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Summer ski resorts in the Swiss canton of Valais

Many ski resorts in Europe officially brought the ski season to a close last weekend. Those who still want to ski now will have to turn to ski resorts in Europe that offer skiing year-round. These year-round ski resorts in Europe include, among others, communities in the Swiss canton of Valais.

Summer skiing in the Swiss Valais

Summer skiing is not unusual in the communities of the Swiss canton of ValaisSwitzerland; rather, it is an absolute must for die-hard skiers. The Valais Alps are heavily glaciated. In addition, there are quite a number of peaks over 4,000 meters. The best known of these high alpine mountains is the Matterhorn, followed in popularity by the Dufourspitze and the Weisshorn. The snow line in the Valais Alps lies at 2,300 meters, allowing places in the canton of Valais to offer summer skiing. The Valais Alps rightly describe themselves as a year-round ski area. Europe's highest aerial cableway is also located here, leading to the Klein Matterhorn, the Theodul Glacier and the Plateau Rosa.

Sommerskigebiete im Schweizer Kanton Wallis
Die Sonne in den Sommerskigebiete im Schweizer Kanton Wallis genießen dürfte fast selbstverständlich sein.

Date: 30/09/2026

At the foot of the Matterhorn lies Zermatt, the largest summer ski area in the Alps. It comprises three top-class ski areas with around 25 km of slopes and at least 9 ski lifts. Täsch is located near Zermatt and is ideally suited to cross-country skiing. Zermatt itself is car-free and, together with Täsch, offers tobogganing, ski tours, downhill skiing and, for those who enjoy it, paragliding. Affordable hotels in Zermatt make a stay accessible.

Saas-Fee is one of the prominent destinations in the canton of Valais. With its glacier and around 13 4,000-meter peaks in the immediate vicinity, Saas-Fee is also a typical summer ski resort in Switzerland. Saas-Fee is car-free as well, and boasts around 280 km of hiking trails and the aforementioned summer ski area on the Fee Glacier. The ski slopes around Saas-Fee are quickly reached by Alpin Express.

The Lötschental Alpine Center and the Crans-Montana and Sierra areas fulfill holiday dreams in the canton of Valais in summer. However, skiing is possible here in May only after long winters. Unfortunately, these three regions in Switzerland are not classic summer ski resorts.

Katja Elflein

Photo: max-td