A Weekend in the Val d’Anniviers Ski Resorts

If you like small ski resorts with breathtaking views then the winter destination of Val d’Anniviers with the domains St.Luc and Grimentz-Zinal is your place to go. Why? All of the Val d’Anniviers ski resorts are small and offer incredible views over the 4000 metre peaks of Valais.

Where is Val d’Anniviers?

The Val d’Anniviers is a Swiss alpine valley, situated in the Canton of Valais.

From Sierre (Valais Central) the winding road leads you deep into the valley. Approximately half way along the valley in Vissoie lies a three way junction. The left turning will take you to St.Luc, straight ahead to Zinal, and to the right up to Grimentz.

On the opposite side of the entrance to this valley lies Vercorin.

These four Valais villages are winter ski resorts with a charm and uniqueness hard to find elsewhere.

Click on the Val d’Anniviers map below to get a better look and see what is open.

What you need to know before visiting Val d’Anniviers ski resorts

Apart from Grimetz-Zinal, the ski resorts are NOT interlinked. Therefore we highly recommend to spend 2 days in the area to get the most out of your visit.

Due to the size of the whole Val d’Anniviers the resorts are quite spread out with Vercorin being the furthest away from the other two.

See the Val d’Anniviers Ski Map above to get a better understanding of the area.

Note: if you do not have the time to ski all three resorts you can purchase a day ticket just for your chosen resort whether it is St-Luc-Chandolin, Vercorin or Grimentz-Zinal.

Skiing in St-Luc-Chandolin

Let’s start with the biggest domain of the Val d’Anniviers Ski Resorts. St. Luc and Chandolin offer 60km of groomed pistes mainly easy but the experienced skier will still find some epic black runs.

Over the ski domain you will find 15 lift installations including the funicular at St-Luc which starts at 1650m altitude. The highest draglift will take you all the way to Bella-Tola at an altitude of 3000m.

Splendid views await and the Matterhorn looks like it is within reach. A Swiss mountain panorama that will take your breath away.

Ski touring St.Luc – Bella Tola

From the top at Bella-Tola we saw many ski tourers heading off into the amazing high alpine world. I cannot give you any tips and route itineraries, but if you are a confident ski tourer you will be in for a treat! Check out the different routes on their website.

Family area at St-Luc ski domain

If you access the domain from St.Luc you will arrive at Tignousa. A large self-service and a la carte restaurant with an uninterrupted panorama across Val d’Anniviers invites you to stop for lunch. To the joy of the kids there is a super cool large playground also.

The playground is in the theme of the planets as this is also the start of the amazing family friendly Planet Hike during the non-winter months.

Right next to the playground is a drag lift that brings you to the fun run! I lost count on how many times we did this run, but as its name says, it is a fun run!

Freestyle and Kickers in Chandolin

At the very end in Chandolin by the drag lift Illhorn we found a surprise area on the left with many kickers. I don’t know if this is done by the resort or just by a group of people that love to hang out there and practice their jumps.

There is also a bar, music and chairs, and it seems like a cool place to hang out.

Where to eat when skiing at St.Luc – Chandolin?

All over the domain you will find small cabanes one cuter then the other serving lunch, snacks and drinks.

Check out the St-Luc piste map (above) where they are all indicated with a hut.

The largest one is at the Tignousa area right by the funicular. Here you will find a self-service and a la carte restaurant. The terrace is large and as you guessed it, offers a stunning view over Val d’Anniviers.

Parking when skiing at St-Luc-Chandolin

There are a number of parking areas around the village. Some are a short walk from the funicular, others further away. However they are all serviced by a free shuttle bus. For more information and timings click here.

You will see in the photo below the bus route and the different parking places.

Skiing in Grimentz – Zinal in Val d’Anniviers

With the newly renovated connection between Zinal and Grimentz it is easy to ski the whole domain comfortably.

The ski resort Grimentz-Zinal is pretty snow-sure due to its high altitude that reaches from 1,670 m to 2,895.

