Ski Week – where are you skiing? Skiing in Davos/Klosters, Flims/Laax and Lenzerheide

It’s “Ski Week” in many of the schools next week and whilst most of the International Schools get one week off, most local schools in Switzerland gets two weeks. February is normally a perfect time to explore the many ski slopes all over Switzerland . If you’re staying at home in Zurich, there are plenty of resorts which you can visit in a day.

Over the past couple of  weekends, we’ve been skiing in Davos and Klosters and the week before in Lenzerheide and Flims, Laax and Falera.  So how do they compare?  Each has it’s own charm and character  - but here are some impressions.

Flims / Laax / Falera

Skiing in Laax

Situated at an altitude of between 1,100 and 3,018m this resort is very big and has something to offer for everyone, whether you’re a boarder, a skiier, a walker or even if you prefer tobogganing. Just 90 minutes drive from Zurich and 20 minutes from Chur it is easily accessible. The town itself stretches down the valley and has a number of sport shops, restaurants, cafes and bars, including some right at the bottom of the slopes where you can chill, have a drink and listen to music.

There are four snow parks attracting lots of boarders and the resort boasts the biggest half pipe in Europe. There are lots of cool bars on the slopes where you can warm up between runs with a hot chocolate or something stronger and if  you’re lucky, catch some rays. There is also a lively night scene in some of the bars where if you still have the energy you can dance the night away. The resort has a total of 235kmm of skiing to be had, made up of :

Blue runs – 64km

Red runs – 70km

Black runs- 46kim

Freeride – 44km

Coffee stop at Flims/Laax

The hours of operation are 08.30 – 4.30pm and the season ends this year on 14th April. For more information go to the website.

Davos and Klosters

Skiing in Davos

Situated at between 1,560 and 2,844km, this resort really consists of two resorts in their own right which are linked up over the Parsenn mountain. The drive to Klosters and Davos is a little longer than to Flims, but you can also take the train from Zurich direct to Klosters and you arrive just by the lift station all ready to take the gondola up the mountain.

Klosters is famous for it’s connections with the British royal family and even one of the Gotschnabahn gondolas sports the Prince of Wales’s emblem. It’s got a distinctive “villagey” feel about it, quite traditional with a great range of restaurants in the town itself as well quite a collection to suit everyone’s tastes and pockets on the slopes. In Klosters the Madrisa ski area offers some gentler slopes and is popular with beginners and families with young children.

Davos meanwhile is most famous for it’s World Economic Forum (see previous post) and has more of a business feel to it, though again it has plenty of shops, with hotels and restaurants to cater to everyone’s taste. Davos’s “Magic Mountain” attracts snowboarding and skiing enthusiasts from near and far. As well as the Parsenn area of skiing, there is yet more skiing to be had on the Jakobshorn side of the mountain. The longest run in Davos is 13 km from Weissfluhgipfel to Küblis covering 2,034 m of difference in altitude (from 2,844 to 810 m above sea-level). The resort consists of 310 km of runs of which:

Blue runs – 6okm

Red runs – 132km

Black runs- 118km

Skiing in Klosters

The hours of operation are 08.30 – 4.30pm and the season ends this year on 14th April. For more information go to the website.

Lenzerheide

Scenic views in Lenzerheide

Lenzerheide consists of  two sides of  a valley with 155 km of prepared slopes varying from 1230 m to 2865 m above sea level. There are 34 ski lifts will taking you to a range of different ski runs and sunny terraces. There is artificial snow on more than a third of the slopes (60 km) in the event of poor snowfall.  Located very close to the motorway at Chur it is a simple drive from Zurich with a number of outdoor car parks offering access to the slopes at different locations up the mountainside.  There are a couple of great restaurants with panoramic views worth trying out at the summits as well as plenty of cosy bars and restaurants offering traditional mountain fare.

Blue runs – 74km

Red runs –  62km

Black runs-  19km

The hours of operation are 08.30 – 4.15 pm and the season ends this year on 7th April. For more information go the website.

Tips:

1. If you can’t decide which resort to choose and you’re definitely going to make a few visits throughout the season then it may cost in to get an annual season card called a “TopCard”, especially if you’re a family, as this pass covers all of the above resorts.  For more information read here.

2. During ski week often the restaurants get very full so try and book and reserve in advance. Same for dinner!

3. The weather often changes very quickly in the mountains so if you’re skiing for a full day it’s often worth taking sunscreen and extra layers just in case!

Whatever you do and wherever you go have a great break!

Photos NewInZurich