Saas Fee Information

Apres-ski

The lower slopes lead down to Assembly Square, which has a line of lively après-ski bars, including Snowpoint (tel: +41 279 586 464) the outdoor Black Bull Snowbar. There are about 20 of these outdoor spots in Saas-Fee, which start serving in the afternoon and stay open until 1900.

Later on, The Popcorn Bar (tel: +41 279 585 000; www.popcorn.ch) gets lively and attracts the snowboard crowd, while the Dom Hotel bar (tel: +41 279 587 700) is the place to go for live music. Party-goers should head to Poison (tel: +41 279 575 051) which opens at 2200 and continues, cryptically, 'to the end'.

Eating out

Saas-Fee offers a lot of dining choice. Unsurprisingly, the majority of the restaurants are traditional Swiss Alpine establishments, but there are various Italian restaurants too. One of the most popular is Don Ciccio Ristorante-Pizzeria (tel: +41 279 574 020; www.donciccio-saasfee.ch). Meanwhile, Cäsar Ritz (tel: +41 279 581 900; www.ferienart.ch) serves a six-course dinner each night and organises cheese buffets with 50 different varieties.

For the full Saas-Fee alpine experience, try Alphitta (tel: +41 279 571 050; www.alpendoerfli.ch), which serves up mountain favourites like rosti, fondue and raclette in a two-storey barn-like building filled with local antiques.

Dü Saas-Fee (tel: +41 793 564 092; www.due-saasfee.ch) has become another resort institution, famed for its superb variations on traditional Swiss and international cuisine, particularly fondue, and for its friendly but attentive service.

Resort Information

Beyond the slopes

Aqua Allalin (tel: +41 279 585 050; www.aqua-allalin.ch) is a great place to unwind. It has an indoor pool, Finnish sauna, bio-soft sauna, herbal steam bath, whirlpool, footbath, navel stone, hydromassage showers, relaxation room and phone-free area.

Other indoor facilities include the Saaser Museum (tel: +41 279 571 475) with its exhibits of traditional clothing and artefacts. Alternatively, you can spend time in Micro-Bowl (tel: +41 279 571 052), the small bowling alley, on a rainy day.

Among the outdoor activities are the usual ski resort offerings of ice climbing, canyoning, snowshoeing, a natural ice rink, toboggan run and cleared winter walking routes.

More unique to Saas-Fee is the Ice Pavilion at the top of the Metro-Alpin funicular, which houses a glacier exhibition. There's also a cinema within a swimming pool at the Wellness & Spa Primin Zurbriggen (tel: +41 279 572 301; www.wellnesshotel-zurbriggen.ch).

Family fun

Saas-Fee's car-free status and excellent children's facilities make it a first-class ski resort for families.

Gästekindergarten Murmeli offers nursery care for babies aged 18 months to six-years-old. The Swiss Ski School (tel: +41 279 572 348; www.skischule-saas-fee.ch) has special classes for children aged from three, while other ski schools offer group and private lessons for kids.

Child lift ticket prices are also amongst the most generous anywhere, with children skiing free until age nine and then paying a discounted teen rate up to 16.

The resort also organises 'Kidsweek' at Saas-Grund, a week-long initiative in which lessons, equipment hire and ski passes are free for children. Away from skiing, little ones will love sleigh rides and tubing.

Retail therapy

There are roughly 60 shops in Sass-Fee, including plenty of interesting boutiques, most of which are independently owned. Along with a dozen ski shops, there's an eclectic mix covering most requirements and some good souvenir retailers. Among them, Woodpecker (tel: +43 279 573 401) sells original carved wooden items.

Splashing out

Take a gondola up to the Hannig restaurant (tel: +43 279 571 419; www.hannig-saas-fee.ch) in the evening and enjoy a traditional dinner while looking down on the sparkling lights of Saas-Fee. Then ride the 5.5km-long (3 miles) toboggan run back down.

Hotels

Most of the accommodation in Saas-Fee is found in hotels rather than chalets. In total, there are more than 50 hotels on offer, ranging from luxury to budget options. There are also apartments for rent, though most of these are some distance from the slopes.

Luxury

Moderate

Cheap