Saas-Fee is not only a renowned resort, but also an uncovered gem. The reason being that Saas-Fee has much more to offer than what it is known for. What distinguishes Saas-Fee is too long to be captured in a short list. Car-free village, multi-seasonal resort, fantastic accommodation, but most of all – its very diverse nature and hiking trails. All that put Saas-Fee on the list of best hikes in Switzerland.
Saas-Fee, with its surrounding mountains and valleys are like a condensation of Switzerland nature’s best. Wide natural diversity from glaciers to mountain lakes, from green & brown meadows to dams, rivers & waterfalls.
The menu of hiking in Saas-Fee is impressive and suits every taste. That’s why its among the best hikes in Switzerland. From highly technical glacier hikes to children-friendly stroller hikes, among the most Beautiful hikes in Switzerland. All items are made of local ingredients of mother nature. For your hiking plan in Saas-Fee, you can choose whether you want a side of a river or a waterfall or even a mountain lake. If you are looking for easy hikes in Switzerland you can find them also in Saas-Fee.
You can also cut time and effort by using the cable cars, which are available from multiple locations and in many directions. All is included in SaastalCard that you can get at your hotel.
The hiking in Saas-Fee menu: among the best hikes in Switzerland
Lake Kreuzboden – a treat to the eyes!
This is my personal favourite as I am into hiking mainly for the views. To get there we took the cable car from Saas-Grund to save our energy for a hike near the lake.
This is literally a piece of heaven and one of the most beautiful hikes in Switzerland. A clear water mountain lake with a mini waterfall. Just sitting on a rock at Kreuzbodensee is a remedy for stress and treat to the eyes. From any spot around you can see a mesmerising mountain landscape that surrounds the valley. At a certain ground level angle, the lake gives the feel of an infinity pool but a natural one that is limited only by sky and mountains. Take off your shoes and dip in your feet. The challenge is how long you can stay as the water is really ice cold. Its also among easy hikes in Switzerland.
Old Water Mill- the sound of nature’s music
Alexandra’s favourite was the Old Wooden Mill on the other side of the valley. It collects in its water’s several streams coming from the top of the high mountains and glaciers. The hike here is a bit more demanding but definitely worth it. The roaring river plays a wonderful background music. On a sunny afternoon, the water streams glitter like dancing lights. The old mill is still functional & turning and you can sit just next to it or contemplate from the wooden bridge across. Definitely one of the best hikes in Switzerland.
Hannig – the romantic swing
From the center of Saas-Fee, you can take the cable car to Hannig. The view of the valley on both sides is filled with wonderful views of the village and the forests. The cherry on the top is the swing that allows a dynamic view of the valley. The hike from there down the valley is not very demanding but open to the valley views in all directions.
Saas-Fee gletcher Glacier-nature will prevail
Up on top of Längfluh you can observe the Feegletcher at a short distance. The view is quite distinctive. You cannot help but feel a bit sad, at how the glacier is shrinking year after year despite all efforts to protect it. Doubters of global warming should come to the terraces here. Maybe they become more appreciative of what’s left of it. This is one of the best hikes in Switzerland.
Mattmark Dam – the largest earth dam in Europe
To reach Mattmark we hiked from Saas-Fee to Saas-Almagel. The route is wide enough and smooth such that families can hike with a stroller. Its among the easy hikes in Switzerland. At Saas-Almagel there is a small playground and a small pound with ducks. From here you can take the bus that in 20 minutes takes you to Mattmark. The view of the dam is very distinctive as its water colour alternates between turquoise and blue depending on the sun and clouds reflection. The valley next to the dam has multiple streams flowing on the surface that look more like melting ice-cream on the cheeks of the mountain.
Hiking in Saas-Fee, of the best hikes in Switzerland, is about making friends
Through out the different hikes in Saas-Fee you will encounter many different hiking companions that will make your route extra special.
The cutest of them are the marmots. These furry animals have well-known spots where they wander. Better have some carrots or peanuts in your pockets to lure marmots out of their holes. They are very used to hikers so they will come to you when they smell the treats. If you are extra generous they might pose for a couple of photos :).
Who doesn’t like some moments of fame? The cows in Saas-Fee are very photogenic and also like the spotlight, so they approach you when they see the camera lenses.
If you have scanned well the surrounding meadows then don’t forget to scan the skies. The paragliders are numerous and you will witness several landings during your hike.
Hiking in Saas-Fee is kids-friendly and of the easy hikes in Switzerland
Saas-Fee is children-friendly. Not only the village itself is car-free. As said, many hiking routes in Saas-Fee are relatively easy, and some can also be done in strollers if you have toddlers. Almost every hike or cable car we took had a small children playground near it with slides and swings that can entertain the kids for a couple of hours.
Hike till you drop? No! Hike till you SPA
To be able to do all of these hikes in 3 days it needs a supporting ally, and that was our host Walliserhof Grand Hotel & SPA Saas-Fee. The support starts with a very useful hiking bag and a lot of tips & guidance from the local experts at the hotel. But the most important element was the relaxing SPA & treatments of the Walliserfhof Grand Hotel & SPA. After a long hiking day, the swimming pool, jacuzzi and sauna area were our refuges to relax & re-engerize.
The SPA offers couple of distinctive treatments that are inspired by the surrounding nature. We experienced the Hay flower pack that included wine marc full body peeling.
This gentle peeling drives blood circulation and strengthens the immune system. It was distinctive from any treatment I had before. Bedded on an alpine hay before being wrapped in an intensive primrose oil cream. The effect of the treatment is so divine that I eventually dozed off for a short while. After the roughness of the hiking day, this was the treatment highly needed to feel relaxed!
The hiking appetisers of Walliserfhof Grand hotel & SPA: view & breakfast
At the morning we were not only reenergised and fresh but also the view from our suite’s balcony over the Fee Glacier was the right incentive to pack the backpack quickly and head for another hiking day. This view was like the “amuse bouche” of the day!
Ready to hike again but not before having a hearty delicious breakfast that was rich with local fresh products at Walliserhof Grand-Hotel & SPA Saas-Fee. The cheese corner is a treat by itself, and the bread & bakeries are amazing.
Here in Saas-Fee hiking became a synonym for summer, same as ski is already a synonym for winter. To hike more, meant to explore more, to discover more & to enjoy more. It meant also to relax more, to re-energize more & “to Spa” even more. This exponential equation key component was our host Walliserhof Grand-Hotel & SPA, who are deeply integrated in the whole experience. They make sure that you enjoy the outdoor experience as much as the indoor, taking care of every detail of the stay from the hiking bag, to accompanying us to the marmots, to the whole SPA experience.
