By Peter Hardy
Switzerland is the Victorian birthplace of the winter sports holiday and it still provides some of the most scenic and enjoyable skiing in Europe for all standards.
However, in recent years it has slipped far down the league table, lingering in popularity behind France, Austria, Italy and even Andorra.
The main reason for Switzerland's lack of general appeal these days is not so much price, as the perception of price. Most people believe Switzerland to be more expensive than anywhere else.
But a glance through the brochures shows that - at least for accommodation - this is simply not so. I enjoy skiing here more than anywhere else in Europe.
Plus point: direct rail transfer from Geneva and Zurich airports to almost every resort. Minus point: High cost (admittedly for a high standard) of food and wine on the mountain.
My Personal Favourite
:
Zermatt is in my top five ski resorts worldwide. It has few rivals for skiing itself, eating, and dramatic scenery.
Best For Beginner
:
Villars, Kandersteg, Crans-Montana, Saas-Fee, Meiringen-Hasliberg. Villars: the Vaud is one of the only Swiss cantons where foreigners can buy property easily and Villars has had a strong British following for 100 years.
It is linked on-piste to the neighbouring resort of Les Diablerets and is an easy 90-minute drive from Geneva Airport. Fans include singer Phil Collins and his Swiss wife.
Both ski schools have excellent reputations. Avoid Christmas and New Year, when snow cover may not be sufficient at this low altitude.
Crans-Montana
: This is a large, sophisticated resort that sits on a sunny balcony overlooking the Rhone Valley.
Veteran actor and former James Bond, Roger Moore, an ardent skier, made the resort his home after migrating from Gstaad. His favourite lunch spot is Merbé, the most celebrated mountain eatery, and he often dines with his wife Kiki at gourmet restaurant Le Gréni.
With the top lift station at 3 000m, Crans-Montana is snowsure from November to May. The 140km of essentially intermediate pistes are served by a network of 27 lifts. Hotel St George is a friendly four-star with a reputation for fine food, near the centre of Montana See www.swisstravel.co.uk
Best For Intermediates
: Engelberg, Grindelwald, Champéry, Adelboden, St Moritz, Flims.
Engelberg
: Until the early 1970s, Engelberg was patronised by large numbers of British skiers. Its popularity faded as other destinations developed better lift systems. But now it is undergoing a renaissance. Curiously, it is particularly well known in India, because of its regular use in summertime as a location for Bollywood films.
The skiing suits all standards and its high altitude guarantees a long season. Three-star Hotel Engelberg is in the pedestrianised centre of this attractive village ( www.momentumski.com).
Grindelwald
: The oldest of the three principal ski villages in the Jungfrau region and a personal favourite. It is connected to Wengen and Mirren by a cog-and-pinion mountain railway that acts as the backbone of the lift system.
Together with Wengen, it shares the Kleine Scheidegg pistes beneath the cruel north face of the Eiger. Grindelwald also has its own ski area on the other side of the village.
Hotel Fiescherblick is a highly recommended chalet hotel with great food (www.fiescherblick.ch). The four-star Hotel Belvedere, expertly run by the Hauser family, is a few minutes' walk from the rail station ( www.powderbyrne.co.uk).
Best For Experts
:
Zermatt, Verbier, Klosters, Davos, Andermatt.
Zermatt: This is Switzerland's most charismatic ski resort, a mélange of magnificent modern hotels and ancient chalets huddled at the base of the mighty Matterhorn.
It offers skiing for all and is one of the few resorts truly suited to the non-skier. In recent years its lift companies have merged, allowing enormous improvements to be made in the area which is linked to Cervinia in Italy. They have a total of 62 lifts.
Hotel Admiral is a three-star situated a short walk from the Gornergrat lift station (www.swisstravel.co.uk). Ski Solutions www.skisolutions.com) specialises in tailor-made holidays to Zermatt.
Klosters: Despite its "By Royal Appointment" image, Klosters remains the sleepy Swiss village that it always was. It shares the giant Parson ski area with Davos and the regional lift pass covers 50 lifts. Most of the skiing at this end of the Parsenn is best-suited to accomplished skiers. Off-piste runs include the notorious Wang, which is rarely open due to avalanche danger.
Prince Charles and his sons are annual visitors and the resort's most famous fans. Four-star Hotel Alpina is a comfortable chalet-style affair. See website www.inghams.co.uk.
- This article was originally published on page 16 of The Star on November 06, 2004