Skiing/Snowboarding and Other Activities in Switzerland & Austria – January 10th, 2004

March 25, 2007 Todd Elliot

Looking for an adventure to a Ski Resort out of the Country, try a vacation to the Swiss/Austrian Alps!

My first stop on this ski/activity journey was Davos. Located in the Graubunden region in Eastern Switzerland, Davos is the highest Alpine resort in Europe and has a great variety of places to ski/snow board on six different mountains. The most popular ones are the Parsenn (located near the downtown area), Gotschna (adjacent and ski able from Parsenn), Jacob’s Horn (approximately 15 minutes from downtown on the local bus). The system is very simple, once you there buses run quite frequently to all the mountains and back & forth through the approximately 12 miles of town of shops, restaurants, hotels, pubs, bars and discos.

Davos’ main clientele are families with children and teenagers to early 20’s, who are coming to snowboard. There are about 70 hotels in Davos, but if you plan to come in the high seasons (late December thru mid January), I suggest you make your reservations early especially over New Year’s Eve and early January. I stayed at the Hotel Rinaldi, perfectly located to the bus stop or walking distance through downtown. Hotel Rinaldi offers extreme hospitality and friendliness; convenient information and a big ski room; excellent food and service. Half-board packages include breakfast and delicious dinners from their fine kitchen. Price fluctuates between $75.00 – $125.00, depending on the time of year and exchange rate per night/half-board. For more information and booking on this (3) star hotel, go to www.hotel-rinaldi.ch.

The nightlife is filled with quite a few restaurants and pubs you’ll just wander upon, if you walk down Long Street. The Afterhours is a popular pizza/snack place that also offers video rentals and Internet service. It’s located in the middle of town and open 24 hours. A public indoor swimming pool is available for about $5.00 – $8.00 as well. The facility has a solarium for tanning, shower and changing rooms and believe this a co-ed nude sauna. The best discos are the Cabana Club and the Cava Ditavos both located in the Hotel Europe. The snow boarding/skiing is worth the long trip from the U.S.A. The main areas mentioned earlier have high-speed chair lifts and gondolas and the longest wide-open runs I’ve ever experienced. Parsenn and Gotschna are connected and offer beginner to high intermediate terrain. There are few trees in this area. Jacob’s Horn is a bit more challenging and recommended for the high intermediate to advanced skier or boarder. Reinhorn Mountain is a bit further out of town (approx. 25 minutes).

During Friday nights in January and February the restaurant at the top of the gondola @ Reinhorn Mountain puts together intimate candlelight dinners featuring meat and cheese fondues. I suggest the Swiss cheese fondue, in lieu of the meat fondue or a Swiss specialty called Rochelette, melted tasty Swiss cheese served with potatoes, onions and pickles. Beers and wines are available, but once again make your reservations early! If you are adventurous, try sledding down after dinner, as it’s the only mountain sledding offered. You can only sled @ night on these Friday evenings. I mentioned adventures because after your full meal with alcohol you can sled down a run but parts are very difficult to see, even though they have some lights. Besides that, they’re a bit steep and fast add to the fact is that the only way to stop is with your feet. Thus, you’ll have a semi dangerous yet thrilling time. The two other mountains are called Pischa and Madrisa that are designed more for families and beginners. There are many T-Bar Lifts, so be prepared if you decide to visit. For more information, please visit www.davos.ch.

Next stop was a 90-minute train ride to glamorous St. Moritz – – Home of the Alpine World Ski Championships in 2003. This quaint town features a prestigious downtown strip of shops, similar to Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. The rich of the richest come here to spoil themselves at one of the (5) star hotels or numerous (4) star hotels. There are (5) five star hotels in this town…more than any other city in the world.They also host many great winter events such as, Ski Jumping Competitions, the Swiss Bobsleigh Competitions on the worlds only 100% ice bobsled track, Curling On Ice Cup, Polo On Snow, The Gourmet Food Festival-February 2nd thru 7th (this includes ten of the star chefs from around the world), Horse Racing, Cresta Run (aka the Skeleton, where one lies on stomach on special sleigh and speeds down the track). Bobsleigh and Skeleton are Olympic Events. Cross Country Skiing and Marathons and the 7th Annual Music and Symphony Festival, March 26th thru April 4th. This features approximately (20) concerts with world famous orchestras and many classical musicians from all over the world.

