Saas-Fee

The Visp valley (itself a side valley of the Rhone valley), splits up into two at Stalden: The Matter Valley where the famous Zermatt lies to the west and the Saas valley to the east. The outer part of the Saas valley is very narrow and sparsely inhabited, but further up it widens up. This is where the villages of Saas-Balen, Saas-Grund and Saas-Almagell lie. At the southern end of the valley is the Mattmark reservoir. Saas-Fee, the biggest town in the valley, lies on a plateau above Saas-Grund.

Some of the tallest mountains in Switzerland are located in this area and the Saas-Grund ski area boasts a view onto 18 peaks above 4,000 metres. To the west of the valley lies the Mischabel group, with its highest peak Dom (4,545

m) being the tallest massif entirely in Switzerland. To the east is the smaller Weissmies group, with its peak at 4,017 metres altitude. This is what makes the Saas valley a popular holiday destination, with a lot to offer in terms of skiing, mountaineering and hiking.

Tourist office

There is a tourist information office in each village:

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Tourist office Saas-Fee ,

Obere Dorfstrasse 2 ,

☏

+41 27 958 18 58 ,

[email protected] .

Opening hours vary by season, generally M-Sa 08:30-12:00, 14:00-18:00 .

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Tourist office Saas-Grund ,

Dorfplatz, Saas-Grund ,

☏

+41 27 958 18 55 ,

[email protected] .

Opening hours vary by season, generally M-Sa 08:30-12:00, 14:00-18:00 .

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Tourist office Almagell ,

Dorfplatz, Saas-Almagell ,

☏

+41 27 958 18 88 ,

[email protected] .

Opening hours vary by season, generally M-Sa 08:30-12:00, 14:00-18:00 .

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Tourist office Balen ,

Post, Saas-Balen ,

☏

+41 27 957 21 43 ,

[email protected] .

Opening hours vary by season, generally M-F 09:45-11:30, 16:30-18:30, Sa 09:45-12:00 .

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By Car / Road

Saas-Fee is car-free . You will have to leave your car at a big underground and surface

car park at the entrance of the village. Daily parking charges are Fr.

19 in winter and Fr.

14 in summer, however if you have the citizens' pass (see infobox), there are reduced rates from the second day onwards. The rest of the valley is accessible by car. As the Saas valley is at a higher altitude the roads can be snow covered in winter quite frequently. The roads will usually get cleared quite fast and rarely ever snow chains are required, but if you are not experienced driving on snowy mountain roads you might want to consider taking the bus instead.

By Bus

Coming by train , your access point to the Saas valley is most probably Visp , unless you are travelling on an EC train which only stops in Brig . From either of these a Post Bus service runs half-hourly to Saas-Fee. The trip from Visp takes about 50 minutes to Saas-Fee. The

bus terminal in Saas-Fee is located quite central and you should be able to walk to wherever you want to go. Your hotel might also be able to provide transfer on an electrical car for you and your luggage.

You can buy your ticket directly from the driver, or have it included in your train ticket. Buses can get crowded during morning and evening peak hours and especially on Friday nights up to three buses can run at the same time from Visp. Note that often express buses are used at those times (which you won't necessarily find on the timetable), so if you are planning on alighting either at Saas-Fee or the main stop at Saas-Grund you can save some time by taking that one instead.

When leaving Saas-Fee, it is possible to reserve a seat on the bus. This is usually not necessary, as if there is not enough space on the first bus, they will usually put in an additional bus. You might however have to stand for the 45 minute trip to Visp. The bus can get delayed easily if it is snowing or if there is any problem with the traffic on the way, so if you have a tight connection in Visp, it is better if you take an earlier bus.

If you are staying at any of the other villages , be sure to check with your accommodation which bus stop is the closest to your hotel/apartment, as it can make quite a difference. For Saas-Almagell, you will have to change bus at the stop: "Saas-Grund, Post".

Saas-Fee is quite small and it is easiest to get around by walking . The village itself is car free. This does not mean that there is no traffic, and there are scores milk-float-type electric cars roaming the village. Be careful, they are very quiet and hard to notice.

There are a couple of taxi companies that run within Saas-Fee, but at a recommended price of Fr.

23 to 30 this is rather pricey for such short distances.

During the main season free shuttle buses run to and from the ski lifts on 5 lines. The buses are however really small and it might be easier and faster to just walk.

It is also quite easy to get to the other three villages (Saas-Balen, Saas-Grund and Saas-Almagell) by bus. In winter ski buses run from each village to Saas-Fee and back. In summer you have to take the regular half-hourly buses to and from Saas-Balen or Saas-Grund. To get to Saas-Almagell or the Mattmark lake, change bus in Saas-Grund.

Citizens' pass

When you check in at your hotel or holiday apartment you might get a printed out card called citizens' pass(port). Not all places provide it (as the hotel has to pay for it), but most do. So if you get it, be sure to hang on to it, as it will give you access to some benefits:

Bus travel within the valley. From Niedergut (just before Saas-Balen) to Saas-Fee and from Saas-Grund to the Mattmark lake.

(Only in summer) Free unlimited cable car rides on all lifts except the Metro Alpin (for which you get a discount).

