhorn and its surrounding peaks every way you turn? Tickety tick. But the good stuff isn’t ALL reserved for the village – the ski area is huge, snowy and spectacular, with 360km of pistes that stretch all the way over the border to Italian Cervinia. These include the highest slopes in Europe up on the Theodul Glacier, which are so snow sure they’re skiable in the summertime. You’ve also got the continent’s highest freestyle terrain at the Gravity Park, where you’re face to face with the Matterhorn. Look beyond the corduroy and another world opens up: 36km of ungroomed but marked terrain flows down the Stockhorn and Rothorn peaks, and the heli-skiing potential will blow your ski socks off.
The original winter resort: Hotelier Johann Badrut bet his British summer guests that they’d have a hoot here in snowy St Moritz – they did, and thus began ski holidays as we know them. The odds were always in Johann’s favour… The resort’s a beauty, huddled on the shores of a huge lake and surrounded by Narnia-like forest. It feels worlds away from everyday life, a massive appeal to Hepburn, Chaplain and other greats of Hollywood’s Golden Age who once flocked here. But by a country mile, the best thing about St Moritz is the skiing… With all kinds of slopes including World Cup wonders, the 100km Corviglia area can be reached straight from resort. Hop on a train or bus and you’ve also got the slopes of Corvatsch - floodlit runs, a demanding valley descent and phenomenal scenery every which way. There’s a fabulously long ungroomed glacier run in Diavolezza and a terrific mix of pistes stream down from the two peaks at Zuoz. Most areas have their own freestyle park, and pistes tot up to a hefty 350km.
‘Hollywood on the Rocks’ in the fifties, these days Klosters is a regular haunt of the royals (Prince Charles has a lift named after him…). There’s a marvellous air of old-school sophistication – slick silver service without the razzmatazz – which is exactly what it’s loved for. And while most resorts can’t hold a candle to the hotels, spas and restaurants here, the real reason you come’s the skiing: You’ve got direct access to a shedload of slopes on the Parsenn and the children’s area on the Madrisa – and the local pistes garner some of the best snowfall in the country. But that’s far from your lot. 300km of corduroy and oodles of powder terrain span six spectacular mountains – with speed runs and the enormous JatzPark adding to the adrenaline levels along the way.
The Wengernalp lift takes you straight into the biggest ski area of the Jungfrau region - Kleine Scheidegg-Männlichen. Its 110km of slopes include the legendary Lauberhorn World Cup downhill run that leads back to the village, and all look up to the dizzying peaks of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau mountains. There’s more, in the form of 54km of groomers of Schilthorn-Murren and 60km over in Grindelwald, so running out of things to see and ski is nigh on impossible. The village itself is tiny and quiet, a charming contrast to the vast outdoors with cute chalets, elegant Victorian hotels and dense forests surrounding them.
Chic Crans and chilled Montana formed one big resort back in the sixties, and share a corking 140km ski area. A medley of slopes flow down from the Plaine Morte Glacier at 3000m – including an incredible top-to-bottom red - which keeps the ski season long despite the area’s sensationally sunny climes. You’ll also find a ginormous 100,000 metre squared snow park up here, and they transform the golf course into a beginner area in the winter, with forgiving facilities for learners. It’s a good thing there are 24 restaurants dotted about on the hill, as all this really ramps up an appetite! And if you’re still hungry back at base, over 100 restaurants serve everything from Michelin-starred artistry to hearty burgers and chips. There’s also the small matter of the largest luxury shopping scene in the Alps… Plus attractions like spas, a casino and a 3D cinema.
