Grimentz Ski Resort Review 2026
Grimentz is the real Valais, a tight cluster of sun blackened larch chalets that has stood for centuries, with sunny family skiing above the village and serious freeride terrain across the cable car on the Zinal side. The off piste between the two sectors after a storm is among the best kept secrets in Switzerland, and you will ski it without the lift line crowds of Verbier. Mileage hungry intermediates and anyone who needs a nightlife should look elsewhere, because the marked network is modest and the evenings are quiet.
A centuries old Val d'Anniviers village with sunny family slopes at home and serious freeride skiing across the cable car to Zinal, all without the crowds.
Grimentz links with Zinal for around 110 km of pistes, with the wider Val d'Anniviers pass adding St Luc Chandolin and Vercorin. The local slopes are friendly and family shaped, while the Zinal side carries the steeps under the Weisshorn, Zinalrothorn and Dent Blanche. It is a weaker fit for skiers who measure a week in piste kilometers or who want a big evening scene.
How it scores for your group
Families. Excellent. The Grimentz side faces the sun, the local blues and reds are wide and honest, and the village itself is small enough that children cannot get lost in it. I have taught in plenty of resorts that call themselves family friendly and then funnel everyone through the same chokepoint at nine in the morning. That does not happen here. Quiet lifts mean more runs and fewer frayed nerves.
Beginners. Good. The nursery terrain is gentle, sunny and uncrowded, and the step up to the easy blues above the village is a natural one. The only caveat is that a complete beginner does not need around 110 km of linked skiing, so you are paying for charm you will see mostly from the restaurant terrace. No bad thing, but know it.
Intermediates. Good with a condition. The cruising on the Grimentz side is sunny and flattering, and the long reds on the Zinal side will stretch a confident intermediate properly. But the marked network is modest by Swiss giant standards, and a skier who measures the week in kilometers will have toured the whole map in three days. The Val d'Anniviers pass adds St Luc Chandolin and Vercorin, which buys you another day or two of novelty.
Experts. Underrated, and seriously so. The cable car to the Zinal sector opens high north facing freeride terrain under the Imperial Crown of 4,000 m peaks, and the off piste between the linked sectors after a storm is among the best kept secrets in Switzerland. Hire a guide, because this is real mountain country, not a groomed itinerary with a rope around it.
Non skiers. Mixed. The village is one of the most beautiful in the Alps and worth a slow afternoon on its own, but once you have walked the old lanes and eaten well there is not a deep program of activities. A non skier who reads, walks and likes quiet will be happy. One who needs entertainment laid on will not.
Terrain by ability
The skiing splits cleanly in two, and you should plan your days around that split. The local Grimentz slopes rise above the village on the sunny side of the valley: balanced blues and reds, wide, well groomed and family shaped, the kind of terrain where a ski school group and a fast family can share the hill without friction. Top lift sits at around 2,900 m, with around 1,300 m of vertical back to the valley when conditions allow.
The big cable car from Grimentz to the Zinal sector is the headline act among the roughly 20 lifts, and it changes the character of the day completely. The Zinal side carries the serious steeps: high, largely north facing terrain that holds snow well for the altitude, with the Weisshorn, Zinalrothorn and Dent Blanche commanding the skyline. After a storm, the off piste between the linked sectors is as good as anything I have skied in the Valais, and the people who know about it are not standing in line in front of you. That is the whole trade here. You give up mileage and you get snow, space and silence.
Photos via Google. Contributed by Pascal Jeanrenaud, Uwe H., Alain Petter.
Charm, convenience and the evening
Grimentz is one of the most beautiful old villages in the Alps, and I do not say that lightly after thirty seasons of hearing every resort marketing office make the same claim. This is a tight cluster of sun blackened larch chalets and granaries dating back centuries, geraniums in summer, deep snow stacked on the roofs in winter. It was a working Valais village long before anyone bolted a lift to the hill, and it still feels like one. If you want to know what Switzerland looked like before the brochure era, this is it.
Be honest with yourself about the evenings, because the village will not change for you. There are a few good restaurants and bars and nothing more. Dinner is excellent, the wine is local and the street is silent by ten. For couples and families who ski hard and sleep early that is the entire point. For anyone who treats apres as a second sport, it is a dealbreaker, and you should book accordingly rather than complain in March.