Over 21 lifts and more than 115 kilometres of slopes in a stunning high mountain scenery make it just fantastic to spend the day with the family.

Beginners and Family Ski Area

Whether you stay in Zinal or you are venturing over to Grimentz, both have a beginners and family areas to try the first turns. In Grimentz this would be the Bendolla Area and in Zinal you will find it all in the Sorebois area.

We made our way over to Grimentz first and finished the day in Zinal. Either way you will have a great ski day in Valais.

Freeriders and Ski Touring in Grimentz

 In the top left of the map above you will see a whole area dedicated to freeriders called the Gardes de Bordon. This is also an “Avalanche Training Center” – the first of its kind in Switzerland.

Both sides, Grimentz or Zinal are a popular destination for off-piste lovers. The area is massive and the choices of which run to choose is endless. A great place to be when the conditions are great!

Snow Parks at Grimentz-Zinal

Grimentz has a slightly larger park then Zinal, although part of it was closed during our visit. What was amazing and super fun was the Cross Ski Course! Take the Tsarva Charilift and go to your right to find the start.

Note: It is super-fast!

The Zinal snow park is small but ok to do a few jumps before ending your epic ski day. You will find the park along the Chiesso chairlift.

Eating on the Mountain in Grimentz-Zinal

Pick the place that you like the most! Like in all the other Val d’Anniviers ski resorts, you will find plenty of opportunity to fill your hungry bellies. And all come with a breathtaking view and plenty of sun.

Best Viewpoint – Corne de Sorebois

Do not miss to head up to the highest point in the Zinal area, the Corne de Sorebois. The views down to Lac de Moiry, the Moiry Glacier and beyond is phenomenal.

Skiing in Vercorin

The last Val D’Anniviers ski resort is Vercorin, but we have not made it over there.

However I have heard from many families with small children it is very adapted for beginners.

The great thing about Vercorin is that you can access it from the Rhone Valley in Chalais which will save you a lot of time as you do not need to drive the long and windy road into Val D’Anniviers

Special Events in Val d’Anniviers

If you time your winter visit right to Val d’Anniviers, you can join these great events in Grimentz – Zinal.

• Gourmet dinner in the Zinal cable car.
• Watch the sunrise at the Corne de Sorebois, Zinal (access with skis).

Gourmet dinner in the Zinal cable car

You may have heard and seen that in certain Swiss ski resorts you can take a seat inside a cable car and enjoy an evening dinner with family or friends whilst you ride up and down the mountain.

Often a fondue is served during these events, but Grimentz – Zinal go one step further and serves a delicious three-course gourmet meal including wine, water and coffee. You can even order a digestif.

How does a dinner evening in the cable car work?

You may wonder how on earth can a three-course dinner be served in a running cable car? Well, your question is justified.

On arrival you will be allocated a private cable car where the table is already set, the lights are installed and warm blankets are provided to make a cosy place to spend the next two hours. Yes, this is the length of the whole event.

Immediately after you have entered the cable car and taken a seat, the starter will be served. Before you realise it the doors are closed and you are riding up the mountain in the Zinal-Sorebois-Espace Weisshorn cable car.

The speed is reduced which gives you enough time to do a full circle whilst enjoying your starter, sip on some quality Valais white wine and of course not to forget marvel at the 360 degrees view.

Before arriving again at the bottom station, stack your plates together and place them at the end of the table by the door.

The friendly staff from the Grimentz – Zinal télépherique are already waiting and as soon as the door opens again you will be served a warm and very delicious main course.  And then off you go again for round two.

And you have probably guessed it, the dessert is served exactly in the same way as the main. If you do love a digestif make sure to hand the serving staff your order at the same time he/she serves you the main course.

During our visit we had the following absolutely delicious courses served

• • Entrée : Carpaccio de viande séchée –
  • Plat : Filet mignon sauce aux champignons et sa garniture
  • Dessert : Trilogie de choux aux saveurs Valaisannes

How to prepare for a dinner inside the cable car?

