There’s always something fun to do in Switzerland, no matter what time of year it is. With so many mountains in Switzerland, it’s no surprise skiing is one of the biggest winter activities. There are, however, a lot of different ski resorts. There are some smaller ones and some bigger ones. This article lists the 10 biggest ski resorts in Switzerland.
WListed below are the biggest ski resorts in Switzerland. Most of them are accessible by gondolas and chairlifts. There is also information on what the highest peak is and how many kilometers of skiing are available. Without further ado, here are the top 10 biggest ski resorts in Switzerland.
Overview: Biggest Ski Resorts in Switzerland
| Ski Resort | Canton | Peak (Highest Mountain Station) | Ski Slopes (in kilometers) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Vallées | Valais | Mont-fort | 420 |
| Zermatt | Valais | Matterhorn Glacier Paradise | 360 |
| Silvretta Arena Samnaun / Ischgl | Grisons (and Tirol, Austria) | Greitspitze | 239 |
| Flims Laax Falera | Grisons | Vorab Gletscher | 235 |
| Arosa Lenzerheide | Grisons | Parpaner Rothorn | 225 |
| Adelboden | Bern | Dossen | 210 |
| Gstaad (Les Diablerets – Glacier 3000) | Bern | Dôme | 200 |
| St. Moritz Corviglia | Grisons | Piz Nair | 163 |
| Jungfrau Ski Region Grindelwald – Wengen | Bern | Oberjoch | 160 |
| Saas-Fee | Valais | Mittelallalin | 150 |
Note: A decent medium-sized ski resort, Dents du Midi offers over 100 km of slopes. It covers the villages of Champéry, Les Crosets, Champoussin, and Morgins. As part of the Les Portes du Soleil ski resort shared with France, it boasts 650 kilometers of skiing. Please note that Portes du Soleil is not included in this list.
10 Biggest Ski Resorts in Switzerland
1. 4 Vallées (420 kilometers)
4 Vallées is Switzerland’s biggest ski resort, covering Verbier, Bruson, La Tzoumaz, Nendaz, Veysonnaz, and Thyon. It’s a winter wonderland with 410 kilometers of slopes and 92 lifts, so there’s something for everyone. It is a large, high-altitude ski resort.
Mont-Fort, which towers at 3,330 meters, is the highest with breathtaking panoramic views of the Swiss and French Alps. From Mont-Fort, you can take in the breathtaking views of the ski resort, including Matterhorn and Mont Blanc.
With more than 200 snow machines, snow is guaranteed even at the foot of the runs from December to April. Piste de L’Ours is a legendary slope has hosted numerous winter sports competitions. Verbier is famous for its marked off-piste trails, which add to its popularity. And for those who want to have fun, the longest bobsled run in western Switzerland can be found in La Tzoumaz.
In case you were wondering how expensive Verbier is, you can check out this article: Is Verbier Expensive? A Close Look at Its Price and Value.
4 Vallées is the third biggest ski resort in Europe after France’s Les 3 Valleys and Italy’s Sella Ronda.
2. Zermatt (360 kilometers)
Zermatt is the second biggest ski resort in Switzerland. It is one of the most popular and best-developed ski resorts in the world. Zermatt is a world-class and snow-sure mountain paradise in Valais, Switzerland.
With endless runs and a spectacular backdrop, it’s also the highest winter sports area in the Alps. Zermatt has 360 kilometers of ski slopes with varying levels of difficulty.
Its highest peak, Matterhorn Ski Paradise, is located at a height of 3,883 meters above sea level. There’s skiing here all year long. However, if extreme heat hits, summer skiing might be temporarily halted, like in 20221.
The ski resort of Zermatt is the highest in Europe. Zermatt attracts skiers from all over the world.
3. Silvretta Arena Samnaun / Ischgl (239 kilometers)
Samnaun is one of the biggest ski resorts in Switzerland, sharing it with Ischgl in Austria. You can ski 239 kilometers of slopes at an altitude of 1,400 to 2,900 meters in the Silvretta Arena.
45 chairlifts, lifts, and conveyor belts give you access to countless carving and snowboarding runs. Highlights include the 11-kilometer downhill run from Greitspitze to Ischgl. They also have a steep slope (Piste 14a) with a 70% gradient.
Three snow parks let cracks show off their acrobatic skills. Throughout this huge ski resort are 15 restaurants and bars where you can stop for food or drinks.
4. Flims Laax Falera (235 kilometers)
The Flims Laax Falera Ski Resort is one of the biggest ski resorts in Switzerland. With 235 kilometers of ski slopes, it has a great mix of easy, intermediate, difficult, and freeride slopes. Its highest peak, the Vorab Gletscher, lies at 3,018 meters above sea level.
It is popular with snowboarders due to its four snow parks and the world’s largest half-pipe, as well as for hosting winter races and competitions. Due to its size and variety, beginners, advanced skiers, snowboarders, and freeskiers, all have ample space to enjoy their sport.
Avalanche conditions permitting, twelve marked freeride routes will be released when conditions are good. The longest freeride route (route 84) starts at the 2,477-meter-high Crap Masegn.
5. Arosa Lenzerheide (225 kilometers)
The Arosa Lenzerheide Ski Resort is located in Canton Graubünden. It is one of the biggest ski resorts in Switzerland covering 225 kilometers of slopes. Mountain peaks here include Weisshorn, Parpaner Rothorn, Hörnli, Piz Scalottas, Piz Danis, Lavos, Stätzerhorn, and Windegga.
