Saas Fee in Brief
Saas Fee is a charming, traditional alpine village with a magnificent backdrop and an enviable snow record. Chocolate box chalets, car-free streets and striking surroundings dominated by towering 4000m peaks and tumbling glaciers make Saas Fee one of the most stunning resorts in the Alps. Plus aspect and altitude mean it’s as snow-sure as they come and one of only a handful of European resorts where summer skiing is still a reality.
Getting To Saas Fee
The closest airport to Saas Fee is Sion. Flying to Sion halves your transfer time from airport to resort compared with flying to the closest alternative airports. A direct transfer from Sion airport to resort takes just an hour and a quarter. Snowjet operate the UK’s only scheduled flights to Sion.
For Snowjet clients wishing to take advantage of Switzerland’s excellent public transport system there’s a free shuttle bus between Sion airport and the train station in the town centre. From Sion station, catch the train to Visp (every 30 minutes). At Visp change to the Post Bus (every hour). From Visp the bus runs direct to resort.
Saas Fee is car-free so unless you’re planning on spending some time out of resort, hiring a car is probably not the best option. If you do opt for car hire, you’ll need to park up at the entrance to the village where there are outdoor and covered parking options. Many accommodation providers offer free transport from the car park, so be sure to ask what provision will be made for you before you arrive.
Skiing in Saas Fee
Saas Fee Piste Map
Saas Fee Lift Pass Rates
View Saas Fee Lift Pass Rates.
The immediate Saas Fee ski area has 100km of runs and there’s an additional 45km of pistes above the villages of Saas Grund and Saas Almagell. The slopes are high - up to a dizzying 3500m of altitude - and predominately north-facing, which means the snow stays in optimum condition throughout the season; plus there is extensive snow canon coverage on the homeruns. The roof of the resort is glacial and remains snow-covered 365 days of the year, with around 20km of piste ski-able in the summer.
Overall the slopes - pre-dominantly blue and red - are best suited to beginners and intermediates and experts may find the terrain a little limited and at times unchallenging, especially since the glacier constrains you to the piste in many areas. But the impeccably maintained snow park and half-pipe, have a cult following among Snowboarders and New School Skiers. Free-style courses are held regularly on the glacier in the summer for those wishing to hone their park skills.
The nursery slopes – situated at the end of the village, away from the main runs - are perfect for beginners and youngsters to learn without the intimidation of the already initiated whizzing by. The more confident can exercise their new skills on the smooth blue runs of the Felskinn. And intermediates have the full range of the slopes, including the steeper reds at Plattje and the stamina-testing long descent from Mittelallalin (3500m) back to the village. Mittelallalin, the summit of the Saas Fee’s highest lift, is crowned with a must-dine Bond-esque revolving restaurant.
For the advanced, a smattering of good, challenging runs can be found, including the short steep blacks from Felskinn and Spielboden, and the difficult decent on the Galen piste in the lower section of Plattjen. Off-piste, unfortunately, there’s little that is both safe and accessible, since so much of the mountain is covered by steep, fissured glacier. If you don’t mind working for your powder, however, you might want to try one of the many local ski tours. Several 4000+m peaks are accessible if you’re prepared to climb. Guides and equipment can be hired locally (you’ll need skins or snowshoes, plus the standard avalanche kit of shovel, transceiver and probe). Alternatively, if the slopes In Saas Fee aren’t enough for you, a day trip to neighbouring Zermatt, just an hour away, is a good bet.
Saas Fee Après Ski
When you’re not skiing, there are plenty of other activities to keep you entertained in Saas Fee. The Hannig mountain is set aside for sledging, with lift access to 5km of dedicated tobogganing terrain. Once a week a fondue evening is held at the restaurant at the summit of the Hannig with the highly-recommended evening culminating in a torch-lit sled descent.
From Hannig a number of winter walking trails can be accessed with another 30km of trails around Saas Fee. There are also some pleasant cross country skiing tracks, notably the pretty wooded route that follows the course of the river from Saas Almagell to the Mattmark dam.
Back in resort there’s a well-equipped leisure centre where, if you have energy to burn after a day on the slopes, you can take advantage of the sport facilities (swimming pool, tennis courts, badminton courts, table tennis tables). Alternatively, you can soothe those aching ski muscles in the centre’s Jacuzzi, solarium or steam baths.
Saas Fee Restaurants, Bars and Clubs
Late afternoon and early evening the bars are at their liveliest in Saas Fee. And it’s easy to see why: it’s difficult to resist a quick beer after your last run of the day, when the street leading from the slopes into the resort is lined with buzzing bars that bathe in the last of sun. Of these, the Black Bull - an outdoor bar with a huge sun terrace - pulls the biggest crowd with live djs serving up cheesey europop. Once the sun dips behind the mountains Nesti’s is the place to be, but try to pre-empt the move inside, as the bar is typically packed from 5.30pm. If you prefer your own breathing space the Metro Bar is a slightly more laidback alternative to Nesti’s.
There’s a bit of a lull in the resort’s drinking establishments from 8pm which is a good time to grab some food. Saas Fee has lots of great options for eating out: nouvelle cuisine at the Michelin-starred Fletschhorn; exotic Thai at the Hotel Ferienart’s restaurant Mandarin; tasty Italian at highly recommended Italian Don Chicios’; and, of course, lots of traditional Valaisan restaurants in typically rustic surroundings, La Ferme is the pick of these.
For after dinner drinks, try uber cool Popcorn, Snowboard shop by day drinking establishment with occasional live music by night. Poison is the late late venue - it’s open till 6am! – and serves lethal poison-themed shots.
Something for the Kids
Saas Fee offers one of the best lift pass deals for families with free lift passes for children up to the age of 9. There are good facilities on the mountain for kids too. Little ones have the run of the fun park, where the magic carpet takes them to the start of a slalom course of funny characters; while bigger kids will find lots of child friendly terrain on the mountain proper. Plus the sculpture-filled ice grotto up on the glacier makes for a pleasant diversion.
If your kids have boundless energy, there’s plenty to keep them busy aside from the skiing. In addition to the sledging at Hannig, there’s the Feeblitz: a bobsled on rails. Snow tubing: sledging on a giant inflatable rubber ring. Airboarding: body boarding on snow. And the more traditional ice skating, of course. Pack in as much as you can and they’ll be sure to sleep the entire journey home!
Links
Other Snowjet.co.uk Resort Guides:
Crans Montana Resort Guide
Grimentz And Le Val Anniviers Resort Guide
Nendaz Resort Guide
Saas Fee Resort Guide
Verbier Resort Guide
Zermatt Resort Guide
Zinal Resort Guide