europe travel — Travel Guides

I’ve been heading to the Alps for the better part of the last ten years now for the winter or holiday season, and thought it would be prudent to finally put pen to paper about some of my learnings and very best experiences on these trips. I’d like to think I have started to approach more of a locals grasp on secret spots out there and it just wouldn’t be very nice to gatekeep, so without further ado… some of my favorite spots and best way to spend one wintry week in the Alps.

ZERMATT

Fun fact: up until the early 19th century, Zermatt was a poor, rural village whose inhabitants mainly worked on the land and visitors were few and far between. Zermatt is of course surrounded by some of Switzerland’s highest and most majestic mountains which attracted mountaineers and explorers in the early 1800s. As a result, tourism began to slowly develop from 1820 onwards and in 1838 the first hotel was opened in Zermatt, which still stands today as the Hotel Monte Rosa. It was from here that Zermatt started to more firmly evolve into a popular sports and mountaineering destination to what it is today: the largest and highest summer skiing area in Europe, with 25km of pistes and 8 ski lifts open all summer.

Something else that fascinates me every time I read about it is the history of Zermatt’s most prominent peak, the Matterhorn. Many people realize that Matterhorn is the 6th tallest peak in the Alps, but what is often not realized is that the peak of Matterhorn is actually an African immigrant to Europe, from when the African tectonic plate collided from the south into the European tectonic plate about 30 million years ago. Geologists studying the Matterhorn have determined that the lower 11,000 feet of its slopes are sedimentary rock from the European plate and ocean crust from the forgotten seas, while the top 3,000 feet, the mountain’s peak - is actually harder and older metamorphic rock from the African plate, pushed on top of European sediment and eroded away by glaciers. Fascinating stuff!

Indulging in aperol spritz at Chez Vrony

Perusing stylish retreats at Focus Matterhorn

Just the tip of Matterhorn from Restaurant du Pont

Where to stay: Matterhorn Focus

Yes, I’ve only provided one recommendation. No, I won’t be providing any others. I have stayed at several places in Zermatt over the years and the hospitality of Matterhorn Focus is second to none - by a long shot. I have stayed in many of their rooms over the years, each with its own special twist, but on my most recent trip, was blessed to enjoy my stay (and views) from their Futura and Deluxe rooms.

Why does Matterhorn Focus stand many heads above the rest? It’s honestly hard to pinpoint, but a few things that immediately spring to mind:

1) The staff are incredibly attentive, kind, and consistently go above and beyond to make sure your experience is top notch. I can say this because I have now been back multiple times, and have looked for flaws, and cannot find any. In fact, I remarked to my partner on this trip that Focus makes vacation feel “like it used to be,” where they truly take a load off my shoulders and leave me feeling looked after and taken care of. In a world of bad hotels and poor hospitality experiences where customers are left feeling like they need to do all the work, be more like Focus! A special kudos to Kristina and Patrizia…bravo!

2) The room quality + view quality is unparalleled. I’m tempted to make a little R(oom) vs V(iew) chart with an X and Y axis for you, with a star in the upper right hand corner, but will spare you my cheesy visuals. I’ve often pondered if there’s a better place to stay geographically within the relatively contained Zermatt, and while nearly every part of town affords you some views, I can’t imagine not being as close as humanly possible to the Matterhorn whilst in town. Waking up, making an in room Nespresso, and then being able to crawl back into bed all whilst staring at the alpenglow trickling over the Matterhorn - you just cannot beat that experience.

Exterior views of stunning Focus property

3) Breakfast and bar quality. Look, I love a pain du chocolate (or 7) as much as the next guy whilst on vacation, but I’m also an adult and have come to realize in my late 30’s that solely subsisting on pastries while on vacation just won’t cut it. So what that means is that it’s become increasingly important to me to get a hearty and complete breakfast before heading out on a day’s worth of adventures - whether that be skiing, snowshoeing, fat biking, or simply working hard to trek through snow on the way to the afternoon’s aperol spritz(es) at Chez Vrony. I remarked to the folks at Matterhorn Focus that their breakfast is the best I’ve had at the many hotels I’ve visited around the world and I stand by it. They have a muesli/granola bar, a plethora of pastries from Fuchs bakery in town (yes, pastries can be ~a part of~ a balanced breakfast ;)), eggs, bacon, a huge assortment of breads (with my favorite pine and wild honey!), an extensive fruit bar. I can’t actually think of a single breakfast food I would have wanted that they *did not* have. Breakfast of legends, for sure.

4) Perfect balance of adventure + relaxation. Being on the Matterhorn “side of town” means you are the first one to the trails or to the lifts if you so choose, and have adventure at your fingertips from your doorstep. On the other hand, there’s a plethora of opportunities to simply *relax* at Matterhorn Focus - something that I know I can be terribly bad at, unless it is almost forced upon me. Anyone else love to go go go? We had a couple of very cold and overcast days on our latest trip which meant forced relaxation, so I took the time to meander around Matterhorn Focus’ spa and pool facilities. They give you everything you need to relax, including robes, slippers and big plushy towels - and even this active gal finally enjoyed the opportunity to just sit still in a clean, beautiful atmosphere. My favorite amenity is probably the eucalyptus steam room… I could spend hours in there, and now immediately need to figure out how to replicate the experience at my home.