Lodging and chalet quotes
Lodging is mostly chalets and apartments, many of them conversions of genuinely old buildings, plus a handful of small hotels. The village is compact, so nowhere is far from the lift base, but snow on the lanes is a fact of life and a place near the gondola earns its keep with young children. Grimentz runs cheaper than the famous Swiss names, and a comfortable week typically lands in the $2,000 to $4,000 band per person.
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Prices, lessons and ski hire
The linked Grimentz Zinal pass runs around $70 a day, which is honest money by Swiss standards for terrain of this quality, and the wider Val d'Anniviers pass adding St Luc Chandolin and Vercorin costs little more. If there is one place on this mountain to spend money, it is a guide for the Zinal side, because the best skiing here is not on the map. Book passes, lessons and hire ahead and the week stays in budget.
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Geneva is around 2h 30m away and Sion around 1h. By rail, take the train to Sierre and then the postbus up the valley, around 40 minutes of switchbacks that tell you exactly why this place stayed unspoiled. The road up the Val d'Anniviers takes commitment: it is well kept and the postbus drivers handle it all winter, but a nervous driver in a hire car will not enjoy it in falling snow. The Swiss rail and postbus combination is genuinely the easy option here, which is rare in the Alps.
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A smooth airport to resort transfer sets the tone for the week. Book ahead, especially over peak weeks.
Book a transferThe best weeks to ski Grimentz
The season runs mid December to mid April, and the snow record is strong for the altitude because the terrain that matters most sits high and faces north on the Zinal side. January and February give you cold snow, empty lifts and the best chance of catching the famous between sector off piste in prime condition. If powder is the point of your trip, those are your weeks.
March works beautifully for families: the sunny Grimentz side comes into its own, the village terraces warm up and the high Zinal terrain holds its quality long after lower resorts in the Valais have gone soft. Avoid expecting much from the valley runs in the last weeks of the season, and ride the lift down with no shame. Everyone here does.
Grimentz FAQs
Is Grimentz good for families?
Yes, one of the best fits in the Valais. The local slopes are sunny, gentle and uncrowded, the village is compact and safe, and quiet lifts mean children spend the day skiing instead of queueing. The trade is quiet evenings, which most families with young children count as a feature.
How good is the off piste at Grimentz?
Seriously good, and seriously underrated. The cable car to the Zinal sector opens high north facing freeride terrain under the Weisshorn, Zinalrothorn and Dent Blanche, and the off piste between the linked sectors after a storm is among the best kept secrets in Switzerland. Hire a guide, because the best lines are real mountain terrain and not marked itineraries.
Is Grimentz expensive?
By Swiss standards, no. It is cheaper than the famous Swiss names, with the linked lift pass at around $70 a day and a comfortable week typically landing in the $2,000 to $4,000 band per person. You give up big resort infrastructure and nightlife in exchange, which is exactly the deal most of its regulars want.
How do I get to Grimentz?
Fly to Geneva, around 2h 30m away, or Sion at around 1h. By rail, take the train to Sierre and then the postbus up the Val d'Anniviers, around 40 minutes of switchbacks. The road takes commitment in snow, so the rail and postbus combination is the easy option.
Grimentz or Zinal, which is the better base?
They share the same linked area, so it is a question of character. Grimentz is the prettier village by a distance, with sunnier local slopes and slightly more going on in the evening. Zinal is plainer and quieter but sits directly under the steepest terrain, so dedicated freeriders sometimes prefer it. For most groups, Grimentz is the better base.
When is the best time to ski Grimentz?
January and February for cold snow, empty lifts and the best off piste conditions on the high north facing Zinal side. March suits families, with sun on the Grimentz slopes and snow still holding up high. The season runs mid December to mid April.
Nearby alternatives
Staying in the Val d'Anniviers or the wider Valais but want a different feel? These three sit on the same pass or within easy reach.
Zinal
The other half of the linked area, a plainer village sitting directly under the steepest terrain, the freerider's choice of base.
St Luc Chandolin
The sunny side of the same valley on the wider Anniviers pass, gentler skiing and huge views across to the big peaks.
Crans Montana
The opposite proposition just across the Rhone valley, a big sunny piste network with shops, golf and a proper town scene.
Where should you stay and when should you go?
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By the Ski Resorts for Kings editorial team · Last reviewed June 2026.