10 Best Ski Resorts in Switzerland

Zermatt is a complete winter sports destination in southern Switzerland that combines epic skiing and outdoor adventures, wide-ranging resort facilities, and stunning Alpine scenery. The top Swiss skiing mecca is among the highest ski areas in the country and lies just north of the iconic, beacon-like pyramidal peak known as the Matterhorn.

There’s over 200 km of pistes to conquer at Zermatt, and although it offers something for all skill levels, intermediate skiers are spoilt the most with long and well-varied blues and greens across its 3 sectors. Many also ski from Zermatt across the border to Italy just for the bragging rights. After conquering the slopes, stroll along the main street of Bahnhofstrasse for some shopping or a cool après-ski experience.

St Moritz is the world-famous winter sports village at the foot of Piz Nair in Switzerland’s Albula Alps. It’s the base for skiing the slopes of Corviglia, the main peak which is only a funicular or cable car ride away. Here, you can carve the pistes like world champions did – St Moritz hosted the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in 1934 and the Winter Olympics twice.

Other major ski and snowboard areas in St Moritz include Diavolezza with its 350 km of scenic slopes and Corvatsch with its 23 runs across 120 km. The natural-ice bobsled run called the Cresta also calls St Moritz home and there’s also an outdoor ice rink and a frozen lake where you can engage in all sorts of wintertime fun.

Grindelwald is a scenic village and ski resort that’s cradled in a valley surrounded by the Eiger, Jungfrau and Monch mountains. It has long attracted hikers in summer to its stunning landscapes yet pure skiing excitement awaits when the powder’s fresh. Above the village, you’re treated to great red and blue runs with the Eiger’s north face looming over.

Non-skiers aren’t left out on the fun with tobogganing and winter hiking trails also a big thing in this part of the Jungfrau Region ski area. Grindelwald’s dramatic alpine setting in the Bernese Alps also helped it land roles as shooting locations for movie titles ranging from James Bond to Star Wars.

The Davos-Klosters-Serneus area in southeast Switzerland comprises several mountain villages with ski resorts, forming one of the largest winter sports playgrounds in the Swiss Alps. The Klosters ski resort itself is a winter destination of royalty and celebrities – a cable car to its main peak of Gotschnagrat is even named after Prince Charles.

Parsenn is one of the main ski areas between Davos and Klosters, offering plenty of on- and off-piste runs. It’s also home to the oldest Swiss ski race. Reach Parsenn using the funicular railway from Davos, or the Gotschna cable car from Klosters. Other areas include Selfranga with 1 km of slopes and Madrisa with over 6 km of skiing routes and the Madrisa Land adventure park.

Wengen is a charming Swiss village in the Bernese Alps, just northwest of the Lauberhorn mountain where the namesake world cup ski races are held. With that being said, it’s a mecca for thrill-seeking powderhounds with an appetite for fast downhills and slaloms.

Be there in January for the annual Lauberhorn Run, where top skiers take on the world’s longest and most exhilarating course – a 4.48-km downhill run from above the Lauterbrunnen valley. Even so, non-pros can enjoy the exciting piste as well, along with magnificent views of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau mountain summits.

The Swiss ski resort of Crans Montana lies on a plateau from where you can take in the spectacular snow-capped mountain views of the Valais and Pennine Alps. Its ski area offers 140 km of marked pistes, 61 ski slopes for varying skill levels, and breathtaking cross-country winter adventures available on the flat Plaine Morte Glacier.

Most of Crans Montana’s long runs are south facing, which leads to the claim that it’s the sunniest of the Swiss ski resorts. It’s also great if you’re an intermediate skier since most runs are reds. After your day out on the slopes, head down to the villages for an après ski – Crans caters to a more sophisticated crowd while Montana is rather traditional and laidback.

Adelboden is a Swiss mountain village and major skiing destination that offers over 210 km of world-class pistes that take you carving through the Bernese Alps. A skiing trip to Abelboden would usually also include adventures to the Oeschinen Lake region to its east.

The peak of Adelboden’s downhill and slalom-skiing craze is the FIS Ski World Cup held each year. While Adelboden offers pistes that are mostly for advanced skiers, it’s linked with the small ski village of Lenk where many skiers head for family-friendly Nordic skiing adventures. You can get between the 2 villages via a lift system. Don’t leave without trying out the Swiss cheese fondue, available at the village’s rustic restaurants.

The ski area of Gstaad-Saanen in southwestern Switzerland offers 250 km of superb slopes that are great for intermediate skiers. Many enjoy the off-piste terrain through wooded sections and rural farmland. The area has learning parks as well, with wide blue runs, family-friendly ski lifts, and facilities that make it a great go-to for a winter adventure with kids in tow.

Off the slopes, the charming village of Gstaad offers an upscale yet pleasant ambience – think Prada and Louis Vuitton stores against traditional chalets – best admired on a stroll through its pedestrianised main street. It’s the place to be for après-ski. Saanen on the other hand, to the north, is quieter but is where you’d want to go for great family dining.

The classic ski resort village of Saas-Fee is the base for enjoying more than 100 km of slopes in Valais’ Saas valley. The skiing fun isn’t only limited to the winter months either, thanks to the nearby Pennine Alp’s glaciers of Dom and Allalinhorn that offer 20 km of exhilarating pistes ready for you to carve through.

Off-slope, take a stroll through Saas-Fee's street that’s lined with charming traditional chalets. Dine ‘on top of the world’, 35,000 metres above sea level, at the Allalin revolving restaurant. For an other-worldly sight, visit the Mittelallalin Ice Pavilion, an ice grotto that was carved into the Fee Glacier that you can walk inside to discover amazing ice sculptures.

Leukerbad is a ski resort in the Valais canton which serves as a perfect base for experiencing the splendid scenery and thrills of the Torrent ski area. There's 53 km of pistes to conquer, mostly comprising red and black runs as well as a few blue ones. There’s also Park Erli near the village where kids and budding skiers can hone their skills.

After your skiing adventures, end your day with a soothing soak at Leukerbad’s hot thermal springs. The village is home to one of the biggest and the highest Alpine spa and wellness centres in the Alps.