A ski holiday on the Swiss Riviera, with deserted slopes and a long snow season
Enjoy the precision and serenity of German-speaking Switzerland for a unique Swiss Riviera ski holiday adventure by train, boat and bus. By Rob Rees
The Luzern area of Central Switzerland provides a perfect gateway to top notch ski areas, easily accessible from Zürich or via train from Paris. Zürich airport, with its efficient train station secreted below, rapidly unlocks empty pistes and luxury hotels. It’s a cakewalk compared to the bunfight of frenzied Geneva airport.
Swiss skiing is not all about Verbier, Villars, Valais and Vaud, destinations where the locals speak in French-Suisse. Well over half of the population speak Swiss German or Schweizerdeutsch. The cantons of Central Schweiz, Luzern and the Vierwaldstättersee epitomise the very Swissness that the rest of the world idealises: untainted lakes, ancient wooden buildings, snowy alpine pastures, winding mountain railways, William Tell and the cradle of Swiss democracy.
An overlooked gem of Swiss skiing: angelic Engelberg
Hop on board and enjoy the legendary integrated Swiss transport system from Zürich. You’ll arrive easily by train to the empty slopes of Engelberg (the angel mountain), a 40 minute ascent from Luzern. This is the site of a functioning 12th century Benedictine monastery, but its great draw now is the upmarket hotels and snowsure slopes of Mount Titlis.
The long, snowy winter begins as early as October and lasts into May. It’s easy to self-package your own midweek ski trip staying at the recently renovated five star superior Kempinski Palace Engelberg. Founded in 1897, Kempinski Hotels is the oldest luxury hotel group in Europe. The Kempinski Palace Engelberg provides a rooftop infinity pool with mountain views as part of its spa complex, innovative regional seasonal cuisine at the Cattani Restaurant and cocktails galore in the original 1920s ‘belle époque’ Palace Bar. Gaze out of the huge picture windows of the Wintergarden at the encircling peaks, made better by the flame-blasted crème caramel and theatrical afternoon tea that will cure all skiing ills.
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I’ve also never lingered longer in breakfast before getting out late onto the ski hills. Engelberg offers enough snowsure skiing for three or four days and has become somewhat of a freeride and skitouring centre, if that’s your bag. Take the Rotair, the world’s first revolving cable car, all the way to the 3,239m Titlis summit and glacier to enjoy 2,000m of vertical descent. Slopes are deserted midweek. For those on a budget, more affordable lodgings can be enjoyed at the delightful family-run Hotel Crystal, a comfortable 3-star hotel, centrally situated, with excellent home cooking and spa area.
A ski holiday with some of the best equipment in Europe
If you want to try the best skis in Europe, just head to the Stand mid-station of the Titlis gondola and book yourself a day’s ski testing for 60 CHF at the Stöckli Test Centre. Equipped with Swiss handmade skis, you’ll get to perfect your set-up and enjoy the unique feel of all-mountain, slalom, giant slalom and freeride options. The initial 60 CHF will be deducted from the price if you buy a pair, but if you choose to just try them out for the day, well, that’s fine too. It is the cleverest hack for hiring top grade VIP skis. Marco Odermatt, the young Swiss speedster, and Slovenian & multiple Olympic champion Tina Maze, swear by them.
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The Titlis glacier is where Stöckli’s continuous year round testing and R&D takes place; their factory is just down the road in the chocolate box village of Malters, canton Luzern. For those wanting a wilderness escape, locals head to the neighbouring canton of Obwalden to the little- known Melchsee Frutt to stay at Frutt Mountainresort. Overlooking frozen Melchsee at 1,920m, the four star hotel is managed by the Kempinski team. Via Luzern and Sarnen train station, you wind your way up the long twisting road in an iconic yellow Postbus to the Stockalp base station at 1,080m.
