A Swiss winter: what to do when the snow arrives

A Swiss winter: what to do when the snow arrives

Switzerland in winter does not do things by halves. The snow arrives, the light turns blue at four in the afternoon, and the whole country seems to agree that the correct response is to go outside, then sit in hot water. There are Christmas markets, sledging runs, skis for every level, mountain railways, thermal baths and a great deal of melted cheese. You could fill a fortnight without repeating yourself.

What follows is a collection of the best winter experiences in the country, from wildlife watching to helicopter flights, written by people who live there or have spent enough winters there to know the difference between a good idea and a brochure. Dates are the ones given at the time of writing, so check before booking.

Start with the landscape

If you want to see wildlife, stay high. Mountain goats, or ibex, are a real possibility if you are based in a ski resort or mountain accommodation. Some destinations make it easier: Davos, for example, includes complimentary activities with locals in its “Inside” package, such as early morning excursions and wildlife spotting.

Two regions I would point you towards for natural beauty are Graubünden and Valais. Switzerland has thousands of cable cars and hiking trails, which means panoramic views are more or less guaranteed. On peaks such as Titlis and Glacier3000 you can walk the Cliff Walk and try other snow activities. One practical note: on snowy days visibility from the top can be poor, so ask about conditions when you buy your cable car ticket rather than discovering it at the summit.

For something smaller and more family-shaped, SchneeSelital is a little ski resort in the canton of Bern with a winter sports area, a fun park and snow tubing. The Gantrisch Nature Park is in the same region, about an hour from Bern by train or Alpine bus. Visit the park and the lake, look for wildlife, walk to the monastery ruins and take a winter hike.

Ride a train built for cheese and chocolate

Trains that take you to a chocolate factory are not only a work of fiction. In Switzerland you can spend a day visiting chocolate and cheese factories, or ride a special train that serves cheese and dessert as it travels.

You can organise it yourself and combine the chocolate and cheese factories in Gruyère in one day by following this route through Gruyère. Or you can take one of the organised options.

The Chocolate Train is a vintage, belle-époque service running between Montreux and the Cailler chocolate factory at Broc. If you are staying in Montreux and want a round trip, the Golden Pass ticket covers a full-day itinerary from 9am to 6pm, including both factories and a visit to the town of Gruyère. Details are on the Golden Pass website, and the full-day tour can be booked through operators.

The Fondue Train leaves from Bulle and circles the Gruyère region for three hours. Fondue and a meringue dessert are included in the ticket. Book ahead, and choose either the 11.20am or the 7.20pm departure.

Find a Christmas market

Nothing says Swiss winter quite like a Christmas market, and there are dozens. The larger and better-known ones for 2018 ran as follows:

• Basel: 22 November to 23 December.
• Zurich: 22 November to 24 December.
• Bern: 1 December to 24 December.

You can find more markets around the country here, and a wider European selection in this guide to Christmas markets in Europe.

Montreux Noël

If you are in Switzerland in winter and can only manage one festival, make it Montreux Noël. Held for a month each year in the run-up to Christmas, it takes place on the edge of Lake Geneva.

The Christmas market is the centrepiece, but there is more around it: medieval Christmas activities at the UNESCO-listed Château de Chillon, light displays, chocolate-making classes and a great deal of food. Every evening, Santa flies over Lake Geneva, visible from the market.

The best part, after the market itself, was taking the train up the Rochers-de-Naye to visit Santa’s house. You meet the man himself, and there are activities, food and skiing, with excellent views from the train on the way up. If you want to feel like a child about Christmas again, put this at the top of the list.

Contributed by Sharon Gourlay of Simpler and Smarter. Find her on Facebook and Instagram.

For a German comparison, see the best Christmas markets in Germany.

Then get warm

The best way to recover from a day in the snow is to sit in one of the country’s many thermal baths. There is plenty of choice, and one of my favourites is the Termali Salini & Spa in Locarno, which has an extraordinary position overlooking the lake and the mountains. If you do not have a car, it is possible to take a private tour from Geneva to one of the warmest thermal baths in Switzerland.

Time it with a festival

A winter festival can be the reason for the trip rather than an extra. These are the ones worth planning around:

• Carnival in Basel (Basel Fasnacht) and Lucerne (Luzern Fasnacht). The 2019 dates were 11 to 13 March in Basel and 28 February to 4 March in Lucerne.
• The Bern Onion Festival, a celebration of onions and garlic held on the fourth Monday in November, which fell on 26 November in 2018.
• The Belalp Witches’ Race, where skiers wear frightening witch masks and race downhill.
• The Igloo Festival in Adelboden, which had been running for eight years and involves building igloos that are then judged. It was held on 16 and 17 March in 2019.
• Adelboden also hosts Chuenis bi Nacht, a night skiing race and ski show, held every Friday evening between 1 February and 1 March in 2019.

If folklore is your thing, there is a separate piece on Swiss myths, legends and folklore.

