Posts Tagged ‘zermatt’
Ski + City Breaks in Europe
Make the most of your holiday time with our definitive guide to the best European cities for a short break – before or after a stay in the mountains.
Whether you want to take advantage of cheaper weekday flights, or you just fancy a bit of culture and shopping to enhance your ski holiday, Ski Independence can easily add on a night or two in a city destination.
Here are 7 great cities that work well combined with a ski holiday – with some recommendations of where to stay and what to see while you’re there.
1. Verona – The City of Love
Top Picks for Skiers and Non-Skiers Alike
It goes without saying that here at Ski Independence we are incredibly passionate about winter sports. However, we understand that a trip to the mountains is about so much more than just skiing or snowboarding. A number of our regular clients don’t clip into skis at all and instead prefer to relax, breathe in the clean air and simply experience being in one of our featured resorts for the pure joy of the mountains. With this in mind we’ve selected our favourite properties that will work well for skiers and non-skiers alike – ideal if your other half doesn’t quite share your love for skiing!
Hotel Mont Blanc, Chamonix
Chamonix offers so much more than just skiing. It’s a fantastic town to visit with an excellent choice of restaurants, bars and visitor attractions as well as spectacular mountain views. The town itself is charming and historic and it’s perfectly pleasant simply strolling through the streets.
Read the rest of this entry »Why You Should Visit Zermatt This Winter
The Swiss ski resort of Zermatt has always been on my bucket list and my recent trip there was a long time coming. Originally scheduled for late March 2020, two years later I finally boarded the plane to Geneva…
Zermatt is a place I’d heard amazing things about before visiting, but could it really be as good as people make it out to be? The answer to that is a resounding yes! Stunning views of the Matterhorn, a huge ski area with endless runs, amazing hospitality and a warm welcome awaits.
Here are 6 reasons why Zermatt is well worth a visit this winter.
Read the rest of this entry »10 Ski Bucket List Experiences in Europe
The last couple of years have taught us just how important travel is for the soul. We all need a break from the everyday. The delight in being somewhere new, admiring spectacular scenery, sampling new food and exploring different terrain on your skis shouldn’t be underestimated.
With this is mind, we’ve put together a bucket list of top ski experiences in our European programme.
1. Marvel at the Mighty Matterhorn (Zermatt, Switzerland)
You’ve seen photos of this iconic mountain but have you seen it in the flesh? It really is as spectacular as it looks. Zermatt is a picture perfect resort and works well for skiers and non-skiers alike. The best views are from the top of the Gornergrat mountain railway at 3100m.
Read the rest of this entry »New in Zermatt for 2018/19 Ski Holidays
Zermatt offers snow-sure, unique skiing in the shadow of the famous Matterhorn. Surrounded by mighty summits, on offer is over 350km of pistes, with easy connections between Zermatt and the neighbouring Italian resort of Cervinia. As well as awesome skiing, the car-free village of Zermatt has a lively après-ski scene with plenty of restaurants serving everything from traditional Swiss cuisine to Italian pizza and several bars to enjoy live sports or dance until the early hours. Add in a handful of four and five-star luxury hotels, and Zermatt has all the ingredients for a great getaway.
So what’s new in Zermatt in 2018/19? While the resort offers the same quality experience year after year, we’ve put together a list of some of the exciting new additions for the upcoming season.
© Pascal Gertschen
Lifts & Access
The world’s highest 3S (three cable) Cableway, the Matterhorn Glacier Ride, will start operating in Zermatt in December and will transport passengers from Zermatt up to the Matterhorn glacier paradise. Enjoy the glorious panoramic views of the surrounding mountain range as you travel in luxury cable cars – a handful of which have been encrusted with Swarovski crystals and even feature a floor that becomes translucent three minutes into the journey!
The Matterhorn Glacier Ride (copyright Zermatt Bergbahnen)
Skiing in September…in Switzerland!
European Product Manager, Claire, has just returned from Switzerland with all the latest news and tales of skiing in Saas Fee!
Top 5 Mountain Restaurants – Europe
Most snowsports enthusiasts will agree that there is rarely a sight as beautiful as blue skies over the Alps. Dramatic snowy peaks drenched in bright, warm sunshine – these are the days when you ski hard in the morning and take a late lunch on a panoramic terrace and relax well into the afternoon. Here are Ski Independence top 5 mountain restaurants for a self-indulgent late lunch this spring.
Chez Vrony, Zermatt
Few mountain restaurants can boast the reputation or rich history of Chez Vrony. From its humble beginnings as a spartan farmhouse, to its current position as #1 restaurant in Zermatt on Tripadvisor – one trip to Chez Vrony will have you reminiscing for quite some time, especially if you visit under clear blue skies.
Chez Vrony, Zermatt
Snow Update 14 January 2014
With reports of vast amounts of snow in Canada, the USA and Europe, we wanted to share the good news with you! Here’s a short snow update for some of our featured ski resorts in the USA, Canada, France and Switzerland. Read the rest of this entry »
Brand New Swiss Alps Ski Train
No longer are the French resorts the only place in the Alps easily accessible by train.
If in the past you’ve been put off travelling to the Swiss Alps by train due to the horrible prospect of lugging your skis across Paris to change trains, then things are about to change. A new Swiss train service has been introduced, The Swiss Alps Ski Train, which leaves London St Pancras (with a stop in Ashford) every Saturday during the winter season. After a short and easy change in Lille you are on your way to some of the best ski resorts in the world.
Arrive in Switzerland in style and comfort
Laugh, Ski and Dance
Snowy mountains, fresh air, blue skies, an A-list line up of comedians and an exhilarating week long party with some of the world’s best known bands and DJ’s…it looks like Mayrhofen is the place to be this spring. Kick starting the party and being dubbed the ‘funniest week in the Alps ever’ is the Altitude Comedy Festival, followed 10 days later by the well known music festival Snowbombing.
Set in the beautiful Zillertal Valley, Mayrhofen has the reputation as one of the best ski resorts in Austria. Located just over an hour from Innsbruck, the resort offers a vast 638km of ski runs. Renowned for its lively après ski scene every March and April the boundaries are pushed, resulting in 2 of the best mountain parties on the European ski calendar. Read the rest of this entry »
