For many it is the most beautiful time of the year: winter in the Swiss Alps.
1. Light magic on the Säntis, Schwägalp AR
In the dark season, people long for light. On the Schwägalp at the foot of the Säntis you can savor your longing for light to the fullest. On the Laternliweg, the winter landscape becomes a wonderland thanks to warm petroleum light. Over snow-covered meadows it goes for about an hour past huge fir trees through the romantic landscape. As a reward, the all-time culinary winter classic awaits you in the Passhöhe restaurant or in the Schwägalp mountain hotel: a fondue with hearty Appenzell cheese. www.saentisbahn.ch
2. Ice skating through the forest, Sent GR
You will find a not quite conventional ice skating slope in the middle of the forests of the Lower Engadine. On the 3-kilometer circular trail near the villages of Sent and Scuol, you can completely immerse yourself in the winter landscape while gliding on the runners. From 4th to 18th February 2023, the “Faszinaziun Lichterwald” project will also take place here for the first time and the ice path will therefore also be open in the evenings. At this time you can expect sculptures made of snow and ice and a spectacle with light, color and music elements.
Vote for the most beautiful ski areas in Switzerland
Blick and Switzerland Tourism are once again looking for the best ski areas in Switzerland and are awarding the Blick Winter Awards 2022/23! Where are the best ski and snowboard slopes? Where are the most beautiful cross-country ski runs or the best gastronomic offer? You can vote for your favorites in six categories on www.winterawards.ch, win great prizes and benefit from exclusive last-minute hotel offers. Stop by and join in!
Blick and Switzerland Tourism are once again looking for the best ski areas in Switzerland and are awarding the Blick Winter Awards 2022/23! Where are the best ski and snowboard slopes? Where are the most beautiful cross-country ski runs or the best gastronomic offer? You can vote for your favorites in six categories on www.winterawards.ch, win great prizes and benefit from exclusive last-minute hotel offers. Stop by and join in!
3. Be chauffeured to dinner, Braunwald GL
There is a wide range of romantic carriage rides. Another insider tip are the Rössli tours in the car-free village of Braunwald in Glarnerland, which can only be reached by cable car. With two horsepower, for example, you can get to the cozy Bergbeiz Nussbühl. While the coachman is waiting, you can enjoy one of the wonderful menus. You can either return to Braunwald by horsepower or hike (1 hour). The tour with waiting time costs 160 francs for 4 people. www.braunwald.ch
4. Bündner Schlemmerei, Flims GR
Fine dining while enjoying natural wonders? This can be ideally combined on the culinary hike “senda dils gusts” (10 kilometers, 2.5 hours walking time). Divided into three restaurants, you can taste a three-course meal made from local classics: breakfast platter with Grisons specialities, barley soup and capuns (filled chard parcels) and, as a sweet icing on the cake, a piece of Grisons nut cake. From mid-December, CHF 75/adult. Registration and further information here.
5. Luxurious Silence, Grimsel Pass BE/VS
To escape the daily stress, nothing is better than the lonely silence of the snowy mountains – with the necessary amenities, of course. Such a place far away from civilization is the Grimsel Hospice on the Grimsel Pass. The hotel sits enthroned on a rock thorn surrounded by a reservoir in barren nature. There are only 28 rooms in this luxurious house. And for everyone for whom a good bottle of wine is part of a successful break: 300 types of fine wines are stored in the rock cellar. www.grimselwelt.ch
6. Tobogganing by Night, Les Diablerets VD
The name of the Les Diablerets ski area is derived from the French word for devil. The 7.2 kilometer long sleigh ride at night is a devilish pleasure. The toboggan run from the Les Mazots mountain inn to the village of Les Diablerets promises 45 minutes of fun. If you want, you can start with a fondue.
7. Trail with wellness temple, Rigi Kaltbad LU
Despite increasingly spectacular winter sports, leisurely cross-country skiing has been booming for years. The route from Rigi Kaltbad to Rigi Scheidegg on the former route of the Scheideggbahn is one of the most beautiful trails in Switzerland. The route offers an incomparable view of Lake Lucerne and the Bernese Oberland. To top it all off, after the 14-kilometre circular route, treat yourself to some wellness in the mineral baths & spa Rigi Kaltbad, designed by star architect Mario Botta.
8. Love nest in the snow, Zermatt VS
Newly in love with butterflies in your stomach? The feelings can be heightened even more with an overnight stay in an igloo (with expedition sleeping bags, of course). The spectacular overnight stay also includes an all-you-can-eat fondue and a breakfast buffet in the mountain restaurant. If you want, you can relax in the whirlpool and go on a snowshoe tour. This is possible in Zermatt. There are also other locations with different offers in Davos and Gstaad.
9. Thermal bath pass, Gemmipass BE/VS
With its three public baths, Leukerbad offers water wellness culture at its finest. The cozy warmth of the wellness oases is enjoyed all the more when you have worked your way up to relaxation – with an impressive winter hike up to the historic Gemmi Pass at 2,314 metres, for example. It starts in Sunnbüel BE (accessible by cable car from Kandersteg). You can reach the top of the pass in around three hours, including a wide view of the four-thousanders in Valais. From the Gemmi Pass, the cable car takes you (almost) directly to the thermal baths in Leukerbad.
10. Large railway cinema, Montreux VD/Gstaad BE/St. gall
Traveling by train through the Swiss countryside is like going to the cinema: icy mountains, powdered forests and fairytale villages pass by in front of the window, just like in a movie. With a little planning, you can traverse the whole of Switzerland in the foothills of the Alps. From Montreux, take the “Golden Pass” train via Gstaad to Zweisimmen, on to Lucerne and from there take the Voralpenexpress to St. Gallen. www.sbb.ch
Take advantage of last-minute hotel deals now
Fancy a winter break in the mountains? As part of this year’s edition of the Blick Winter Awards, we are offering attractive hotel deals together with Switzerland Travel Centre. Stop by and benefit from exclusive last-minute deals with at least 20 percent off the daily rate!
Fancy a winter break in the mountains? As part of this year’s edition of the Blick Winter Awards, we are offering attractive hotel deals together with Switzerland Travel Centre. Stop by and benefit from exclusive last-minute deals with at least 20 percent off the daily rate!