I had one of the finest lunches of my life, made with only natural herbs, foraged ingredients and free-range meat from the Rigi mountain. Nothing comes from outside Switzerland
Arrive at the Mountainresort via this cable car (your baggage goes ahead of you) and walk the last 200m in unbroken snow. You couldn’t feel further away from the hustle and bustle; you’ll hear only Swiss German dialects, enjoy enough ski cruising for a weekend and luxuriate in a top quality spa and pool at 2000m. From the hotel’s front door, clip in and glide down past the lake. It’s truly ski in – ski out, with 40km of pistes, 16 lifts and fast and steep slopes from 2,255m Balmeregg and the 2,160m Bonistock.
Nothing is more exhilarating than skiing all the way back down to Stockalp through trees and on silent slopes. At the bottom, pause and treat yourself to a hot Schümli pflümli at the simple cafe. It’s the highly addictive regional hot drink made of sweetened coffee with locally-distilled plum schnapps (either Pflümli or Zwetschgen) and lashings of whipped cream.
Luzern is a city I never tire of, having lived in nearby Zug in my late twenties. Its famous wooden Kappele bridge, the painted buildings, the lake views – all ringed by the Pilatus and Rigi mountains. There is a rich history to be learnt through the colourful pictured buildings, grand churches and the legendary masked Carnival of Lozärner Fasnacht, starting the week before Ash Wednesday on ‘Dirty Thursday’. Next year this takes place on Thursday 27 February, finishing on Monday 3 March, 2025.
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The usually staid Swiss let rip for these six days. Bizarre figures in fantastical masks parade through the alleyways, and thousands of costumed revellers chase the winter away. Lake Luzern was where those adventurous Victorians came to experience the clean mountain air. Weggis on the shores of the Vierwaldstättersee was a particular favourite of American author Mark Twain, who regrouped here for ten weeks with his wife and family after the death of his adult daughter from meningitis. “I believe that this place is the loveliest in the world, and the most satisfactory. The scenery is beyond comparison beautiful. Sunday in heaven is noisy compared to this quietness,” he wrote in a letter that summer of 1897.
Jump on the ferry boats opposite Luzern main train station and half an hour later you’re on the ‘sunny side’, feeling like you’re on the Riviera with Weggis’s mild climate, palms and orchids. Stay over for some proper relaxation and decompression at the four star shoreside Hotel Rössli & Spa. If you fancy elevating your excitement further, board the Weggis village cable car to the best organic meal you’ll have in years, atop the majestic Rigi with its famous cogwheel railway, Europe’s first in 1871.
One of the finest lunches of my life ensued thanks to owner Gregor Vörös, Maître d’ Martin and Chef Benedikt. The Kräuter Hotel (the Herb Hotel) sits right by the Rigi Staffelhöhe railway station at 1,550m. The Michelin-starred restaurant uses only natural herbs, home grown or foraged ingredients and free-range meat and dairy products from the Rigi mountain. Nothing comes from outside Switzerland. Gregor’s pride and joy is his 1,000 square metre south-facing herb garden, where he’s currently growing 340 varieties of herb and multiple spice plants, ranging from mountain mint to lemon yoghurt herb to even saffron. The garlic has been roasted and turned into “Black Gold”, a dark sweet garlic paste. As for the raspberry, hay, apple and rhubarb non-alcoholic cocktail “The Tüfler”, it just doesn’t get more refreshing.
Luzern and Central Schweiz are pure class. Whether you’re a skier, spa worshipper, gastro fiend or Fasnacht wannabe, you’ll enjoy this much overlooked area, all by public transport. Famed in the summer but worthy of your serious attention in winter, why not relax and trust in Swiss German efficiency and avoid the frequent carnage of Geneva airport.
Book a ski holiday on the Swiss Riviera
Kräuterhotel Edelweiss [email protected] +41 41 399 88 00. Weggis at the Hotel Rössli Gourmet: [email protected] Kempinski Palace: kempinski.com Swiss fly daily to Zurich from London City and London Heathrow. The Swiss Rail Pass covering buses and boats starts at 232 CHF for three consecutive travel days, sbb.ch. To book trains via Paris to Zurich Hauptbahnhof go to raileurope.com