Top 5 Ski Resorts in Switzerland, 2020-2021
Every skier has dreams of skiing the Swiss Alps but contrary to what you may have heard, you do not need to have the skiing skills of James Bond to enjoy the Swiss Alps. These majestic mountains are not just for experts.
Most resorts have easy terrain and excellent learning programs. Many have slopes just for learners and beginners. And while après-ski goers will find their paradise, Swiss ski resorts are equally well-tuned to the needs of families, with family-friendly lift passes, facilities, and packages.
Whether you prefer first tracks in fresh powder or groomed trails, you will be happy skiing in the Swiss Alps. The adrenaline rush of dizzying heights slopes or a broad cruiser with a panoramic view, you’re never far from a Swiss mountain that offers it.
Great scenery, dependable snow conditions, and a good network of lifts; Switzerland offers it all.
Here we will help you find your next winter vacation with our list of the top ski resorts in Switzerland
1. Zermatt
Simply the Highest winter sports area in the entire Alps, here you can ski at altitudes between 2,500 and 3,900 meters and more than 2,133 meters of vertical drop. It seems almost unfair that Zermatt also have the Europe’s most iconic mountain; The Matterhorn. The bold pyramid rises directly behind the town and is visible from much of the mountain’s 360-kilometer trail system, which connects two countries and three resort towns. The other side of the Matterhorn is in Italy, and one of the greatest moments in a skier’s lifetime is skiing over the Theodul Pass and down into the Italian trail system.
The world’s highest 3S cableway opened for the 2019 season. The “Matterhorn glacier ride” carries 2,000 skiers an hour to the Matterhorn Glacier, at 3,883 meters altitude, where you can ski year-round.
Zermatt is also famous for its long ski runs, with terrain for all skill levels. Children up to age nine accompanied by an adult with a multi-day pass travel free on the mountain lifts, and the free Wolli Card, valid for one year, gives them access to the Gornergrat Bahn and free lodging in some Zermatt hotels. All skiers pay only for the mountain areas they ski, with the new Easy SkiCard that bills only for actual rides taken. This season Zermatt becomes the first destination in Europe to be a partner on the Ikon Pass, allowing access to 41 ski destinations on five continents
New on the mountain for 2020 is the Stoked Kids Club in the Schwigmatten, a snow sports school that has the latest learning aids and a conveyor belt lift on kid-friendly terrain. New, too is the creative new terrain in Snowpark Zermatt, a course challenging riders with tunnels, hills, banked curves, jumps, and obstacles. It is also possible for the first time to toboggan down the Alp’s highest toboggan run on a Snooc, a toboggan with a seat-mounted above a single ski.
Zermatt offer one of the top accommodation in the entire Alps. Such as the Zermatt’s premier luxury Chalet; Zermatt Chalet Peak. A luxury 5-star superior chalet perched high above the village of Zermatt, with magnificent views overlooking the village and of the iconic Matterhorn. Centrally located, yet utterly private, it is just a few minutes walk from the heart of the village, with its many bars, restaurants, and boutiques.
2. St. Moritz
One of the world’s oldest and most famous winter sports resorts in the world, St. Moritz has twice hosted the Winter Olympics, in 1928 and 1948, and its Olympic ski-jump and slopes are frequently the site of world ski events, But St. Moritz is not just for experts and Olympians, Its More than 20 Lifts carry skiers to terrain for all skill levels, and it’s known for some of Switzerland’s best intermediate terrain, with several very long intermediate runs.
With more than 30 obstacles, Corviglia Snow Park is regarded as one of the finest in Europe, and for less experienced riders, there’s the gentler three-kilometer (two-mile) Paradiso.
There are plenty more things to do in St. Moritz in the winter, including ice-skating rinks, tobogganing, Nordic skiing, bobsledding, and kite skiing on lake Silvaplana.
Each year, St. Moritz hosts the Snow Polo World Cup. In February, the annual White Turf St. Moritz is an on-snow horserace event, which includes the only skijoring race in the world, and the St. Moritz Ice Cricket event attracts cricket stars from around the world.
3. Davos-Klosters and Parsenn
Famous for the World Economic Forum, Davos is also one of Europe’s largest winter sports areas and one of its highest in altitude, Davos is a series of ski resorts, which string for several miles along the valley of the Landwasser River in eastern Switzerland.
The two main centers are the towns of Davos and Klosters. The multiple ski areas are interconnected, so it’s easy to ski from any town. Altogether, they offer more than 300 kilometers of groomed runs, much of which is classed for intermediates. But the tremendous off-piste terrain attracts a loyal following of experts. You can also find some of the longest runs in the Alps. The longest is 13 kilometers, with a vertical drop of 2,034 meters.
Davos is also popular with the Nordic skiers with is 140 kilometers of cross-country ski trails, some lighted for night skiing. Thanks to practice known as “snow farming” experts can get a head-start on the season as early as October on a four-kilometer cross-country ski trail in Davos’s Flüela Valley.
Make no mistake; these are not laid-back little mountain villages, but posh resorts where you might share the slopes with royalty.
4. Verbier
Expert skiers listen carefully; Verbier is for you! Endowed with well-laid-out runs for long-distance skiing and an abundance of backcountry terrain that make it one of the world’s best resorts for off-piste skiing. The Tortin is famed as one of Europe’s steepest descents. Set on a natural terrace, with views of the Grand Combin and the Mont Blanc group, Verbier is part of the Four Valley ski area, joining Thyon, Veysaonnaz, and Nendaz for a total of more than 410 kilometers of ski runs and 93 lifts all included in a single lift pass.
The intense terrain of chutes and drops brings advanced free riders to Verbier’s snow park, which hosts the annual Verbier Ride freestyle event and the Verbier Xtreme free ride competition, part of the Freeride World Tour.
The intermediate skier will also enjoy Verbier’s ski slopes. You will find some high-intermediate runs; the cable will bring you to several between 2,050 and 1,080 meters.
Verbier offers a variety of world top contemporary Alpine design such as Chalet Makini
Chalet Makini is a pinnacle of contemporary Alpine design. Modern chic furniture, inspiring artwork, and unrivaled attention to detail make this property truly enchanting throughout. Shimmering chandeliers and plush materials are juxtaposed beautifully with antique wood beams, polished oak flooring, natural stones, antique pieces, and opulent furs. The result is sophistication and style with a distinctive Swiss twist.
Completed in 2013, Chalet Makini is a magnificent ski-in/ski-out Alpine home and the latest addition to Verbier’s selection of super-luxury properties. This property sits majestically on the banks of a shimmering pond in the highly exclusive Hameau development. Relax on the sun-drenched terrace and watch the rare black swan gliding through the water amongst paddlings of ducks. You will be astounded from the moment you step into Chalet Makini by the attention to detail of the interior. Contemporary furniture and art, glittering chandeliers and sumptuous fabrics have been combined with delightful traditional features such as old wood beams, polished oak flooring, natural stones, antique pieces, and luxurious furs to create a sophisticated and enchanting home.
5. Grindelwald, Wengen, and the Jungfrau
The three peaks of the Jungfrau massif, all at around 4,000 meters, provide the splendid backdrop for 206 kilometers of slopes and runs, which include plentiful intermediates cruisers. Ride the Jungfraubahn railway and reach the highest railroad station in Europe at 3,454 meters or take any of the dozens of lifts and cableways to reach runs as long as 12 kilometers.
Known for their long runs, Jungfrau’s ski areas will satisfy beginner, intermediate, and expert skiers
The Schilthorn is a ski legend of its own for its hair-raising black-diamond Inferno run, scene of the annual Inferno Race, the world’s biggest amateur ski race.
