Holidays with altitude

For 200 years it has tempted intellectuals and politicians such as Friedrich Nietzsche, Herman Hesse, Richard Wagner, the Kennedy family, and the Shah of Persia to spend their winter holidays.

The resort offers 350km of slopes that face the Alps, the Monteratsch Glacier, and the lakes and forests of the Swiss National Park. The altitudes between 1,800 and 3,303m above sea level means snow is pretty much guaranteed.

The main area is Corviglia/Piz Nair, which rises to 3,057m and is accessed by a funicular from Dorf, cable car and chair from Band or gondola and chair from Celerina.

The highlight takes place on north-facing Corvatsch on Friday nights (7pm-2am) when you can ski under the star-lit sky by joining the Corvatsch Snow Night parties on the runs. You can reach it from Lake Silvaplana, by ski bus from Bad and Dorf. This part usually has the best conditions of the region as well as the highest lift in the valley on a glacier that rises to 3.05m.

Miss peak time and you get to schuss down the long runs pretty much all by yourself. Every winter the village hosts the White Turf, an annual horse race on the frozen lake. The King's Palace discotheque, the Dracula Club, and the Kempinski Palace Casino are some of the most exclusive clubs in Europe. But for something more casual, pop into Hanselmann's patisserie for a slice of Nusstorte (nut cake).

Ski pass and lessons:

A full-day pass costs 60€ and a private five-hour ski lesson 350€.

How to get there:

The most panoramic way is with the Bernina Express, which runs across the Alps from Tirano (Italy). Engadine Airport provides private jet flights to and from Zurich, Geneva, Basel, Milan, and Munich, while the Engadine bus runs across the village's main attractions.

Verbier

Great off-piste skiing and powder snow

In the French-speaking Swiss Canton of Valais, it faces the majestic peaks of Grand Combin. With its 410km of marked runs, it is part of the Four Vallées ski area, which includes the ski resorts of Nendaz, Veysonnaz, La Tzoumaz, and Thyon. All are connected by a sprawling high-tech network of cable cars and gondolas.

So, If you have a spare couple of days and are a confident skier, these further reaches may be fun to explore.

Most, though, spend their time on the pistes above Verbier using the Medran gondola to get around.

Verbier's highest run, Mont Fort (3330m), has a stunning panoramic view of the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc Massif.

Off-piste skiing in the region is recognised as the best in the world and runs such as Tortin, Gentianes, Plan do Fou, and Mont Gel have become legendary as a playground for celebrities and professionals.

The Duke of York and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson have reportedly clubbed together to buy a £13 million ski chalet as an investment for their daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie

But in any case, everyone, even non-skiers should ride the sequence of gondolas and cable cars accessing Mont Fort (3330m) for the views

Les Moulins is the junior slope near to the town centre. There's a kids' club run by the Swiss ski School and a crèche. The final of the Freeride World Tour, Verbier Xtreme (an off-piste competion), takes place here and if you like powder snow, you can heliski too at Petit Combin.

The village is well-known for its New Year's Eve celebration, when the young and sporty converge in Place Central in their ski gear and dance until dawn.

How to get there:

From Geneva international airport it's a three-hour drive. Alternatively, you can take a train from Geneva to Martigny or Le Chable. From there, take a taxi or a local bus to the village.

Ski pass and lessons:

An all day pass costs 56€. Rates per person for one helidrop (6,000 feet descent) 615€ for two people. A full day's private ski lesson costs 60€ .

Zermatt

Families, intermediates and experts

Switzerland's most famous ski resort is located at the foot of Matterhorn, one of the most spectacular and most photographed peaks of the Alps (4478m).

Here, the most southwesterly of the great resorts, two things are almost guaranteed.

It is expensive, thanks in part to pricey ski lift passes and partly because of a strong Swiss Franc; and second, there will be snow from November right through to the end of April, thanks to its high altitude. And even if there happens to be meagre snow fall, artificial snow takes up the slack.

You can probably ski here in the summer too. The mountainous backdrop of 38 summits surrounds a quaint town. It has a no-car policy, so strolling around is a pleasure, but you can catch a silent electric shuttles or a traditional horse and carriage.

Learn to ski at Wolli's Park at Stunnega and, while there, you can use the nearby ice skating rink.

Zermatt also has a quirky Igloo Village - made with real snow, with rooms, snowshoed night hikes, and fondue parties.
www.iglu-dorf.com

Ski pass and lessons:

A full day pass is 51€, including connection to Cervinia and Valtournenche ski resorts (Italy) through the Plateau Rosa Glacier. Children can join group lessons for 60€ for the day (lunch included). A three-hour ski class for adults will cost 52€. Ski rental is 30€ for adults and 15€ for children.

How to get there:

From Basel and Geneva airports, there is a three-hour transfer time. Bern is the closest but flights are limited. Getting there by train is a good option. The Swiss Alps Ski Service, run by Eurostar, runs from St Pancras to Brig with a change at Lille.
www.eurostar.com