Discount on ski passes, cross-country ski tickets (half-price), ice skating and sledging passes.

Discount on most other attractions and sights.

Discount at some shops (for instance for ski rental).

Discount on parking in Saas-Fee.

If your hotel doesn't pay the premium for the citizens' pass, you might get something else called visitor card or guest card, which will also give you some very limited discounts.

The main attraction is the great mountain panorama in the Saas valley. There are however also other things to see:

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Mittelallalin

( take the Alpin Express cable car to Felskinn and change to the Metro Alpin train there ).

Opening hours depend on the season, check beforehand .

Visit the top of the ski resort at 3456 metres altitude, using the gondolas and the Metro-Alpin train, considered the highest subway in the world. Great views of the Alps on a good day. In winter it can get very cold at the top, so wrap up warm. You can also have a meal in the revolving restaurant at the top (but it's pricey).

Fr.

75 for pedestrians .

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Saaser Museum ,

☏

+41 27 957 14 75 ,

[email protected] .

Tu-Su 10:00-11:30 and 13:30-17:30 but closed during low season .

This museum is housed in the old clergy house, which was built in 1732. It has exhibits on the traditions of the Saas valley as well as the history of the local tourism.

Adults Fr.

5, children Fr.

2.50 .

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Rundkirche Saas-Balen ,

Saas-Balen .

Quite surprisingly for a town with barely 300 inhabitants, Saas-Balen has two churches. The smaller of the two churches is not in use anymore. This is the third church built in the same spot after the previous two have been destroyed by falling rocks. The current building was erected in 1812 and is known for its architecture, notably its circular shape.

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Winter activities

Ski and snowboard This is what the valley and Saas-Fee, in particular, are famous for. The ski areas are generally open from mid-December to just after Easter. The Saas-Fee area has a portion on the glacier which remains open during the summer and only closes during May and June. The smaller Saas-Balen lift is only open as long as there's enough snow.

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Saas-Fee area

( 100 km in winter, 8 km in summer, 21 lifts ),

☏

+41 27 958 11 00 .

This is quite a huge ski area starting from Saas-Fee itself. From the village, there are 3 cable cars: Alpin Express and Spielboden, which lead to the same connected area and the separated Plattjen. While there are a couple runs for advanced riders (notably at the Plattjen area), most of the slopes are catered towards intermediate skiers and snowboarders. The easier runs can be found either in the village or on Feechatz slope, just above Langfluh. A quick word of warning about this run, it may be a nice run but you have to endure the longest t-bar lift and downloading is also recommended as the runs down are difficult for beginners and get very busy later on in the day. Special passes are available if you only want to use the Plattjien area or the lifts in the village.

Day pass Fr.

72/36 in winter and Fr.

72/46 in summer .

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Hohsaas area

( 35 km slopes, 6 lifts )

( the regular bus stops at Saas-Grund Bergbahnen which is a 5-minute walk from the cable car ),

☏

+41 27 958 11 00 .

This area is located lower in the valley in Saas-Grund. It is much smaller than the Saas-Fee area, but still has quite a few good runs. There are two main cable cars, with the upper one reaching 3100 metres altitude. As opposed to Saas-Fee, which is mostly built on a north face, this area gets much more sun, which is good during cold January days, but which makes the snow more slurry during spring.

Day pass Fr.

54/33 .

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Furggstalden area

( 14 km slopes, 7 lifts )

( take the bus to Saas-Almagell Post ),

☏

+41 27 958 11 00 .

Another alternative with a smaller area.

Day pass Fr.

45/27 .

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Saas-Balen ski lift

( 0.5 km slope, 1 lift )

( take the bus to Saas-Balen, Kleine Kapelle and cross the bridge over the river ).

A single small lift in the village of Saas-Balen. If you want to try skiing for, but don't want to buy an expensive day pass for one of the bigger areas, this is perfect.

Day pass Fr.

15/11 .

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Terrain parks .

Parks for skiers and snowboarders are available in the ski areas in Saas-Fee (Morenia in winter, Allalin Glacier in Summer) and Saas-Grund. Especially the one in Saas-Fee is quite extensive and is increasingly popular with Snowboard camps.

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Sledging It can be quite scary at first, take your time the first run down, as there are some sharp bends, and you really don't want to go over the edge! You can rent a sledge at the gondola station, but it is sometimes cheaper to rent one from one of the sports retail shop, so ask around. Special night sledging events happen regularly during high season on each of the trails.

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Hannig, Saas-Fee

( 6 km )

( take the Hannig lift from Saas-Fee ),

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+41 27 957 26 15 .

Fr.

24/12 for one trip, Fr.

28/18 for a day pass, rental

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Saas-Fee has a selection of restaurants serving Swiss and international cuisine. Local specialities include fondue, raclette, and rösti.

Swiss wine, beer, and hot chocolate are widely available. Cafés and bars in Saas-Fee offer a range of local and international beverages.

Accommodation in Saas-Fee ranges from budget guesthouses to mid-range hotels and upscale resorts. Book in advance during peak season (July-August and December-March).

Local shops in Saas-Fee offer Swiss souvenirs, watches, chocolate, and regional products. ATMs are widely available.

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