Grimentz resort guide & reviews Ski area, apres-ski, things to see & do in Grimentz
Resort review
Grimentz is an alpine village in the district of Sierre in the Swiss canton of Valais surrounded by 4000m peaks. Its a village of extreme beauty especially in the summer with chalet balconies dripping with red geraniums.
However, during the ski season, the village is transformed in to an international winter wonderland ski resort. The medieval centre has to be one of the most beautiful around with picture postcard wooden ski chalets and cobbled streets making Grimentz a truly authentic Swiss ski resort.
Après-ski
The night life is fairly quiet especially during the week. Grimentz is a place to relax and unwind so you won't find any casinos like in some larger resorts. There are a few apres-ski bars, pubs and a nightclub.
| Key information (whole area) | |
|---|---|
| Altitude | 1572m |
| Top lift | 3000m |
| Family | |
| Beginner | |
| Intermediate | |
| Expert | |
| Piste (km) | 220 |
| Longest run | km |
| Off piste | |
| Cross country | 33 km |
| Season | Dec - April |
| Snowboard parks | 1 |
| Heli Skiing | ✘ |
| Summer skiing | ✘ |
| Glacier skiing | ✔ |
| Babysitting | ✘ |
| Creche | ✔ |
| Apres ski | Relaxed & Informal |
Grimentz ski area guide
The Grimentz ski slopes above Bendolla stretch along the Becs de Bosson up to an altitude of almost 3000m giving superb views over the Val d'Anniviers and Rhone Valley.
There are 220km of pistes covered by one pass and includes the resorts of:
- Vercorin
- Grimentz
- Zinal
- Vercorin, and
- St-Luc & Chandolin
Beginners
The beginners area is accessed from the centre of the village. Once you can snow-plough, there is a long blue from Bendolla back down to the village centre.
Intermediate
If you like cruising for miles on motorway reds and blues then this is not the resort for you. What Grimentz does offer is variety - you can ski with the same pass in the other Val d’Anniviers resorts such as St Luc and Zinal.
Advanced
Apart from the FIS World Cup black run from the mid-station back to the resort, there is not much on-piste to challenge the expert skier.
However, it's the off-piste that attracts the serious skiers to Grimentz with some fantastic itineraries such as Abondance and Chache which are best tried with a guide.
Things to see & do in Grimentz
- Toboggan run and snow tubing
- Ice skating
- Fun park
- Winter hiking trails and snow shoeing
- Swimming pool
- Climbing wall
- Paragliding
Cross country
The local cross-country trails are well maintained and completely free of charge - a well known route is the 12km trail from Grimentz-Vercorin.
Further afield, there are another 15kms of trails at Zinal. There is a free shuttle bus but there is a small charge for using the trails.
Our view on Grimentz
We think Grimentz is an ideal base for exploring the local area. Some of the "must-do's" are...
- Less than 10km from Sierre in the Rhone Valley, in the village of St-Léonard which has the largest underground lake in the whole of Europe!
- Take a ride on the Bendolla- a mountain railway followed by a 15 minute walk up to the Marais Alp. This is where cheese is made and you can sample some over lunch
- A visit to the Moiry Glacier - the best views are from the Cabane de Moiry, a hut at the edge of the glacier
- The Burgher House from the 15th century forms the center of Grimentz. Here, you can taste white glacier wine which is made in the cellar - this wine is a speciality of the nomadic farmers
If you like Grimentz - St Jean, you may also want to have a look at Seefeld and Fugen in Austria.