St. Moritz is located in the southern part of the Swiss Alps in which it is 1800 meters above sea level. The sun shines over 320 days a year. It has fabulous skiing with extra ordinary huge terrains, long runs and beautiful landscaping which makes St. Moritz a must visit!! There are also a great deal of summer activities such as hiking, mountain biking, fishing and more. My favorite mountain in Switzerland is called Corviglia. It has three gondolas, a railway that takes you to the top of the Alps and almost all the other lifts/high speed chairs. An incredible mountain with the most sun and located in St. Moritz makes this place a must visit for skiers. There are not too many snow boarders here, unlike Davos, as the ritzier high-class clientele and pricier accommodations/food make this town as luxurious as it is. Most of the runs are not too difficult here and it is a great place to learn, practice, speed and cruise around. If you are looking for a more challenging mountain, Corvatch/Furtschellas is the place for you. Steeper and more difficult terrain can be found here. The flip side is the weather is not usually as good or warm as the sun is more often blocked here. This is only about 10 –15 minutes outside of St. Moritz. Lastly, about 30 minutes outside of St. Moritz lies Diavolezza Bernina and La Galb mountains. Each has one big gondola and pretty straightforward long runs back to the gondola. The beautiful scenery is a bit too far to go when you have better mountains.

As far as accommodations are concerned, I would recommend two places depending on your budget. Yes there are many other places to choose from but if you want convenience, comfort and the best service and an establishment in the area…look no further than the Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bain located across the street from a main gondola @ Corviglia. Rates are between $200.00 – $2000.00 depending on the time of year, exchange rate and what type of room or suite chosen. Impeccable service starts as you enter with the doorman escorting you inside. The helpful staff and concierge can help you with restaurants reservations, activities, transportation with their private vans and awesome spa appointments ranging from different types of massages to manicures, haircuts and coloring. The two essential treatments I recommend are the specialized individual Jacuzzi bath with oils added to the water. If that is not enough, included are lit candles, great ambiance, music, a fantastic light system that changes colors and a personal masseuse to alleviate all your stresses.

From there, I went to the next room for a relaxing crème body-wrap. While you sink into this warm waterbed for 20 minutes, there is a state-of-the-art fitness center adjacent with new air-pressurized machines and free weights for a workout before you wind down. For reservations or more information go to www.kempinski-st.moritz.com.

If you are on a budget and want to visit St. Moritz, don’t worry…the Jugendherberge Youth Hostel (though there is no age limit) is a complete steal. For $30.00 – $40.00 a night, depending on the exchange rate, you get breakfast and a nice dinner with plenty of amenities in this clean environment. There are (4) beds to a room but what a great way to meet many different international people in this cozy atmosphere. The incredibly friendly and helpful staff makes this seem more like a (3) star place. Located about 200 meters up the street from a bus stop, I have never been more satisfied staying at any other hostel ever before. For more information, go to www.youthhostel.ch/st.moritz or email [email protected]. Mostly Germans, Italians and Russians visit St. Moritz. For all other inquiries, please visit www.st.moritz.ch or www.myswitzerland.com.

Next stop was St. Anton, Austria via the easy train connections. (www.eurorail.com) This quaint and lively town features a widely diverse ski resort for all levels. Most runs are definitely more challenging than Switzerland with a beautiful assortment of terrains and scenery. St. Anton is in the Arlberg Region, which was recognized as the best skiing region in the world by Ski Resort-Service International. The huge area encompasses (5) different locations (St. Anton, St. Christopher, Stuber, Zurs, Lech). Some of the places you can ski to and some you can take a short bus ride. St. Anton and St. Christopher are 1300 meters above sea level, making this resort a popular ski heaven and town for visitors around the world. A new 13 million euro-cable car has been installed for a faster six-person lift. Most people speak English and getting around is very easy. The town is about 100 yards long with hotels, restaurants, Internet cafés, bars and discos. People wander from place to place at night and the evenings go very late. The core of people I met, besides Austrians, were Germans and Scandinavians. There is one restaurant in town that I recommend called “Fiu”. It is located in the middle of town specializing in some of the best Sushi & Wokked items around. The owner, Stephen, has made this elegant nightspot very popular for dinner or drinks. The atmosphere is quite upscale and modern. The food is fresh and everyone is very friendly. Make sure to enjoy a meal there while in town.