Arosa and Lenzerheide are both leading family-friendly resorts that cater to the younger generation. Arosa has the largest children’s ski school in Switzerland. They also have playgrounds, souvenirs, children’s activities, and more. Perfectly groomed slopes for all levels are available here in Arosa Lenzerheide. For exceptional mountain experiences, offers for early birds and night owls are also available.
6. Adelboden (210 kilometers)
All those who love winter can enjoy more than 200 kilometers of runs and 70 different facilities surrounded by the most beautiful peaks in the country. You can find all of this in Adelboden-Lenk, one of the biggest ski resorts in Switzerland. In the Adelboden-Lenk ski region, the doors are open to all six resorts – Elsigen-Metsch, Tschentenalp, Engstligenalp, the main Adelboden-Lenk ski resort, and Betelberg.
Known for its well-groomed slopes and magical walks, it’s also a FIS Ski World Cup venue. Those who love skiing will recognize Chuenisbärgli as one of the classic technical races. It is also a mecca for the freestyle community, with the famous Gran Masta Park in the main Adelboden-Lenk resort.
7. Gstaad Les Diablerets – Glacier 3000 (200 kilometers)
As one of the biggest ski resorts in Switzerland, the Gstaad ski area of Les Diablerets – Glacier 3000 has 200 kilometers of slopes with altitudes from 1,000 to 3,000 meters. Its highest peak, Dôme, is slightly over 3,000 meters above sea level.
Gstaad in Saanen is a charming ski resort in the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland. The region is known to international jet setters, but it maintains a down-to-earth ambiance. Views of the following mountain peaks can be seen from Scex Rouge at 2,950 meters: Eiger, Mönch, Jungfrau, Dent Blanche, Matterhorn, Mont Blanc, Lake Geneva, and Jura. You can also see the Savoy and Vaud Alps.
Further attractions can also be found on the glacier plateau. There is an Alpine Coaster with ten curves. This is the highest toboggan run in the world. Weather permitting, it is open daily from May to September.
Another exciting activity is going on the Peak Walk by Tissot Suspension Bridge. It is the only mountain bridge in the world that connects two mountain peaks.
Glacier walks, climbing, dogsled rides, and snow sports are some other interesting activities on Les Diablerets – Glacier 3000.
8. St. Moritz Corviglia (163 kilometers)
Engadin St. Moritz is one of Switzerland’s largest winter sports regions. As one of the oldest winter sports resorts in the world, it’s also famous for hosting the Winter Olympics twice. When winter comes, Lake St. Moritz (St. Moritzersee in German, Lej da San Murezzan in Romansh) becomes ice-covered.
Although there are several ski resorts in Engadin, the largest one is Corviglia with 163 kilometers of slopes. Corviglia is the home mountain of St. Moritz. Piz Nair, the highest point, rises 3,057 meters above sea level. The resort offers enough for all levels, including 8 kilometers of freeride slopes.
9. Jungfrau Ski Region Grindelwald – Wengen (160 kilometers)
One of the well-known and biggest ski resorts in Switzerland is located in the Jungfrau region. Featuring 160 kilometers of pistes, the Jungfrau Ski Region Grindelwald – Wengen has an incredibly beautiful mountain panorama.
For ski racing fans who watch the Lauberhorn Race each year, I can tell you that the television shots cannot fully capture the beauty of this region. It is something that you will have to see and experience for yourself.
Wengen is an ideal starting point for the family-friendly ski region of Kleine Scheidegg–Männlichen. The neighboring ski areas of the Jungfrau region are also within reach, including Grindelwald-First and Mürren-Schilthorn.
For those who do not ski, they also have winter hiking trails and toboggan runs in this region.
10. Saas-Fee (150 kilometers)
Saas-Fee is one of Switzerland’s biggest ski resorts offering 150 kilometers of skiing for all levels of difficulty. A high mountain village in the Saas valley, Saas-Fee is situated at an elevation of 1,800 meters. Its highest peak, Mittelallalin, is located at a height of 3,500 meters.
Most of the ski slopes in Saas-Fee are intermediate runs. In addition to the easy and intermediate slopes, the ski resort has some difficult ones too. Saas-Fee has flat practice slopes that are great for beginners.
Saas-Fee is located in Saas Valley, an alpine valley situated in Switzerland’s Visp district. It is located on the eastern side of the canton of Valais. Saas-Grund, Saas-Fee, and Saas-Almagell are some of the villages in the valley. Saas-Fee also offers a combined ski pass which allows you to ski in Saas-Grund. Postal buses connect the regions instead of ski lifts.
If you are having a hard time deciding whether to visit either Saas-Fee or Zermatt, check out this article: Saas-Fee or Zermatt: Which is Better?
Resources
- 1 Schweizer Ski-Nati muss Gletscher-Training abbrechen. Blick, 2022. Accessed on 6 September 2022. https://www.blick.ch/sport/ski/miese-bedingungen-wegen-hitze-schweizer-ski-nati-muss-gletscher-training-abbrechen-id17696923.html
- Bergfex.ch https://www.bergfex.com/schweiz/
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Darla Uhl is the owner of TouringSwitzerland.com. Her home is in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. Having lived almost 20 years in Switzerland, she's traveled extensively all over the country.
Darla's favorite regions to visit in Switzerland include Engadin, Lake Geneva, Bernese Oberland, Ticino, and Valais. She loves spending time with her family, hiking, visiting museums, and reading books.