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- Written by: Tristan Kennedy
Try these new experiences
Try a Velogemel in Grindelwald
For over 100 years, locals in Grindelwald have used an eccentric means of winter transport: the Velogemel, a sort of half-sledge, half-snow bike that you push along with your feet. Invented in the village in 1911 as a practical way of getting around in winter, it has become one of the resort’s quirkiest experiences. There’s even a World Championship, which takes place on 7 February.
Ride a Piste Basher in Les 2 Alpes
Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes before carving your first turn, or how they get snowcats up such insanely steep slopes? In Les 2 Alpes, you can climb aboard a piste basher and get a lesson in the art of shaping and preparing the pistes. The 30-minute ride runs every Wednesday afternoon, plus Thursdays during the Christmas and February holidays, and costs €49 for up to two people.
Let the Kids Loose in Passo Tonale
Passo Tonale’s revamped Fantaski area is essentially a winter playground designed for younger visitors, with something for everyone from babies to 12-year-olds. Inside, there are inflatables, video games and even a nap room, plus babysitting for the littlest guests. Outside, there are tubing and strider-bike tracks. It’s open daily from 9am to 5pm - ideal for when parents fancy some serious skiing and the kids need a change of pace.
Stay at these: New hotel openings
Hotel Concordia, Zuoz
Exactly 150 years after it first opened in 1876, the historic Hotel Concordia in Zuoz is getting a new lease of life, reopening as a deliberately old-school retreat in December ‘26. Known for years as the Engadina, its relaunch under the original name reflects a desire to return to a less flash, more timeless Swiss character. A new wellness area adds a steam room and sauna, while the restaurant focuses on regional ingredients.
The First, Cortina d’Ampezzo
Opening in December ‘26, Cortina’s newest luxury address is The First Cortina, a boutique retreat bringing contemporary design to the heart of Italy’s most chic resort. The interiors combine traditional materials with modern design, while floor-to-ceiling windows that put the stunning mountains front and centre, making this a perfect base for exploring the Pearl of the Dolomites.
Le Morgane, Chamonix
Chamonix’s Le Morgane is reopening in December ‘26 after a complete renovation, bringing a fresh look to one of the town’s best-located hotels. The four-star property sits just 100 metres from the Aiguille du Midi cable car and has been redesigned as an intimate, contemporary cocoon, with warm natural materials and Mont Blanc views for guests.
Go to these ski resort festivals
Listen to Dolomiti Ski Jazz
Forget après-ski playlists: Dolomiti Ski Jazz puts live music on the mountain. Taking place in March (exact 2027 dates still TBC) across Val di Fiemme, Val di Cembra and Val di Fassa, the festival brings jazz, funk and other sounds to mountain huts, theatres and valley venues. The daytime concerts are designed for skiers, with free performances set against stunning Dolomite backdrops at lunchtime. Evening shows move indoors.
Taste France and Italy, La Rosière
A new event running from 2-16 January celebrates the culinary culture of this border resort, bringing Michelin-starred chefs, local producers, food experts and visitors together for two weeks of tastings, demonstrations, workshops and encounters. There’s even a gourmet parade through the forest, complete with Vespas, Fiat 500s, music and fire pits. Make sure you come hungry.
Rave it up at Tomorrowland Winter
If you like your thumping electronic music with a side order of skiing, the biggest music festival in the Alps is hard to beat. Tomorrowland Winter returns to Alpe d’Huez from 20–27 March, with more than 150 artists expected to perform across stages on the mountain and in resort. And being Tomorrowland, there’ll be a brilliantly bonkers theme to the whole thing.
Watch these ski & snowboard films
We Can’t Not - Legs of Steel
Directed by Adam Gendle, and narrated by none other than Sean Bean (yes, Ned Stark / Boromir / Sergeant Sharpe Sean Bean) We Can’t Not is more than just a ski film. Paddy Graham sets out with the aim of explaining to his friends and family why he does this year after year and, with his Legs of Steel crewmates - Kye Petersen, Markus Eder, Tom Ritsch and Finn Bilous - creates an absolute banger of a movie that also manages to be funny and even heartwarming in places.
Everest: The Other Side - National Geographic
Directed by Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, the team who won an Oscar for Free Solo, this emotional gut-punch of a film promises to thrust ski mountaineering into the mainstream in a similar way. It follows elite ski mountaineer Jim Morrison as he attempts a world-first descent of Everest’s formidable Hornbein Couloir, a line he had dreamed of skiing with his late partner, Hilaree Nelson. The film combines the drama of an audacious descent with an intimate story of love, loss and the drive to complete a shared ambition. In IMAX cinemas 30 October, then streaming on Disney+
The Way Out - Matchstick Productions
Matchstick Productions is back with its 34th annual ski film, The Way Out, a globe-spanning celebration of skiing as a way of life. Expect Alaskan spines, Japanese powder, British Columbia heli-skiing and the Swiss Alps, with veterans such as Mark Abma, Chris Rubens and Eric Hjorleifson alongside younger names including Lucy Leishman. The premise is simple: skiing offers a route to freedom, wherever the snow is falling. Banger after banger, with a spurious theme tying each section together - what’s not to like?
