Find your own alpine escape in Saas-Fee/Saastal

Set amid an amphitheatre of peaks topping 4,000m, car-free Saas-Fee and the Saas Valley are an oasis of alpine tranquillity. There’s fine food and cool waters aplenty, but the outdoors will soon come calling. From hiking to glacier tours in nature, Saas-Fee/Saastal is dubbed the ‘Adventure Destination’ for good reason. But what kind of adventure you have is up to you…

Taking on a glacier trail is one of Saas-Fee/Saastal’s most spectacular experiences (Saastal Tourismus AG)

With 350km of mountain trails to explore, there’s a hike for everyone here, from the casual stroller to the hardcore adventurer. In total, there are 18 peaks above 4,000m to swoon over – or climb. And if you want to conquer your first high-level summit, the relatively easy ascent up Allalinhorn (4,027m) starts when you depart the world’s highest underground funicular, the Metro Alpin.

There are seven via ferratas in this holiday region. With the aid of permanent ladders, metal rungs and steel cables, you can traverse sheer slopes while being securely roped. Mittaghorn’s via ferrata is a great choice for beginners, letting you scramble and climb to the 3,000m summit for views across the valley.

Starting out from Hohsaas at 3,200m, cyclists can barrel down mountain trails past glaciers, streams, moraine, alpine pastures and forests. Tune into the soothing tinkle of cowbells, the babble of water or the shrill whistle of a marmot as you descend 1,650m to Saas-Grund.

Strap on your crampons and step out onto the otherworldly Fee Glacier. It’s a great chance to explore razoredged ridges of ice and plunging crevasses while being roped to an experienced guide.

Cable cars transport ramblers to relaxing restaurant sun terraces and mountain trails where dizzying views unfold with every corner turned.

Just ten minutes from Saas-Grund by cable car, hike the 18 Four-thousandmetre Peaks Trail and learn about these giants of the Alps. For adrenalin junkies, either fly down the Hohsaas Bike Trail or take a glacier tour.

Hop on the cable car to Längfluh for a 15-minute ramble to the glacier lake. End on the restaurant sun terrace to soak in vistas of Fee Glacier, the Mischabe massif and the highest peak set entirely within Switzerland’s borders – the Dom (4,545m).

Enjoy the Sun Trail leading to Café Alpenblick. Grab some binoculars and check out the local wildlife – chamois, ibex, marmot and deer – before spending a night in the romantic Bubble Suite at Alpenblick, which has views overlooking the walls of Mittaghorn and Egginer. A new cable car is in operation from 2024.

Explore the Mattmark Dam exhibition then circumnavigate the area on foot or by bike, soaking in the intense blue of the reservoir.

Soak up the Mattmark Dam and its limpid-blue waters on foot (Saastal Tourismus AG/Stefan Kürzi)

From rustic Alpine fare to international gourmet cuisine, Saas-Fee/Saastal has it all. For a special treat, take the cable car up to the revolving restaurant Allalin, the highest in the world at 3,500m. From your first overnight stay, you will receive the SaastalCard in almost any accommodation in the region, which gives you unlimited use of the cable cars and transport for the ultimate in flexibility for exploring the holiday region.

But you can’t visit Saas-Fee/Saastal without indulging in some hearty mountain cuisine. Try gooey raclette, cheese fondue, cordon bleu and many other Swiss specialities at the many restaurants and cafés you’ll find across the region. If you’re after high-altitude tranquillity, try pottering around the old wooden chalets found in the idyllic mountain hamlet of Furggstalden. Gaze to the hills and you’ll see that it’s surrounded by Valais barns that have been burnt a dark brown by the endless sun.

To find out more about the culture and customs of the region, head for the renovated Saas Museum. Despite its small size, it’s packed with a treasure trove of fascinating artefacts, photographs and interactive displays demonstrating how life has changed over the decades in the valley and surrounding mountains.

Go cycling down Kreuzboden (Saastal Tourismus AG/Filme von Draussen)

When limbs ache at the end of a day in the mountains, there are few things better than slowing down and taking an alpine dip in cold waters or chilling out at one of the Kneipp hydrotherapy facilities in the Saas Valley. Between its paddling pool, stream and barefoot path, you’ll soon feel refreshed. Or soak in the waters of Aqua Allalin in town with its saunas, baths and pools.

Cold-water swimming comes with many health benefits, such as lowering blood pressure, easing aches and pains and improving your mood while connecting you with nature. Just a few minutes from Saas-Almagell, you can ease into the fresh glacial waters of the secluded Hell-Chessi. This pool is also surrounded by great slabs of rock, which are perfect for warming up in the sun afterwards. Check out the Wellness and Yoga Trail at Kreuzboden too. Hammocks and deck chairs are strung out along the trail and lake, along with six yoga stations and another Kneipp facility. So why wait? Saas-Fee/Saastal offers the ideal combo of adventure, culture and relaxation.