For incredibly comprehensive information including the cultural options available in the region, we encourage you to visit SaasFee.ch

You can download a copy of the Saas-Fee village map here.

This page is intended as a brief introduction to Saas-Fee.

1. Saas-Fee is located in the bilingual Swiss Canton Wallis/Valais – the official languages here are both German and French; Saas-Fee lies in the primarily German-speaking eastern portion of the Canton. However, most people in the services trades – especially waiting staff – also speak at least enough English to enable adequate communication. Skills can roughly be said to increase along with professional position. Needless to say, perfectly fluent English is spoken at the Tourist Office, ski schools, etc.
2. Saas-Fee is above the valley and the other “Saas” villages. It is the only pedestrian village; the others allow normal car traffic.
3. You will arrive in Saas-Fee either on the PostAuto [= yellow Post Office bus] from Visp or in your own vehicle – cars must be left at the big multi-storey parking “silo” [yes, that's what they call it in Saas-Fee1] at the entrance of the village; the bus terminal is, logically, at the Post Office [next to the parking lot].
4. From there, everything is reachable on foot within about 15 minutes, or you can call an electric taxi, for example from BOLERO. We offer you a complimentary taxi ride on arrival and departure between the Post Office / Car Park / Tourist Office <> Malou Troubadour, also via Hotel Allalin – further details will be provided in your reservation documentation. If you prefer to walk, both the Tourist Office and Malou Troubadour’s property on-site manager, the Hotel Allalin, operate a handcart lending service. The holiday flat Troubadour in the House Malou [in Saas-Fee there are no street names or numbers, just house names!] is located in the Mountain Village area approximately seven minutes’ walk from the north-eastern end of the top deck of the parking lot, and about 10-15 minutes from the bus stop at the Post Office [depending on route! – Fee is a real village with winding lanes …].
5. The entire village is only about a mile [1.6 km] long from one end [ski lift funiculars, golf] to the other [cross country ski runs]. The wellness centre and swimming pool are close by the Post Office. During the winter, a number of free ski buses criss-cross the village, and in the summer, transport is facilitated by a little “tourist train” called “Allalino”. You will find stops for either within approximately 250 m [300 yards] from Malou Troubadour.
6. The Tourist Office [known in Saas-Fee even in German as “Tourist Office”] is only about 50 m from the Post Office, and very friendly and efficient. After another 100 m slightly uphill you reach the village centre.
7. Each of the “Saas” villages has its own character and offers different winter sports options. They can all be reached in just a few minutes with the Post Bus, which in winter also acts as a ski bus complete with ski racks.

Here you will find more information about the four “Saas” Villages …

If you’d like to plan your activities in advance, the “Saas Valley Village Maps” and “Saas Valley Ski Maps” can be downloaded here.

1. Remember that the region also provides excellent hiking grounds in the summer – Italy is only a vigorous half-day medium difficulty mountain hike away [see Mattmarksee Hike on Kompass.de - in German only]. The Mattmarksee reservoir itself, whose earth dam is the highest natural containment structure in Europe, offers a 9 km virtually level circuit for an easy stroll. A big highlight is also the Adventure Forest in Saas-Fee, with the two longest Tyrolean zip line wire spans for cable gliding in Europe. And we even have an Alpine golf course!
2. There are also nice cycling options – and not just mountain biking, but also more level circuits like around the Mattmarksee or along the Saaser Vispa.

And … if the Saas Valley should not suffice, it is not far to some other well-known Alpine resorts like Zermatt, Crans-Montana-Aminona, Verbier, Haute-Nendaz etc.

The Visitors’ Card issued by the Tourist Office and/or the hotels/homeowners gives access to many reductions and special rates. The combined Swiss Rail / Post Office bus operation also offers numerous interesting reduced price excursion options.

We wish you a wonderful holiday in Saas-Fee! And – last but not least – you can at all times get any information you need from the Tourist Office or from our on-site manager, the Hotel Allalin. This elegant family run establishment also houses the Walliser Kanne restaurant, with excellent cuisine and service much to be recommended for all occasions, from relaxed lunches to celebrations, and most certainly for that romantic candlelight dinner …

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History at every step

1. Saas-Fee is the one that, as a car-free “eagle’s nest” and sporting quite a number of elegant shops, hotels and restaurants, most resembles an “exclusive” ski resort – but it is at the same time quiet, friendly and unpretentious, so that visitors feel relaxed, and privileged to be here. It has the most varied skiing and best snow guarantee in the valley, plus the World Cup Plattjen runs. In the summer, it recalls the idyllic nature of an English village, with beautiful gardens and a plethora of wildflowers and window boxes, supplemented by a nine hole Alpine golf course, and you will find historical details wherever you go. Its sophisticated nature has earned it the sobriquet of “Pearl of the Alps”

Round Church and Waterfall

2. Saas-Balen is the gateway to the valley when coming from Visp – small, quaint and with two particularly romantic features — the renowned late Baroque Church of the Assumption “round church” [a specific architectural design, like London’s Temple Church – remember? it appears in the Da Vinci Code!] and the Fellbach Waterfall, which for all its beauty has spelt disaster for the village on more than one occasion. Saas-Balen is ideal for snowboard beginners and has a natural ice skating rink. Calm and relaxing, is also often called “The Pearl of Serenity”

Chapel Path

3. Saas-Grund is the largest of the four, a long street village where you will find a lot of really down-to-earth practical things you may not find in Saas-Fee, in addition to high altitude skiing, all kinds of winter fun including snowtubing, and a well developed network of winter hiking trails linking it with Saas-Balen. In the early summer low season, proportionally more shops and restaurants are open here than elsewhere. The leisure part takes place off the main road. A beautiful “Chapel Path” leads up to Saas-Fee, and the path along the Saaser Vispa river leads to Saas Almagell.