Fruit and muesli selections at Focus breakfast

Lounging poolside with snowy views at Focus

My top Zermatt Experiences:

Visit Air Zermatt. I first learned about the innerworkings of Air Zermatt from the show “The Horn” which can be found on both Amazon and Outside TV, and have spent the better part of the last 7 years obsessed with their operation, as well as the absolute top tier example/standard they set for the rest of the emergency medicine/aviation industries.

It is important to note that while they do sightseeing tours, and in fact, they are some of the most spectacular tours in the world, their primary operations revolve around mountain support and rescues, as well as emergency medicine and rescue training, which includes a flight school, as well as fire services, water survival, critical care, first aid and first responder classes, to name a few.

We walked into Air Zermatt last week for our 40 minute sightsee over the Matterhorn, but truth be told, we were just as interested in “sightsee”-ing their operations in action.

The second person we saw upon entering the facility was Simon, who we had observed perform meticulous and miraculous rescues on The Horn, and who we soon learned had also in the interim 7 years since the show become an active pilot for Air Zermatt as well. If ever there was a ‘celebrity’ I wanted to meet (not a big fan of fawning over a Kardashian!), Simon would be it.

Now people like Simon give us a real reason to recognize someone as a legend and hero! Humble and unassuming - but exuding a quiet confidence … this embodies the ethos of Air Zermatt exceptionally well.

Everything at Air Zermatt gives the impression of a meticulous attention to detail, perfection, and the highest standard of excellence - from the communication from the front of office, to the detailed maintenance of their fleet of helicopters, to the carefully curated selection of the most impressive staff around. I know if I needed to trust someone with my life on a mountain, these guys would be at the top of my list to call.

As a testament to their reputation, when I shared some stories from our flightseeing adventure on my Instagram, I had tens of helicopter pilots send me messages sharing sentiments to the effect of, “I’ve been flying helicopters 30 years around the world, and Air Zermatt’s operation is the gold standard,” and then thanked me for highlighting their organization. They are very clearly highly respected for every angle of their work - and one not need to look far to understand why. An elite operation in every way.

Matterhorn off in the distance on Air Zermatt flight

Eat a meal at Sonnmatten. I’ve been coming back to Sonnmatten for the better part of the last 7 or 8 years and have never had a bad meal. Better news is that if you take my advice and stay at Focus Matterhorn, Sonnmatten is a quick 5 minute walk away, and a perfect cozy escape on a cold wintry night.

The best part about Sonnmatten is the small, family-run style of their restaurant and accommodations. The same faces have greeted me over the years, as well as help me picked a cozy meal to strike my fancy (gnocchi and scallops this time around… yum!) as well as a perfectly paired cocktail or glass of wine. Not to forget my forever favorite unique drink around the world which can be tasted and purchased aplenty: a unique hay schnapps, which feels like it was cultivated from the land and curated just for your palette. You’d think they’d screw up the recipe somewhere over the years, but they just never miss. Chefs kiss!

Hang out at Chez Vrony for an afternoon. There are many mountain huts and apres skis in Zermatt, and plenty of good food, but for me, nothing ever beats Chez Vrony. This is hands down my absolute favorite place in the world to enjoy an aperol spritz, and I don’t see it being unseated from the top spot anytime soon.

You simply take the Sunegga lift up to walk in, or ski in, and are greeted by incredibly well meaning and attentive staff and an extensive and equally impressive wine and food menu. I’m always partial to an incredible burger - and indeed theirs is one of the best - but their carpaccio and gnocchi dishes caught our attention as well and paired quite kindly with our overindulgence of aperol spritz. Every time I sit under a blanket, looking over the railing and out at the Matterhorn on the Chez Vrony patio, I find myself asking to every companion in listening distance, “is this place really real? Can you believe where we are right now?” How can a place be so perfect? That’s not for me to say… it really never gets old.

Unbelievable warming gnocchi at Chez Vrony

Special mentions: Go hang out at Brown Cow pub at Hotel Post downtown and get a burger and a tall Guinness. We also loved The North Wall Bar & Pizzeria for no fuss design-your-own-pizza. Easy, slightly off the beaten path, and 10/10 delicious (and GF friendly!) Best pastries in town are found at either Fuch’s or Petit Royal.

Golden latte and chocolate croissant at Petit Royal

Reading time in cozy upstairs at Petit Royal

Upfront and personal with the Matterhorn from Focus

CHAMONIX

In 1741 two Englishmen, Windham and Pococke, discovered the 'Chamouny' valley and its glaciers. Their expedition was met by a rural population of mountain farmers, and a humble monastery. This community lived off animal husbandry and a sparse harvest of oats and rye. After their initial discovery, Windham and Pococke explored the valley and visited the Mer de Glace (Sea of Ice). A few short decades later, the first guest house was opened in 1770 and in 1786, two local men made the first ever ascent of Mont Blanc. Not until 1901 was a railway line finally inaugurated into the area, which finally opened the town to winter visitors, and thus the touristic seasons begun.

