Covering over 60% of Switzerland’s total territory and hosting more than half of all mountains over 4,000 metres in the greater Alps, the Swiss Alps are the stuff of superlatives. From the glacier-topped Bernese Alps in the west to the jagged horns of the Appenzell Alps in the east, they unfold in a wonderworld of lush alpine pastures, twisted summits of rock and stone, and quaint villages writhed in blooming flowers by summer and dusted with snow in winter.
More than anything, the region has become synonymous with high-class skiing. More than a handful of jet-setter winter resorts sit between the peaks and pistes.
Chief among them is St Moritz. A one-time escape for Marlene Dietrich and Charlie Chaplin and royals from all across Europe, it’s a place of glitzy hotels and grand Belle Époque mansions.
Verbier could also stake a claim. A part of the epic 4 Vallées ski domain, it boasts access to a whopping 410 kilometres of marked runs that top out at over 3,300 metres. It is snow-sure, and it’s stylish – some of the top luxury ski chalets of the Swiss Alps huddle along the runs of Verbier, offering ski-in/ski-out access to the powder, private spas, heated pools, and a whole load more.
Don’t discount Zermatt, either. This car-free village is a gingerbread town of quaint Swiss cottages with gabled wood roofs. It sits in the shadow of the mighty Matterhorn, a gnarled granite massif with skiing that flows over into Italy around its base.
When the white stuff finally melts, visitors to the Swiss Alps swap their skis for their hiking boots. Visit after May, and you can swim in the crystalline waters of beautiful Lake Brienz or Lake Lucerne, hike ridges in the company of fluttering butterflies, and have lunch at cosy highland huts that serve raclette and fondue with crisp Genevan wines.
The warmer months are also the time to delve into the enchanting Lauterbrunnen Valley. Easily reached in a day trip from Verbier or Zermatt, enjoy visions of wispy waterfalls falling from on high or meet the daring alpinists challenging the Eiger North Face and other epic routes.
No matter the time of year you visit, a stay in a luxury catered chalet is the perfect way to enjoy the Swiss Alps.
See
- The imposing peak of the Matterhorn
- Quaint ski towns with chocolate box chalets
- Vast lakes and tumbling waterfalls
Experience
- Ski or snowboard in the expansive 4 Vallées ski area
- Be pampered in a luxury chalet in Verbier, Zermatt or St Moritz
- Enjoy a warm, gooey raclette in a traditional mountain restaurant
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