There is only one very important thing – dress warm! You need to dress like you go skiing plus add another base layer. Remember you are sitting down for pretty much two hours and it is cold during a winter evening. This is not the place to dress up in your gala evening dinner dress. Make sure you also have warm shoes.

We just got a bit cold at the end, but other than that it was a very special and fun experience to share as a family. The time flew and it was absolutely no problem with the kids.

Can you go to the toilet during the cable car dinner?

This was definitely the first question we had when we signed up for the dinner. And I guess it is a fair one.

The great thing on the Zinal-Sorebois-Espace Weisshorn cable car route is that it has a middle station. So, if really you need to go out and to the toilet, make sure you memorise your cable car number.

You do not have all the time in the world, but enough to go to the toilet and catch your cabin on the way down again.

Sunrise at the Corne de Sorebois from Zinal (access with skis)

Every sunrise is special but on top of a mountain with breathtaking views over the Swiss Alps is even better.

Zinal was still asleep so it felt really eerie when I made my way at 06.15 to the telecabine in Zinal. The ride in the cable car was pretty and slowly the day started to wake up.

Once at the end of the cable car we needed to ski down to the chairlift which brought us up to the Corne de Sorbois to witness the sunrise.

The best views are definitely from the cross so make your way up there. It takes less than 10 minutes to climb but it is worth the effort.

Now the wait…

It felt so peaceful and seeing how the colours changed from the blue-hours to the warm sunrise colours and then finally the sun peaked over the mountain peaks was just so special.

During the whole event a piste controller was with us, and made sure everybody came safely back down the mountain again.

The ski down to the restaurant where your breakfast awaits was special. Nobody is yet on the mountain and the fresh snow we had made it magical.

Check with the Grimetz – Zinal Lift Company for the next dates and how to register.

Staying in Zinal at the SwissPeak Resorts

If your plan is to discover all the ski resorts within Val d’Anniviers then I definitely recommend to stay for at least one night, better would be two. There are many accommodation options within the Val d’Anniviers.

To find your perfect one browse the map below.

And our favourite place is the SwissPeak Resort in the charming mountain village Zinal, where the mountain road ends.

Not only do you have straight access to the Grimentz-Zinal ski runs, but also to the 19km of cross-country ski routes that start at the end of the village.

If you have some more time or maybe even non skiers in your group Zinal offers some easy but very beautiful winter walking trails with views of the towering peaks of the surrounding Grande Couronne Mountain range, dominated by the Zinalrothorn.

The SwissPeak Resorts are self-catered apartments but with the choice of dining in the resort restaurant.

Le Bistro offers a small menu in a cosy environment where as the restaurant La Ferme de Zinal presents a larger choice on its’ menu card.

This would also be the place to go if you would like to have breakfast served.

Swisspeak Resorts facilities

Facilities include a gaming room, climbing wall, kids play area and an outdoor playground.

Furthermore, SwissPeak Resorts can supply pretty much all baby/child equipment you may need to have a stress free and comfortable stay. If you book an apartment, you may already want to contact them with your requirements.

Right next to the resort a little hill for beginners with a covered magic carpet. Whether you use it to teach your little ones their first skiing experience or for some sledging fun, the place is great.

For more information on prices and availabilities check out their website.

You may also like The SwissPeak Resorts in Meiringen and Vercorin!

Parking at the SwissPeak Resorts

You can leave your car at the resort but it is payable, an outside place is 10.- for the day, a garage place will cost you more.

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• 39 Travel & Inspirational quotes (On photos from Switzerland )

I hope that the information provided here will prove itself useful when planning to discover the Val d’ Anniviers Ski resorts in Valais.

If I have left anything out or you have a question, please ask your questions in the comments below so that other readers can join in the conversation and benefit from your queries also.

Note: This was a collaboration with Val d’Anniviers and SWISSPEAK Resorts. And as always with these great partnerships, the purpose is for us to test it out and report back to you. With an honest review which we always do.

Thank you & Never Forget to Explore

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