From Venice to Athens, Europe’s most popular destinations are buckling under the weight of unsustainable tourist numbers.
11.12.2023 - 11:09 / theguardian.com
I’m a budget-conscious skier, so Switzerland is rarely on my radar. Sure, resorts such as St Moritz, Zermatt and Verbier are world-class, but I’ve always assumed they have sky-high prices to match. My last ski trip was to wallet-friendly Andorra. A quick check of the Post Office’s annual ski resort report confirmed my suspicions: Switzerland is consistently the priciest destination in Europe, while Bulgaria, Italy, Austria and Andorra offer more affordable skiing.
But then I heard about Interlaken. This lakeside town, better known as a summer destination, is the gateway to the Jungfrau ski region. It is a much cheaper place to stay than the region’s ski resorts, Wengen and Grindelwald. And, since December 2020, it has got a lot easier to reach the slopes from Interlaken. A short train ride from Interlaken Ost station connects with the shiny new Grindelwald Terminal building (where skiers can rent and store equipment). From here, it is just 15 minutes to the pistes on the new state-of-the art Eiger Express cable car – 47 minutes faster than before.
Grindelwald-Wengen has 160km of pistes and an altitude of up to 2,500 metres, plus an awe-inspiring backdrop of three mountains: the Maiden (Jungfrau), the Monk (Mönch) and the Ogre (Eiger). After a morning warming up on some blue and red runs, we decided to tackle its best-known black, the legendary Lauberhorn. This is a World Cup downhill course and, at nearly 5km, it is the longest on the circuit.
Races have been held here since 1930, attracting crowds of up to 30,000. The course record is 2min 24sec, and the top speed ever reached is 161.9km/h (100mph). Gulp.
After the annual race weekend in January, the Lauberhorn is open to the public. Skiers can have their photos taken at the starting hut and measure themselves against the pros at the speed check. Suffice to say, I won’t be breaking the record anytime soon. While I managed to stay on my feet all the way down, it took me at least 10 times longer than the racers to descend. At least I had time to enjoy the view …
Speaking of views, the other must-do in the Jungfrau is taking a trip to the highest railway station in Europe, at 3,454m. Jungfraujoch is reached by the Jungfrau line, which tunnels through the Mönch and the Eiger. This incredible feat of engineering opened more than a century ago, in 1912; and getting to it is now much quicker thanks to the Eiger Express, which connects with it. At the top, there are three restaurants, an Ice Palace and panoramic vistas from the Sphinx and Plateau viewing platforms. Or there are on clear days; all we could see was a snowstorm.
Other non-skiing activities include hiking – there is more than 100km of winter walking trails – and sledging. The 20-plus toboggan
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Perched majestically above the picturesque village of Zermatt, Switzerland, Chalet Zermatt Peak is an opulent mountain ski chalet which boasts breathtaking vistas of the iconic Matterhorn, a skier’s paradise. The chalet has recently been named the “World's Best Ski Chalet 2023” for the fourth year running by the World’s Ski Awards 2023.
As options for the traditional chalet ski break have dwindled and prices risen, venturing to Europe’s far corners and beyond for a ski break can reap rewards. Costs are often lower, while luxury accommodation can be similarly priced to budget options in mainstream European ski resorts. As well as being potentially cheaper, skiing in territory off the beaten track can offer a rich cultural experience, plus better flight routes, less crowded slopes, sunnier days and a friendlier welcome.