Valais Ski Resorts Snowboarding & Skiing Holidays in Valais, Switzerland
Overview
Ski holidays in Valais - the canton is one of Switzerland's most popular destinations when it comes to alpine sports boasting some of the highest mountains in the Alps. Surrounded by 4,000m peaks, Valais is the ideal place to relax, have fun and enjoy the spectacular scenery. Sitting in southern Switzerland, Valais is home to the famous Matterhorn mountain, chic and cosmopolitan ski resorts such as Verbier and Crans Montana plus the vineyards of the upper Rhône River Valley.
The Valais is also laced with hidden gems where many ski resorts are not even on the radar, even in Switzerland! Val d'Anniviers and Val d’Hérens boast some of the most picteresque villages in the canton such as Grimentz and Evolene. With the blackened timber of their raccards (granaries), chalets and barns that line the narrow cobbled street, you feel you are in a place that time forgot.
| Valais Ski Facts | |
|---|---|
| No. of Resorts | 52 |
| Altitude (m) | 1,500 to 3,899 |
| Snowfall (cms) | 600-800 |
| Sunshine | 300+ days |
| Highest mountain | Matterhorn |
| Ski season | Nov - May* |
| Summer skiing | ✔ |
| Closest airport | Sion |
*- excluding summer skiing at Saas Fee and Zermatt
Skiing Around Valais
The ski area enjoys exceptionally good snowfall from mid-November to the end of April, with an average of nearly 7m of powder every year.
Beginners
The extent and variety of the beginner terrain across the Valais ski resorts is superb. Anzere, for example, has long, gentle beginner slopes for learning the basics with a magic carpet straight from the village square linking to the beginner slopes.
Intermediate
The wealth of terrain means that intermediates will find plenty of suitable trails across all the Valais resorts. Verbier and the 4 Valleys is the largest ski area and has enough terrain to last a life time whereas Saas Fee and Zermatt have fantastic intermediate pistes at high altitude.
Advanced
Expert skiers are in for a treat in Valais as the high peaks provide some of Switzerland's best steeps. From the glaciers at Zermatt, Saas Fee and Atletsch to the off-piste touring on Mont Fort at Verbier, Valais certainly caters for the extreme skiers and boarders. When you add in the heli-skiing opportunities on the 4000m peaks around the Matterhorn and the giant Dent Blanche (4357m) at the end of Val d’Héren, there is more terrain can you can cover in a lifetime.
Featured Ski Chalet Rentals
Valais Ski Holiday Rental Accommodation
The valley towns and mountain ski resorts around Valais are a mix of the old and the new blending rustic chocolate-box chalets in the alpine pastures with new ski-in, ski-out residences and apartments in the mountain resorts.
Wherever you choose to stay in Valais, whether a holiday rental in the Rhone Valley or in one of the charming ski resort, the scenery is spectacular and you are never far from the ski lifts and local apres-ski bars and restaurants. The other major benefit of renting a holiday home is that they provide the freedom, flexibility and space to do what you want, when you want - ideal for familes, groups and friends.
Featured Valais Ski Resorts
Offering a warm and very friendly stay, the Valais ski resorts provide nothing less than the highest quality in service and fantastic accommodation for you to enjoy on your ski holiday.
Nearly all the Valais ski resorts are located either on the north or south side of the Rhône River Valley with easy access from the A9 motorway that runs along the valley floor from Martigny right up to Visp.
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Best Things To See & Do
Valais offers so much variety in terms of what do see and do for all ages. From day trips to one of the nearby lakes to visting one of the valley towns such as Sierre or the regional capital of Sion.
From cultural events to places of natural beauty, Valais is a treasure chest of surprises and waiting to be explored. Venture into the Val d'Hérens and discover some of the prettiest villages in the Alps such as Evolene and Arolla. Or visit the impressive Gibidum Dam which stands at 1436m high, blocking the the Massa River which collect the ice met from the Aletsch glacier.
Sion
As the capital of Valais, Sion is definitely worth a visit. The town is dominated by it's famous hills of Valeria and Tourbillon with a Château perched on each. The old town has lovely pedestranised shopping streets with ancient cobbled alleys coming off the sides where you'll find local bars and restaurants plus the Gothic cathedral of Notre-Dame du Glarier.
Surrounding the town are the vineyards that rise up both sides of the valley. The local wines are the best in Switzerland with classic s such as Les Mazots" Dôle du Valais Aoc.
Grimentz - Val d'Anniviers
If you like ancient villages then Grimentz has to be seen. Its located in the heart of the Val d'Anniviers at a height of 1,564 to the south of Sion and was once an old farming village. Evidence of the old days can still be sen today with its narrow cobbled streets, water wheel used to grind the wheat and the old raccards (barns) used to store the flour.
During the winter, the village transforms itself into a full blown ski resort that links to Zinal. The ski area is pretty impressive and there are some excellent ski tours for advanced skiers that take you over the top of Val d'Anniviers and over to Val d'Hérens - the gateway valley to the mighty Dent Blanche.
Aletsch Glacier
This is the longest glacier in Europe at 23kms and covers nearly 82 km² of the Bernese Alps in Valais. From the Jungfraujoch station at 3,366m above Grindelwald, you can access the ski tours that follow the glacier down to Blatten above Visp in the Rhône Valley.
On the Valais side, the best views of the glacier are from Moosfluh, Bettmerhorn and Eggishorn which can be accessed from the car free resorts of Bettmeralp and Riederalp. The views are spectacular in winer and summer.
Our view on Valais ski resorts
Valais is a year round destination with warm summer months for hiking, mountain biking and watersports whilst the winter is a mecca for snow sports. With 52 ski resorts dotted around the Rhone Valley, there is superb skiing for all abilities. With uncrowded pistes, forest trails, rolling pastures and panoramic views, a ski holiday in Valais takes some beating.
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