Grimentz Village Guide 2026

Grimentz at a glance

Photos via Google. Contributed by Remontes Mecaniques de Grimentz Zinal, Werner Grieder, Pascal Jeanrenaud.

What Grimentz is really like

Grimentz is the Valais people picture when they imagine old Switzerland: a tight, ancient cluster of sun blackened larch chalets hung with geraniums in summer and snow in winter, lived in for centuries and beautiful in a way no purpose built resort can fake. The clever part for value seekers is that this storybook village comes with sunny family slopes at home and, across the cable car, some of the best uncrowded freeride terrain in the country, all without Verbier's prices or lift lines.

The trade off is honest. The marked area is modest at around 110 km and best suited to families, beginners and off piste skiers rather than mileage hungry intermediates, and the evenings are quiet. For a skier who values beauty, snow and a calm, characterful base over scale and nightlife, Grimentz is a rare find. For the full mountain breakdown see our Grimentz ski resort review.

Where to stay in Grimentz

The heart of Grimentz is the protected old village, where staying among the historic larch chalets is the whole experience, a short walk or shuttle from the gondola that climbs toward the skiing. Newer apartments and chalets sit a little above and around the old core, often with the best valley views and easy lift access. Across the valley, the resort of Zinal offers an alternative base on the same linked pass.

Grimentz is good value for a Swiss resort of this beauty. Self catering apartments and characterful chalets dominate, and a week typically lands in the $2,000 to $4,000 band per person, with larger or smarter chalets reaching the $4,000 to $8,000 band, still well below Verbier or Zermatt for a more atmospheric village. Because little is true ski in ski out, ask any property how close the gondola or shuttle stop is before booking. Use the short form below to have your dates and group priced quickly.

Get chalet and lodging quotes

For a faster quote on where to stay in Grimentz, send the short form below and operators who know the village price your dates and group, including which base suits the skiing you want.

Skiing from the village

Grimentz offers two very different kinds of skiing. Above the village is a sunny, friendly spread of blues and reds that suits families and improving skiers, served by a gondola from the valley floor. The bigger draw for confident skiers is across the linked area toward Zinal, where the terrain rises to around 2,900 m and the off piste between the two sectors after a storm is among the best kept secrets in Switzerland.

The marked network is a modest 110 km on the linked Grimentz Zinal pass, so this is not a resort for skiers who want endless new pistes. It is a resort for those who want quiet lifts, sunny cruising and serious uncrowded freeride with a guide. For more famous Valais alternatives see Verbier and Crans Montana.

Apres ski and evenings

Grimentz's evenings are quiet, warm and authentically Swiss rather than lively. A handful of village restaurants serve excellent Valais cooking, raclette and fondue and local wine, and a few cosy bars are enough for a relaxed drink, but nobody comes here for a big night out. For couples, families and off piste skiers winding down after a long day, that calm is exactly the appeal.

For a value conscious trip this restraint helps. A week of good mountain food and quiet evenings in a stunning old village costs far less than a comparable stay in the Valais headline resorts, and feels more like the real Switzerland for it.

For families and non skiers

Grimentz is a lovely, manageable family base. The sunny home slopes above the village are gentle for learners, the ski school is used to children, and the compact old village is safe and easy to get around. Off the snow there is sledging, snowshoeing and winter walking in beautiful surroundings, plus the simple pleasure of a real Swiss village. It is calmer and cheaper than the marquee Valais resorts, which suits family budgets and younger children well. For the wider picture see our guide to the best family ski resorts in the Alps.

Getting around

Grimentz is small and walkable, with a shuttle and the gondola linking the village to the skiing and the rest of the Val d'Anniviers. The same valley pass and bus network connect to Zinal and the other Anniviers villages, so you can explore without a car once you arrive. A car is useful for the drive up the valley and for reaching Grimentz from the airports, but is not essential during your stay.

Getting there

Grimentz sits up the scenic Val d'Anniviers above Sierre in the Rhone valley. Geneva airport is around 2 hours 30 minutes by road, with Sion a closer but smaller option, and the Swiss train network reaches Sierre with a postbus up the valley, making a car free trip genuinely possible. Arrange a transfer or hire car through our transfer partner, and put cover in place through our travel insurance partner before you travel. For the wider region see our Valais region guide.

Lift passes, lessons and ski hire

Most visitors buy the linked Grimentz Zinal pass at around $65 a day, which covers both sectors and the off piste link that is the area's highlight, and wider Val d'Anniviers passes add the other valley resorts. Compare current pass options through our lift pass partner, book lessons or, importantly here, an off piste guide through our lessons partner, and sort skis or a board through our ski hire partner. Passes, hire and guiding all cost noticeably less than in the Valais headline resorts.

When to go

January and February bring the coldest, most reliable snow and the best of the famous Grimentz Zinal off piste, which is the main reason serious skiers come. The village and its linked area stay quiet even in the school holidays compared with Verbier or Zermatt. March offers sunny days and softer afternoons that suit families on the home slopes. Whenever you come, hire a guide before venturing onto the freeride terrain between the sectors.

The honest bottom line

Grimentz is the beautiful, quiet value play of the Valais: a centuries old larch chalet village with sunny family slopes at home and some of the best uncrowded freeride in Switzerland across the cable car to Zinal, all for less than the headline resorts. You trade a giant piste map and nightlife for genuine beauty, quiet lifts, excellent off piste and a calmer bill.

For families, off piste skiers and anyone who wants the real Switzerland over a polished mega resort, Grimentz is one of the first names we recommend in the Valais. Mileage hungry intermediates and party seekers should look to Verbier. If you want this trip priced by specialists, tell us your dates and budget below and we will route your brief to operators who know the Val d'Anniviers well.

Common questions