Saas-Fee
The Pearl of the Alps, car-free glacier village
Photo: Saas-Fee / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Saas-Fee lies at 1,800 m at the head of the Saas valley, surrounded by thirteen four-thousand-metre peaks, among them the Dom (4,545 m), the highest mountain lying entirely on Swiss soil. The car-free village is regarded as the Pearl of the Alps and is known for its year-round glacier ski area and the world's highest revolving-restaurant view, reached by the Metro Alpin.
Highlights
- Glacier Metro Alpin to the Mittelallalin (3,500 m) with revolving restaurant
- Year-round ski area on the Fee Glacier
- A ring of 13 four-thousanders around the village
- Eis-Pavillon, the largest walk-in ice grotto in the world
Good to know
| Elevation | 1,800 m (car-free) |
| Local mountains | Dom (4,545 m), Allalinhorn (4,027 m) |
| Ski area | Glacier skiing year-round |
| Special feature | world's highest revolving restaurant (3,500 m) |
Practical info
Getting there: By train to Visp/Brig, then by postbus into the Saas valley; parking garages at the edge of the village (car-free).
Best time: Hiking June to October; winter sports December to April; glacier skiing also in summer.
Cost: Mountain railways and Metro Alpin payable (please verify).
Safety: Marked trails and pistes are safe; high tours onto the four-thousanders only with experience or a guide.
Tips:
- The guest card often includes mountain railways and bus, check in advance
- Sunrise at the Mittelallalin rewards the early ascent
Background & History
Saas-Fee lies in the rear Saas Valley in the Swiss canton of Valais and rightly bears its byname Pearl of the Alps, for the car-free mountain village at around 1800 metres is framed by a mighty ring of four-thousand-metre peaks and glaciers. Above the village towers the mighty Mischabel massif with the Dom, the highest mountain lying entirely on Swiss soil. Until well into the 20th century the valley was accessible only by narrow pack trails, which preserved for Saas-Fee that original character still shown today in the old wooden houses, darkened by the sun, and the barns resting on mushroom-shaped stones.
The village is shaped by the Fee Glacier, whose ice masses once reached far down into the valley and gave the place its name. On the neighbouring Allalin Glacier, thanks to the great altitude, skiing is even possible in summer, and an underground funicular leads to the highest mountain station in the world. In this way Saas-Fee combines the carefully preserved tradition of a remote Valais mountain village with a constant view of one of the most impressive high-mountain backdrops in the Alps.
To make your trip run smoothly , our guides and gear tips for this destination:
