Champéry

Pretty, quiet and pleasingly rustic, the mountain village of Champéry in Switzerland is a relaxing, wonderfully quaint place to spend your ski holiday.

Champéry is ideal for intermediate skiers who want to go somewhere relatively quiet, pleasing on the eye, and with access to excellent skiing. The resort itself is predominantly made up of old wooden chalets dotted about at the foot of the mountain. From here you can get to the Portes du Soleil circuit, including Avoriaz which, at 1800 metres high, is the place to go for the best snow conditions.

Resorts facts and figures

Resort altitude 1050m
Highest point 2300m
Season Dec-Apr
Ski area Portes du Soleil circuit
Pistes 650km
Pistes available Beginner: 13%, Intermediate: 70%, Expert: 17%
Best for Intermediates

On the mountain
Champéry’s local slopes are open and unintimidating, and tend to get lots of sun – great in the morning but this sometimes makes them more challenging late in the day. There are two lifts from the village to Planachaux, the start of the extensive Portes du Soleil area. Whilst experts may feel a little limited here (with the exception of a few black runs and some off-piste), intermediates will love the range of runs, from long, cruising blues to wide reds through the valleys. For beginners, Champéry is fairly limited, and with just one run leading back to resort (which is red), beginners might feel restricted to taking the lift back down.

Mountain restaurants
There are about a dozen to choose from, including Chez Gaby if you’re after classic rösti, and the Toupin for down-to-earth ham and cheese on toast. Some offer amazing views for sunny terraces where you’ll be tempted to lunch away the afternoon, and there are quicker-service cafés too, for those merely stopping for fuel. If you ski over to Avoriaz or Morzine, there are plenty more to choose from, too.

Non-skiing activities

There are several pleasant walks, and excursions from resort can be made using the railway. There’s also a sports centre with ice climbing, snowshoeing, pool and indoor tennis.

Après, dining and nightlife

As mentioned, Champéry is generally a quiet place, but as with almost any Alpine ski resrt, there’s always something going on somehwere at après-ski time. Mitchell’s gets quite lively, and there are a couple of discos in the village, too. When it comes to dining, there are a few options, including two excellent eateries just outside the village serving traditional fare.

Family and ski school

The Swiss Ski and Snowboard school has a good reputation here, taking children from the age of 3, and there are a couple of other schools to choose from too. If you’re after childcare, there are childminders available in the resort.

Useful links