Sharing six mountains worth of skiing with chic neighbour Klosters, Davos has some hefty claims. All bases are covered across this six mountain blueprint – you’ve got an entire mountain dedicated to freeriding (Mother Nature’s in charge of maintaining the Pischa) and even one for slow, leisurely skiing (the Schatzalp ‘Slow’ Mountain). Davos’ local mountain, Jakobshorn, is a hub of freestyle, with a huge park up top and an airbag down at the bottom. Then you’ve got the groomers, all 300km of them, with the bulk streaming across the Parsenn and quieter offerings on the Rinerhorn. Host of big events like the World Economic Forum, the town itself is a whopper – you’ll find everything from spas to theatres to pass the non-skiing hours, and the nightlife is some of the best in the region.
Glorious Grindelwald is the biggest of the Jungfrau trio – the only one with car access, and the main base for après ski. Its local ski area, First, is a corker, with 60km of blues, reds and the occasional black reached by gondola from resort. These include ingenious Slow Slopes for learners, and the White Elements snow park, complete with a pro line and ski cross. But that’s just for starters, with 110km more to ski over in Kleine Scheidegg-Männlichen (including the World Cup Lauberhorn downhill) and 54km between Mürren and the Schilthorn. End the day with drinks and pizzas at Onkel Tom’s – or carry on the snow fun on the world’s longest sledge run from the Faulhorn.
When a resort’s slopes can still be skied in the summertime, you’re in for a real treat come winter. Turn 360° in the middle of resort and look across the horizon – thirteen 4000m+ peaks circle the place, making it cool, snowy and fabulously scenic. Pistes wiggle down from 3600m on the Allalin glacier, rarely dipping below the 2000m mark – it’s not often a day goes by between November and May when less than 70% of the area’s open. You also have access to Saas-Grund, Saas-Almagell and Saas-Balen with the main pass, which covers 145km. The bulk of the pistes are blues and reds, but if you’re up for a challenge, the Morenia Freestyle Park’s a corker, with tables the size of houses. Down in the village things are compact and cosy - old wooden farmhouses are filled with fondue restaurants, bars and fabulous spas, covering all manner of après ski activities.
They called it the ‘Village On The Wall’ in days of yore, when Murren was a tiddly Walser settlement. It still looks cosy and traditional, and with the whole place being car-free (it’s accessed by the charmingly chugging cog railway) everything’s oh so quiet. Though with surroundings like these, you’d think they’d be shouting from the rooftops: This is the Jungfrau region, where dramatic peaks like the Eiger and Mönch teeter on the skyline. It’s also 007 territory – they shot On Her Majesty’s Secret Service at the top of the Schilthorn, which you can ski all the way down after a hot choc in the iconic revolving restaurant. But that’s a fraction of the slopes that are shared between Murren, nearby Grindelwald and Wengen. They add up to 213km and feature a fine mix for different levels, with plenty of petrifying powder terrain to boot.
It’s no secret that the Swiss resorts offer a superior skiing experience, and the 10 on this page are clearly the country’s crème de la crème.
If you’re not set on Switzerland, we also have Top 10 lists for France, Italy and Austria, as well as the world’s best for the ultimate ski holiday.
Best ski resorts in Switzerland
| Resort | Best features | Ski area |
|---|---|---|
| Verbier | Luxury chalets & hotels, famously good après ski, awesome off-piste | 410km |
| Zermatt | Picture perfect Swiss village, Matterhorn views, snow sure skiing | 360km |
| St Moritz | Luxury ski resort, fabulous hotels, acclaimed restaurants, expansive & sunny skiing | 350km |
| Klosters | Low-key luxury, big ski area, excellent hotels | 320km |
| Wengen | Charming mountain village, Jungfrau ski area, awesome scenery | 213km |
| Crans Montana | 2 town ski resort, plenty of activities, great ski area | 140km |
| Davos | Lively ski town, 6 mountain ski area, fantastic freestyle terrain | 320km |
| Grindelwald | Jungfrau’s biggest mountain base, fantastic scenery, super mix of terrain | 213km |
| Saas Fee | One of Europe’s most snow sure resorts, high altitude village, stunning views | 145km |
| Murren | Quaint Swiss village, glorious Jungfrau scenery, varied terrain | 213km |
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