Après Skiing is very popular on the mountain where many skiers and snowboarders go to drink and dance after a great day of skiing. Après Skiing goes from about 4:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. and this is a raging, crowded party. From there everyone skis down where it is pretty dark. Then to change and eat dinner before the nightlife starts up again. For a different and more relaxed experience after skiing, visit the Wellness Fitness Center, walking distance from town. Enjoy the indoor/outdoor swimming pools and Jacuzzi before plunging into the co-ed steam room and/or sauna. Make sure to find out where the specialized ‘Pour Opening Honey Sauna’ takes place. This included is worth the visit! This town gets cranking about 11:00 p.m. and goes late. Unfortunately, I got some bad weather while I was there but by the looks of this resort, I can see why it is a top ski destination for many. More information at www.stantonamarlberg.com

I then took a 90-minute train to Innsbruck, home of the ’64 and ’76 Olympics. This is a big city with mountains surrounding it. You really need a car in this town. Since I didn’t know that, I had to take the bus rides to wherever I traveled to. I tried one day skiing at Axamer Lizum, where again I encountered lousy weather. This looks like a great place for a day trip.

There is an area with shops and restaurants that is beautiful to see besides the Olympic Ski Jump area. Have a great visit and enjoy lunch @ the Olympic Ski Village, overlooking the entire city. This area has been newly renovated for upcoming competitions and the hopes for an unprecedented 3rd winter Olympics in the future. You can also adventure a bobsleigh ride open to the public for 30 Euros on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s. Or you can plan a private tour with a group. The thrilling ride lasts just under one minute but you won’t forget it as you are flying. One mountain not to be missed (but only on a sunny day or you’ll freeze) is Stubaier Gletscher. It gets very cold there but is very beautiful as you can see many mountains, in other countries, on a clear day. I had one of my best ski days there with great snow and sun. More info and activities at www.innsbruck-tourism.com

My last stop on this ski resort journey was Kitzbuehel, known best for the famous Hahnenkamm downhill run and race in which top skiers from around the world compete every January around the 3rd week. While I was there, they were setting up the whole seating area and start platforms by bringing the equipment in via helicopters. I was unlucky again to get mostly rain, which made the snow very heavy. The town is quite nice and chic with many boutiques, shopping, restaurants and pubs. There are a variety of cross-country terrains. Other activities include après-ski places, a cool aqua arena to swim & sauna and a casino for some gambling. There are a few pubs and discos in town during the evening hours. You can walk around the quaint village and check out all the shops, restaurants, pubs, and stores. The Londoner is the most popular Pub in town. Please visit www.kitzbuehel.com for more stuff.

I must thank all the wonderful and helpful PR/Tourist Information people that I met or talked to during my trip. Most big cities have tourism boards and/or consulates for the particular country you are visiting…which I suggest contacting for questions/information. When you get to the city, town, destination of choice, visit the Tourist Information Center. They will politely help you enjoy your stay. I had quite an adventure with changing weather and multiple travel spots. I recommend going to no more than 2-3 places on your next ski/activity trip to Europe. You can always go again in the future to visit what you missed but moving around too much is too difficult with all your luggage unless you have a car. Be sure to ask detailed questions for directions or information. Do not take anything for granted as it became apparent to me that the organization of everything(directions, ski runs, lifts, streets) were not nearly as specific as the USA. I had some great information but still got lost quite a bit. Overall, the experience is worthwhile and truly exciting for Skiers/Snowboarders all over the World to visit.