Skiing in the Swiss Alps is adventurous and luxurious – and did we mention incredibly scenic? Soaring Alps, like the much photographed Jungfrau and Matterhorn, are your setting as you ski vast slopes, for miles, leading to delightful Swiss ski chalets where après ski entertainment await, along with luxury lodging in historic car free mountain towns. If you long for big mountain skiing on high elevation Alps, lunch in charming chalets and huts on the ski slopes, long vertical descents, as much as 7,000′ vertical in one run, followed by live music, and luxe spas. In the Swiss Alps, the rituals of Raclette and Chocolate are real! If this all sounds ideal, A Swiss ski trip is for you!
For many reasons, The Swiss Alps are a must ski, with over 300 ski resorts in a country the size of Maine. Some of the most impressive ski resorts are Zermatt, Crans Montana, 4 Valllees and Verbier and Gstaad. See Swiss Skiing Videos
Take the Swiss trains – as scenic and precise as you’d expect, like a Swiss watch. The Matterhorn Glacier Express travels scenically and swiftly 8 hours from Zermatt to St Moritz passing though ski towns like Andermatt, Laax, St Moritz and Davos Klosters on its way. Many of the best ski towns in Switzerland are car-free, with charming snow laden chalets offering luxury lodging, and vast ski terrain in all directions. Glaciers sparkle and promise excellent snow, at to Swiss ski resorts of Zermatt, Saas Fee and Gstaad 3000. Other ski regions like the Jungfrau and Aletsch Arena combine multiple big mountains and several ski villages with interconnected lift systems and long trail networks for miles of skiing adventure.
Zermatt is the granddaddy with 60 ski lifts and over 350 kilometers of prepared slopes and even more off-piste borders. The Swiss people don’t like to admit how amazing Zermatt is for skiing, as if its cliche. You can ski to Italy for lunch, the ultimate “cross country” alpine adventure. The beauty of Zermatt starts with the magnificent Matterhorn towering 14,693-feet above this historic town, the most photographed mountain in the world. While you don’t ski on the Matterhorn, Zermatt offers the highest skiing in the Alps at 12,739-feet, on glaciers, served by trams and trains, and wide-open trails in every direction. The real treat of skiing the Swiss Alps, especially Zermatt, is skiing to a cozy mountainside chalet, look for the Swiss flag, serving homemade schnitzel and fondue, or sunning on a terrace with a view and a schnapps. Zermatt village is a picture postcard of world-class hotels, famous boutique shopping, top Swiss restaurants, with music festivals and entertainment as added après ski amusement. Zermatt’s village does get busy, touristy, but there’s good reason for that. See our review of the Zermatt and the Top Ski Hotels in Switzerland.
Les 4 Vallees including Verbier offers extreme skiing, and equally black-diamond après ski and designer shopping. We love Verbier’s high elevation off-piste skiing on Mont Fort and Mont Gele at 10,900.’ And what’s not to love about Verbier’s 5-star hotels and Michelin restaurants in the chic ski village. See our review of 4 Vallees dozens of beautiful on mountain chalets. for ski in ski out lunches and apres. Staying in quieter Thyon, you have access to all the 4 Valleys ski terrain stayign at romantic luxury Hotel La Cambuse.
Nearby in Switzerland’s beautiful Valais, along the wine-rich Rhone River, are dozen of ski areas spanning the region – Crans Montana, Anzere, and the historic ski towns of Leukerbad, and Grimentz Zinal. This valley is worth two weeks of skiing and exploring, just two hours from Geneva.
The Swiss Graubunden hosts a dozen ski resorts within an hours’ drive, or train, near Zurich. Andermatt Sedrun, Laax, Obersaxen and Brigels, to Arosa Lenzerheide, Savognin, and Davos Klosters, to St Moritz to the east bordering Italy. You can easily create a Swiss ski safari, skiing several resorts.
Portes Du Soleil includes the Swiss and French Alps, a huge resort compilation of 12 villages, located in the spectacular Dents Du Midi between Lake Geneva and Mont Blanc.
Gstaad is a famed Swiss ski destination, with the most luxury hotels, more five star hotels than any other European ski resort, and seven separate ski areas. The highest and most scenic is Glacier 3000 which is absolutely spectacular on a sunny day as the snow glistens and you can see as far as The Matterhorn and Mont Blanc Chamonix. While the ski terrain of Gstaad’s ski areas is not particularly steep, unless you go off-piste with a guide for an alpine adventure, the boutique shopping and restaurants in Gstaad’s delightful village are high-end for experts-only with a big wallet, staying at the 5-star Park Gstaad Hotel.
Switzerland’s Jungfrau ski region offers even more big mountain skiing, with three ski areas Grindelwald First, Kleine Scheidegg near Wengen and Mürren’s Schilthorn, all on one ski pass. Schilthorn’s 9,744’ summit is where 
James Bond was filmed, home of the world famous Piz Gloria 360 rotating lodge. Wengen across the valley is a charming car free ski village, and host of the legendary Lauberhorn World Cup downhill race. Bring your camera and your ski legs to the Jungfrau region, the terrain is tremendous, and so is the view.
Saas-Fee is another fantastic Swiss ski resort, near Zermatt. Saas-Fee doesn’t get the big name recognition like other Swiss ski resorts, but it does have a glacier for guaranteed snow, gorgeous glittery views, and a romantic ski village with no cars (and few crowds).
A Swiss ski vacation promises awesome Alps scenery, amazing alpine skiing – especially if you hire a guide to explore off-piste. Pretty postcard villages nestle at the base of towering mountains with luxury Swiss ski hotels serving signature local cuisine of Swiss fondue and raclette, with a side of lively après ski, schnapps, song and dance. The Swiss know how to live and celebrate their mountain heritage, and you can partake in this luxury alpine adventure on a Swiss ski vacation.
More Europe Ski Reviews:
Our Guide to Skiing the Alps
Top Ski Resorts in The Alps
Top Swiss Ski Hotels
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