As we lay in bed and listened to the booming of avalanche dynamite between 5am and 6am every day from our cozy well appointed chalet bedroom at La Sapiniere, we felt like we had officially arrived in Chamonix. The town and it’s people make you feel well looked after, from dynamite to dusk.

One thing I love about Chamonix is how it is clearly a oft-coveted adventure destination, whether in the winter or summer, but somehow it seems to avoid feeling overly touristic and maintain its authenticity. Of course there are a few selfie sticks here and there, especially on the popular tourist activities like the Aguille du Midi, but we are continuously surprised at just how easy it is to get off the beaten path. Take the ski lift up the Flagere, for instance, and within 10 minutes you can be in wide open bowls teaming with snow.

Where to stay: Le Sapiniere or one of the other ones I’ve written about from prior visits in the blog, including Hotel Mont Blanc Chamonix.

Sunset view from the room at La Sapiniere

My top Chamonix Experiences:

Eat at Cool Cats. Imagine the best apres-ski food you can ever envision and then make it 10x better. That’s Cool Cats in a nutshell. Loaded nachos and dogs and high quality food, so that you can indulge but not feel bad afterwards. I’ve been here 10 times and it’s still not enough.

Go up the Aguille du Midi. There are views pretty much everywhere you look in Chamonix, but none quite like the ones you get from the top of the Midi. This cable car holds the world record for the highest vertical ascent, from 1035m to 3842m.

Spend a spa day at QC Terme. There’s plenty of time for adventure and relaxation both in Cham and I’m a big fan of the yin yang. The same way you run 10 miles through the Alps to follow it up with an evening of raclette… you also must reward all the movement time with a bit of relaxation, as well. The spa at QC Terme is a great place to do so. Give yourself four hours or so.

Skiing/Riding the Chamonix Valley. It’s world class for a reason, with more vertical than you know what to do with. Towering peaks expand into a freerider’s paradise of chutes, cliffs and untouched snow. From Chamonix, you can take the lift up Brevent and transfer seemlessly to the Flegere area. There are mid station apres for all to enjoy, and they even take reservations! Up the valley, Les Grandes is the largest area with the biggest terrain, accessible via bus, shuttle and train. For the extreme thrill seekers, book a guide to gain access to the complete Vallee Blanche. The most inclusive pass is the Mont Blanc Unlimited which includes access to all the ski resorts in the valley, plus the Aigulle du Midi, Mer de Glace and more.

Don’t Ski/ Ride? You can still access the mountains multiple ways. You can buy individual roundtrip tickets to: Aigulle Du Midi, visit the Mer De Glace, join your friends for apres at any of the resorts with individual round trip tickets available at any ticket office. If you plan to do a few items listed, check out Pedestrian Pass which even allow for reservations for the Aigulle du Midi and the Mer de Glace! For the adventurous, check out paragliding!

Hang out at Les Caves. A trendy nightclub but without the pretentious vibe. Insider tip: you can ask for the extended wine menu which comes from Le Cap Horn upstairs and drink a beautiful beaujolais whilst hanging in a more laid back venue. Win, win.

Snacks on snacks - never leave home sans baguette

Head for breakfast at Arcus Coffee. By far the best breakfast in Chamonix. They are one of the only places I’ve ever been that has an extensive menu and actually does everything on the menu well. We switched it up day over day from eggs to omelettes to avocado toast to pancakes to acai bowls and none of them disappointed. The staff were also exceptional and the atmosphere welcoming and cozy.

Go for a glass of wine at Le Bistrot des Cristalliers. What better place to drink wine than in a cave? The wine menu and ambiance is impressive.

Some other honorable mentions: We loved the take out Mediterranean food at ELA (even the tahini brownie had me drooling), interesting/unique dishes at MUMMA, forever were picking up pastries and baguette/cheese sandwiches at Nicholas, and find that stopping at the Super U in town to pick up the basics/snacks is always a good idea. Also, if you’re anything like us, you need to find the occasional smoothie or vegetable while traveling to maintain some, ahem, regularity, Arctic Juice & Cafe is a great spot to find all the healthy things your heart desires.

A few additional travel and logistics notes:

We found that flying into Amsterdam from the U.S. was a great landing place to acclimate to the new time zone and enjoy some food and city scenes. Not to mention Schiphol is a hugely accessible airport, so a good bet. We recommend spending a New Years Eve there if you ever get the chance! From there, train travel is king.

We found that buying a 4 day Eurostar pass was the most cost effective and efficient way of moving around for our travel plans. BUT be wary you you need to pay slightly more for reservations for high-speed trains. Also, despite their best efforts, the travel planning apps don’t have every single option. I highly recommend reviewing the regional and local train tables because there can be more options than the app may show.

Also, Geneva is a great starting ground for access to the Alps. We used to visit there often and loved the opportunity to go back. Our favorite hotel there is Hotel Edelweiss. Super clean, spacious, and great views from the room… not to mention easy walking to all kinds of restaurants and bars, very centrally located.