Saas-Fee. The snow Paradise.
Located in the Valais, Switzerland.
Saas-Fee is a charming traditional mountain village in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. This car-free village lies on a high plateau 1800 meters above sea level, nestling amongst the icy dome of the Allalinhorn and the rocky group of the Mischabel chain. The ski resort is based at the foot of the Dom, which although not as internationally well known as the Matterhorn, is in fact Switzerland's highest mountain, and one of thirteen 4,000 meter (13,120 feet) plus peaks surrounding the village.
Their typical old Valais wooden houses create the perfect setting for winter holidays, deserving of its name “Pearl of the Alps”.
Consistently ranked as one of the top ecofriendly ski resorts in the world, Saas-Fee is a typical picturesque resort with plenty of alpine charm.
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The foundation for creating a resort conscious of the environment and of quality was laid in 1951, when the community made the decision to keep the village car-free. The absence of cars in Saas-Fee contributes considerably to the relaxed holiday atmosphere and romantic character of the village where there is no stress from traffic.
Saas-Fee offers 21 lifts, including 3 cable cars, 1 funicular railway (Metro Alpin), 5 gondolas (1 dedicated to walkers), 2 chairlifts, and 11 draglifts. The ski area has a vertical drop of 1,800 m and 100 km of ski runs.
Saas-Fee offers ideal summer skiing and snowboarding conditions. Up on the glaciers there are 20 km of slopes to suit all levels. The Allalin Glacier is accessed via the underground funicular and is open from mid-July to late October. The glacier is particularly popular with freestylers and race teams. Swiss and international ski teams come here for their summer training sessions every year.
The snowpark has a half-pipe, kickers, rails, boxes and transitions in all shapes and sizes to suit all skill levels.
Last year the results of a questionnaire for "Best ski resort" with over 40‘000 guests were presented. Saas-Fee / Saastal was voted best Swiss ski Resort. Internationally it was even voted to second rank out of 55 top ski destinations in Austria, Germany, Italy, France and Switzerland. In terms of snow reliability, slope preparation and coziness, Saas-Fee/Saastal hit top status. Together with Aletsch Arena and Zermatt, 3 of the first 5 ranks are taken by valaisian destinations.
The independent guest satisfaction study "Best Ski Resort" is counted as one of the biggest and most significant studies in the alpine area and has questioned more than 41’000 winter sport guests. The guests appreciated the high snow reliability, great slope preparation and the cosy feeling of Saas-Fee / Saastal. The top placement in these three categories led to the gold medal in Switzerland. Internationally, the winter sports guests voted Saas-Fee / Saastal onto second place out of 55 ski resorts in the European alps.
"About 70% of all ski slopes in Saas-Fee are guaranteed for snow", says Rainer Flaig, CEO of the Saas-Fee cableways. The top rank in snow security is due to the unique glacier area and the unmatched height of the area, which is offering fun in the snow up to a height of 3’600 meters altitude. Above this, Saas-Fee cableways invested strongly into the artificial snow production over the last years.
