Snowtime’s Here Again

In eastern Switzerland, the canton of Graubünden is home to some of the world’s classiest ski resorts including St Moritz and Davos Klosters. Crammed with soaring, snow-covered mountains, it boasts 460 peaks over 3,000m hosting 25 superb ski resorts. Over a long winter season, lasting from November until April, more than 2,200km of piste can be enjoyed by all ability levels of skiers and boarders. 

Quality and choice are threads that run through Graubünden’s winter offering and this is equally true away from the downhill pistes. Take your pick from ice skating, snow golf, winter walking, tobogganing and world-class cross country skiing.

As well as participation, there are also plenty of opportunities for spectator enjoyment, encompassing horse racing on the frozen lakes at St Moritz and Arosa, snowpolo in Klosters and St Moritz, plus the annual ‘The Brits’ snowboarding championships in Laax. Off the snow, Graubünden offers many superb spas in hotels and resorts.

Visitors will be presented with a wide choice of hotels, ranging from the ultra modern to the traditional ‘chocolate box’ style. An example of the former is the award-winning rocksresort in Laax, where seven buildings (representing the rocks) at the base of the Laax ski area house chic apartments and a host of guest facilities.

A fine traditional example is the Hotel Guarda Val above the resort of Lenzerheide. From the outside, the appearance is similar to traditional alpine huts built from wooden beams and stone, but the inside is a total revelation, where simplicity is swapped for luxury in an idyllic mountain retreat. Not nearly so old but nevertheless a Graubünden tradition almost since it opened in 1938, is the Chesa Grischuna in Klosters, which because of its popularity with writers and film celebrities became known as Hollywood on the Rocks.

St Moritz

St Moritz is probably the most famous ski resort in the world, and is arguably the original winter resort. In 1864 Johannes Badrutt, owner of the five star Badrutt’s Palace Hotel, persuaded a group of English summer visitors to come back in the winter; if they didn’t like it, he would refund all of their expenses. They did like it and the rest, as they say, is history. Today, St Moritz is a byword for luxury, and the skiing isn’t bad either. There are 80km of piste at Corviglia, expanded to 185km when including the nearby areas of Diavolezza and Corvatsch, easily reached by an excellent transport system. If you have an aversion to public transport and don’t want to risk a lift queue, there is the option of renting a helicopter to drop you off at the top of the piste.

Davos Klosters

Davos, Switzerland’s biggest ski resort, also hosts the annual World Economic Forum each January. Klosters is famous as the favourite ski resort of Prince Charles and Prince William. This pair of resorts are linked by the Parsenn cable car and visitors can enjoy 300km of piste on a combined lift pass, with a snow range of 1,100m to 2,844m. Although a long established resort, innovation and renewal is constant in Davos. This season’s new hotel openings feature fiftyone, aimed at younger guests and the four-star Grischa in Davos Platz re-opens after a two-year renovation.

Laax

The Laax ski area links three villages – Flims and Falera are the other two – to give 220km of connected piste, more than anywhere else in Graubünden, with a snow range of 1,100-3,018m. Laax has successfully set about building a reputation as a ‘cool’ freestyle destination of great appeal to a younger crowd with an emphasis on snowboarding (and partying). It includes four snow parks and Europe’s largest half pipe, at least 40km of marked, but not groomed, piste as well as a wonderful 14km run from the Vorab glacier back to Flims.

Spa heaven

Really top class ski areas are measured not just by their pistes, but by the quality of spas and ‘Wellness’ facilities. Many Graubünden resorts have top class spas, but perhaps the most intriguing isn’t resort-based at all; the stunning Vals Hot Springs is away from the bright lights, but makes for a perfect day of relaxation and reflection with several indoor pools at various temperatures plus an outdoor pool with a mountain panorama. The complex is housed in a remarkable and beautiful building made from local stone, and has won many architectural awards.

A shorter journey from a resort base, the new Mineral Bath & Spa in Samedan, near St Moritz, opened in December 2009 and is only the second of its kind in Europe. The baths extend over five floors, including the roof top bathing with mountain views.

Elsewhere, guests of the Tschuggen Grand in Arosa can enjoy the famous and impressive Bergoase spa. Over four floors high and carved into the mountain with natural light from the sail-like glass ‘light-trees’, the luxuriously appointed spa is exclusively for guest use during the winter. Another superb ‘in-house’ experience is offered at the Waldhaus Mountain Resort & Spa in Flims, where guests are pampered with saunas, pools and treatments in a spacious spa with mountain views.

For a touch of Middle Eastern exotica under a cloak of Swiss tradition, the Hotel Schweizerhof, Lenzerheide, boasts the biggest hamam in the Alps, where soft light and gentle heat will set you up for another day on the slopes.

Flims Laax Offer

Ski Solutions is offering readers of square mile a unique seven-night trip at the 5* Waldhaus Flims Mountain Resort & Spa in Laax from £1,950pp. The offer includes return flights on SWISS, free airport lounge access at London Heathrow, return two-for-one Swiss Rail transfers and seven nights’ accommodation with daily breakfast.

For further details or to book, please call 020 7471 7749; email skihols@skisolutions.com; skisolutions.com

Competition

Win a ski holiday for two to Laax to the 4* signinahotel including flights with SWISS and lift passes.

To enter and for terms and conditions: graubunden.com/winterholiday

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