Image courtesy of ABB, Arosa Tourism
We were lucky with some excellent spring skiing in Arosa, Switzerland, a week or so ago. With relatively high-altitude slopes, good snow, and stunning Alpine scenery easily accessible by plane and train, we thoroughly enjoyed the trip.
Getting There: Scenic and comfortable Swiss Railways
We flew into Zurich, then took the train up to Arosa and stayed at The Altein Hotel.
Traveling by train in Switzerland is not just convenient and efficient but also excellent value, especially with a Swiss Travel Pass, which covers both trains and mountain transport.
The route to Arosa by rail generally needs 3 legs; direct from Zurich Airport to Zurich Hauptbahnhof (central), followed by an IR (InterRegio - a semi-fast service) to Chur, ending with the scenic Arosa Line. Each connection is easy to make (top tip: download the SBB - Swiss Rail - app before you go; it's brilliant!) and the platforms and departure boards are clear. The final leg is spectacular; a narrow-gauge railway that climbs through dramatic gorges into the high-Alpine valley of Arosa.
A large number of Swiss ski resorts can be accessed via this route, or similar, from Zurich and other international airports.
Day 1: Introduction to Arosa, and an excursion to Rothorn
For our first day skiing, we were ably guided across the main peaks of Arosa by Jan from ABC Ski School, Arosa whose "local knowledge" helped us quickly get a feel for the place.
There are three main lift-served peaks above Arosa; the Hörnli, the Weisshorn and the Bruggerhorn.
The Hörnli (2,511m) - accessed by the Hörnli-Express gondola - is the gateway to Lenzerheide via the Urdenbahn gondola. Lenzerheide is also accessible from here via an off-piste route as part of the "Ski Safari".
Snow conditions off-piste were thin lower down, so we took the Urdenbahn across to Lenzerheide and then, via some nice open runs and fast lifts, up the Rothorn (2,865m) for some spectacular, panoramic views.
The Weisshorn (2,653m) is Arosa's highest peak, served by a 3-stage cable car, and offers a choice of Red and Black runs. It's a popular launch point for paragliders. The views from here include the Swiss, Austrian, and Italian Alps!
The Bruggerhorn, like the Hörnli, has runs for all standards (beyond absolute beginners) including a "Black Diamond" run (not as scary as it sounds, so long as the snow is good).
Although official snow depths were not spectacular, all the runs were well covered and well-groomed with the snow in good spring condition (quite crunchy first thing, but very nice to ski from mid-morning on).
The slopes were virtually deserted for most of the day (it was March, so low-season). Jan told us that Arosa can be sunnier than surrounding valleys, and that there are days when skiers come across from Lenzerheide for the better weather... as we would see!
We clocked around 40km of skiing, and a little over 6,000 metres of vertical for the day, helped by the generally efficient lifts across the domain (mostly modern gondolas and chairs, although there are a few T-bars...).
Day 2: Free Skiing
We spent our second day on the Arosa side. Clouds had closed in over in Lenzerheide and, per Jan's observations, there were clearly many more skiers making the trip over from there to ski in Arosa.
We enjoyed the long descent from the Hörnli to the valley station; even with thin snow at the bottom it was an enjoyable run and would be fun to do with confident kids! We managed to ski the majority of runs in the bowl during the day, but they are generally long, wide and varied so fun to ski multiple times.
Although off-piste conditions did not encourage us on this trip, there is clearly a lot of fun and interesting freeride terrain easily accessed from the lifts (and even more if you're happy to climb a bit), so there'd be plenty of fun to be had on a powder day!
There are around 80km of pistes above Arosa, out of a total of 225km for the entire Arosa-Lenzerheide area.
Although there were more people around than the previous day, we frequently found ourselves alone on pistes. That was noticeable on several descents from the Bruggerhorn, we assume as it's the furthest peak in Arosa from the connection to Lenzerheide.
We had an excellent lunch at the Tschuggenhütte; great food and an unusually interesting range of options for an on-mountain restaurant.
Image courtesy of ABB, Arosa Tourism
If you visit Arosa, you must stop at the Carmenahütte for a shot of Munggapfupf! This is a hazelnut liquer served warm with whipped cream. The colloquial name roughly translates as "monk poop" apparently... that's what we were told anyway!
Staying at the Altein Hotel: Comfort & Superb Dining
We stayed at the Altein Hotel, historically a sanatorium with an interesting past, but now completely re-purposed as a superb and comfortable hotel.
Beyond excellent health and wellness facilities, a highlight was the food; superb multi-course dinners, blending Swiss specialties with international flavours, served in a spectacular top-floor restaurant. Jan (our guide from our first day) had described the pizzas as "the best in town" and we could understand why.
The buffet breakfasts offered everything you might want, and were the perfect start to each day.
About the Apres!
Although Arosa is certainly family-friendly, and looks to have nightlife on the quieter scale of ski resorts, we need to mention The KuhBar ("The Cow Bar")! Just above the town, at the foot of the slopes, this barn-sized venue has banging techno (Austria is not far away), dry ice and atmosphere... not to mention a giant cow's head that breathes and mooooooos occasionally. Drink prices seemed reasonable, and we imagine there's some epic partying here in busier periods.
Final Thoughts
Great skiing, decent snow on piste, and breath-taking Alpine scenery. The Altein, with friendly staff and outstanding food, was a great place to stay.
With easy Swiss train access, a good range of skiing across Arosa-Lenzerheide, and being a little "off the radar", we really liked Arosa - and we'll be back.
TRAVEL FACTS
We flew with Swiss out of Heathrow (Terminal 2) to Zurich. Swiss.com
Flights to Zurich are available from several airlines, including easyJet from London Gatwick, and from various airports worldwide.
Swiss train information, and numerous worthwhile "Saver" tickets and travel passes, can be found on the SBB website at SBB.ch.
The Altein Hotel is part of the Faern Group, and you can find out more at Faern Collection - Altein, Arosa.
You can book rooms via J2Ski at Altein, Arosa or as part of a ski package holiday from UK at Altein, Arosa, package deals