The World Snow Festival in Grindelwald

Each year the alpine village of Grindelwald hosts the World Snow Festival, where figures and sculptures are carved from huge blocks of snow. It began in 1983, when a group of Japanese artists carved the storybook character Heidi out of snow. Now artists come from around the world to show off their skills and compete for the title.

The carving happens in the centre of Grindelwald over the first four days of the festival, with 2019 dates of 21 to 26 January, and the rankings are announced on day five. A judging panel decides the winner, but the public is also asked to vote for a favourite among the 14 sculptures. On the final evening the sculptures are lit up, which is a sight worth waiting for, before they melt away over the following days.

Contributed by Carolyn of Holidays to Europe. Find her on Facebook and Instagram.

Above the Jungfrau

There are so many beautiful corners of Switzerland in winter, from the centre to the French-speaking west, from Graubünden to the Italian-speaking south. One place stands out for me, though: the Jungfrau region.

Sitting between some of the highest and most remarkable peaks in the Alps, with thousands of kilometres of ski slopes and the Top of Europe at almost 3,500 metres, reachable by train, the region is extraordinary. My advice is to see it from the air. At the beginning of 2018 I took a helicopter ride around the area, and it was a great decision. Helicopter flights are expensive, but the views of the Alps are spectacular, and some include a landing on a remote glacier. I will not forget it.

Contributed by Michael Gerber of mscgerber. Find him on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Now the sports

Skiing is second nature to the Swiss, and there is a slope for every level. After years of living in the country I did some research into where locals actually go skiing, which is a better starting point than the resort with the largest advertisement.

Kayaking on Lake Brienz

Kayaking usually conjures sunshine, a calm sea and a gentle breeze. Winter kayaking is a different proposition: snow-covered mountains, a quiet lake, cold wind and hot tea. It is every bit as good as it sounds.

We saw an advertisement in our hostel for winter kayaking and booked immediately. The trip started in Bönigen, on the shore of Lake Brienz, about thirty minutes from Interlaken on foot or ten minutes by bus. When we arrived we were the only people kayaking on the lake. We paddled for around three hours and watched the sunset from the water, the peaks turning pink as the day ended, then drank hot tea on top of an old castle called Ringgenberg. It was one of the most surreal experiences we had in Europe that winter.

Contributed by Parampara and Parichay of Awara Diaries. Find them on Facebook or Twitter.

Sledging in Champéry

Champéry, in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, is the sort of small town that makes you want to stay longer than you booked. It suits families and groups of friends who want to rent a secluded cabin and spend some time together without the internet.

People ski and snowboard there, but my favourite activity is sledging. Every incline, from gentle to steep, can be taken on a wooden or plastic sledge, so bring your own. It is exhilarating in the way that only a fast descent on a piece of plastic can be. At the end of a day of adrenaline, you can look up at a night sky full of the Milky Way at its brightest.

Contributed by Sarah of Borders and Bucketlists.

Snowboarding in Nendaz

Everyone knows the Swiss Alps are among the best places in Europe to ski or snowboard, but choosing where to go in such a small country full of resorts is the hard part. We spent a winter travelling around Europe with our snowboards, and one of our favourite places was Nendaz.

The 4 Vallées resort is known for having some of the best terrain in the world, which made it an obvious choice. A ski holiday in Switzerland is rarely a bargain, especially compared with resorts in Austria or Italy, but few towns appear on as many “best of” lists as the 4 Vallées, and Nendaz sits in the middle of them. The town is close to Siviez, Thyon, Veysonnaz and Les Collons, which together make up the 4 Vallées and its 412 kilometres of ski runs, most of them groomed.

Contributed by Natasha and Cameron of The World Pursuit. Find them on Instagram.

Portes du Soleil, for the space

I worked five winter seasons in the Alps in my mid-twenties, which gave me a good look at dozens of resorts. The one I keep recommending is Portes du Soleil, a ski area made up of twelve resorts in the Mont Blanc region of France and around Lake Geneva in Switzerland. It is the place I send people who want to see the landscapes the country is famous for.

The name translates as the doors of the sun, and beyond the views it is excellent for winter sports, especially snowboarding. It is rarely crowded unless you visit during public holidays, and there is enough terrain to keep you busy for a week. The area has over 650 kilometres of pistes for all levels, thirty snowparks, 286 slopes and 196 lifts, making it one of the largest ski areas in the world. On the Swiss side are Champéry, Champoussin, Morgins, Les Crosets and Torgon, from where you can see the Dents du Midi at 3,257 metres and the Dents Blanches at 2,756 metres.

It usually opens from mid-December until late April, and getting there is easy if you fly to Geneva. A shared apartment and a package deal will not break the bank, though prices climb quickly if you choose a hotel or travel over Christmas or Easter.

Contributed by Inma Gregorio of A World to Travel. Find her on Instagram or Twitter.

Which of these would you visit first? Tell me in the comments, and pass the post on to anyone planning a Swiss winter.