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You know the old travel cliché: if you want to know where to visit, buy a guidebook; if you want to know what’s worth visiting, ask a local. Well, we believe the same applies to skiing, only more so. Think about it: even the best-drawn piste maps struggle to show how mountains fit together, and they often miss out off-piste valleys, where the best powder is to be found, altogether.
With that in mind, when we set about compiling a guide to the highlights of Switzerland’s Valais region, we thought we’d go straight to the source. We asked locals to tell us what they loved the most about their home resorts.
Here, we're focussing on Saas-Fee/Saastal — a high altitude piste skiing paradise, surrounded by 4,000m peaks. The car-free village, which mixes chocolate-box cute Swiss chalets with more modern architecture, sits at 1,800m, and the lifts go all the way up to the glacier at 3,600m. Ski instructor Max Prater tells us how to make the most of that 9km of vertical descent.
Introducing Max Prater, Saas-Fee/Saastal
Max Prater, an instructor at the Ski School Ski Zenit in Saas-Fee, first learned to ski on a Dorset dryslope, near his native Bournemouth. But like many Brits who catch ‘the bug,’ he moved to the mountains as soon as he could. Having gained his instructor qualifications, he worked multiple seasons across Europe and in North America, before finally deciding to settle in the Valais. Max explains how he fell in love with the high altitude Mecca of Saas-Fee/Saastal, and why he still believes it’s the best place in the world to ski.
What’s the best thing about living in Saas-Fee/Saastal? It’s all about the skiing. I did several seasons elsewhere and I consistently wasn’t getting great snow years, but then I came here, and the snow’s always good from start to finish. And it lasts! The season typically runs from 1st November to the end of April, so you get loads of ski days here.
It comes down to the aspect of the mountain—we’re north facing in Saas-Fee, so we get a little bit of protection from the sun and that keeps the snow consistently firm and good for skiing. It also helps that Saas-Fee is really high. The village is at 1,800 metres, and our lifts take us up to 3,600 metres. That means you’ve got a huge vertical descent, one of the longest in Europe, and on top of that, we’re surrounded by eighteen 4,000m-plus peaks. We’ve got the highest mountain that’s solely in Switzerland looking down on us, the Dom (4,545 metres). So it’s pretty impressive just looking around. I’ve never skied anywhere else quite like it.
What’s your favourite run to rip down in the resort, and why? Especially first thing in the morning, when it’s freshly groomed, my favourite run to ski down is a red called Glacier promenade (17A). It comes off the glacier at 3,600m, and it’s just endless turns, top to bottom. It’s usually pretty quiet too, so you just feel like an absolute hero skiing it [laughs].
Where’s the first place you go when there’s fresh snow? On a powder day? I can’t tell you where I’m going, I’m afraid [laughs].
OK, fair enough. Where would you go when it’s totally tracked out? It’s still kind of a secret, but I’ll let you in. You can drop off the back of the resort towards a reservoir called Mattmark. That’s a really cool run. It’s about 15 kilometres all the way down to the next village. You can ride it right down to a bus stop and get the bus back up to Saas-Fee. It’s all South facing, so it gets nice sunshine, and good snow. It’s pretty unique, but should only be tackled with an experienced ski instructor!
Where’s the best tree run for when the weather’s bad? The best trees are around Plattjen. They’re nicely gladed, super steep, fall-line, top to bottom and they’ve usually been quite sheltered from the wind as well, so the snow stays really good.
Where’s your favourite place for après? Towards the end of the day, I usually head to the Pit Stop. It’s just at the bottom of the Funpark Morenia, so you can sit in the deck chairs, and watch everybody attempting to do jumps—some people better than others [laughs]. There’s always good music, good beer, and a good time to be had.
Saas-Fee/Saastal in numbers
Ski area: 150km
Altitude range: 1,500m - 3,600m
Resort height: 1,800m (Saas-Fee)
Where to stay in Saas-Fee/Saastal
The three-star Hotel Feehof is conveniently located in the centre of the car-free village.
Sitting in the centre of town, the stylish Revier Mountain Lodge is described as "urban lifestyle mixed with alpine charm", offering single or double rooms, as well as rooms for groups of up to six guests. The hotel also boasts co-working spaces, a fully-equipped gym, a cozy fireplace lounge, and its own, in-house après bar, the Fox House Music Bar. There's even a cinema for movie nights.
If you're looking for a deal, take advantage of Saas-Fee's Sleep & Ski Deal, which allows skiers to make the most of the powder when it falls. If you book 4 - 10 days accommodation in Saas-Fee/Saastal, you'll get a six-day lift pass at a special rate, that's valid on any days of your choice throughout the season. So you can book a long weekend, and then return to explore further at a later date. The deal also includes a SaastalCard for free bus ride around the Saas Valley.
Where to eat in Saas-Fee/Saastal
Felskinn restaurant
The Felskinn Restaurant sits at an impressive 3,000m and offers delicious seasonal and regional specialities, paired with local Valais wines.
Pizzeria Boccalino
Pizzeria Boccalino is a Swiss and Italian kitchen. The pizzas are a real treat!
Asian restaurant Chämi-Stuba
Asian delicacies prepared fresh daily by Thai and Chinese chefs at Chämi-Stuba. For wine buffs, the restaurant only serves Valais wines!
What's New in Saas-Fee/Saastal
Summer 2025 saw the launch a new Virtual Reality experience, which allows guests to gain a deeper understanding of the glacier, its history and the myths that have surrounded it down the ages. Lasting 15 minutes, the VirtuAllalin on Mittelallalin gives visitors a virtual reality deep dive into the ice, discovering the history of Father Johann Josef Imseng, one of the pioneers of tourism in the Saas Valley.
Must-do’s in Saas-Fee/Saastal
Everyone must step onto the Viewpoint Allalin, perched at 3,500m at least once! Eat at the world’s highest revolving restaurant,visit the VirtuAllalin and just generally soak up the scenery.
The Kreuzboden/Hohsaas ski area is also a must-visit while you're in the Saas Valley. Perched above the charming village of Saas-Grund, this area has everything from sunny slopes and spectacular views of the Mischabel massif, to night sledding and a ski race for kids.
Try Alpine canyoning - a high-speed Tyrolean zip-line and cable pulleys are the highlights of a trip through the wild and rugged Fee gorge leading from Saas-Fee down to Saas-Grund. A mountain guide will take you past frozen waterfalls and across suspension bridges, ladders and steel ropes.
Explore the Fee Glacier with snowshoes. The trail over untouched powder leads up to the Panoramaplatz, one of the best viewpoints in the area. Go with a guide for the best experience.
Go night tobogganing, either in Saas-Fee, Saas-Grund or Saas-Almagell. Hire a headlamp and sled, and head off down the slope, even in the moonlight. An unforgettable experience, especially for families.
Tackle one of the sensationally long home runs to Saas-Fee village via both the Felskinn and Längfluh sectors.
This article was funded by Valais/Wallis Promotion and Switzerland Tourism. Go to saas-fee.ch for more information about this fantastic ski area, and for great offers, visit the Valais Online Shop.