Mattmark Dam

4. Saas-Almagell is bustling and very pretty, with nice camping sites by the river, and a well developed, compact skiing area, snowtubing, and an ice rink. Aside from being the home “snow” of the ski stars of the Saas Valley, Pirmin, Heidi and Sylvan Zurbriggen, in the form of the Heidbodmen skiing area, the village also marks a major change in the scenery from the steep gorges of the lower valley to an eerie, almost moonlike shingle landscape leading up to the Mattmark Dam – a sight that will leave you agape with amazement and also a location that represents the starting point to the Monte Moro hike with access to the village of Macugnaga in Italy [see the eponymous Post page!] .

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Looking for even more adventure? Don’t forget that the Saas Valley is close to the popular Alpine resorts of  Zermatt, Crans-Montana-Aminona, Verbier, Haute-Nendaz etc.

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Here are some of our favorites:

1. Check out the natural ice rink in Saas Fee!!
2. Take the family Snowtubing in Grund and Almagell or Sledding Saas-Fee – Hannig
3. …or if you like to keep your feet on the ground, take a stroll on one of the many beautiful winter walking trails.
4. Finally, if you’d rather see than do, watch European and World Cup Skiing and Snowboard races, live! These are popular races and fun events to attend.

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This text was originally published on the Kompass.de website
Our own comments are shown in this reddish colour at the end.

From the parking lot, walk to the crown of the dam, with a panoramic view of the Saas Valley; then follow the road along the eastern shore, which allows for a good view of the other side, until a steep rise is reached. Across pastures, you attain 2330 m. Keep right and – at an almost even level – traverse the Distelalp [“Thistle Field”], until you cross two torrents originating from the Ofental Valley (2329 m).

In several large loops, you will then cross a brook several times on a path that once again leads down to the reservoir; follow this path to its end, where you will meet the end of the western shore path. At this point, you take the marked, moderately rising path to the left over the sparse Innerer Bodmen meadows. After crossing the Vispa River, continue to climb in an ever scraggier, more pronouncedly rising landscape to the Tälliboden area. Upon reaching the fork in the road, follow the sign to the “Monte Moro”. The path now rises strongly through rocky mountainsides, on shingle and scree. It partially leads along natural rock ledges, and in some portions, over large rocky slabs.

You finally arrive at the Monte-Moro-Pass and its magnificent view down into the Anzasca Valley and over to the Monte Rosa. If you’d like to stop for a bite to eat, you can make a little detour on the Italian side down to the Rifugio G. Oberto* (or Città di Malnate) on the cable car station to Staffa.** From the top of the pass, return to the abovementioned fork in the road on the Innerer Bodmen following the same route via the Tälliboden as for the ascent.

Cross the Vispa River on the left and walk on a small, almost level scree road leading over the flowery meadows of the Grienberg on the western shore of the Mattmark Reservoir. The second half of the tour involves crossing a few brooks and walking through two short tunnels before reaching the dam wall and the parking lot.

Type: Hiking tour

Canton / Region / Mountain chain: Switzerland / Wallis/Valais Alps

Difficulty: Medium

Nature of the tour: Well-marked, wide and not too steep trails or paths throughout, requiring however a good standard of fitness.

Tested: Yes

Point of departure: Saas-Fee

Access: From Saas-Fee, drive to the crown of the Mattmark Reservoir Dam, where you can park (the yellow PostAuto bus also stops here).

Driving plus walking time: 5.5 – 6 hours

Highest point: 2868 m

Information: Wallis/ValaisTourism

N.B.: Do this hike ONLY during the summer!

Once back at the crown of the dam, you may want to visit the highly interesting Mattmark Museum in the Restaurant Building and – why not! – stay around a while to have an excellent little meal and a glass of outstanding wine from the Valais. Tel. +41 (0)27 957 2906.

* Click here for Museum website – in German only!

** When in operation, the cable car also takes you down to the Italian resort village of Macugnaga [http://www.macugnaga.it/]. Please note that you MUST have a valid ID card or passport on you as you will be crossing an international border!

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The Saas Museum – Saas Fee: History and traditions of Saas Fee and the Saas Valley, as well as exhibits relating to renowned German writer Carl Zuckmayer [1896-1977], author of well-known works such as Schinderhannes, Der Hauptmann von Koepenick, The Devil’s General, and script writer of The Blue Angel [starring Marlene Dietrich]. The Museum also features a treasure hunt for kids. The Visitor Card entitles holder to a reduction.

Bakery Museum – Saas Fee: The past and present of baking, plus recipes and children’s baking classes!

Gallery Maste 4: Uniquely located high up in the mountains close to the mid-station Morenia of the Alpin Express, this gallery shows rotating exhibitions of sculptures and paintings by international artists. Guest artists can be observed at work. The gallery is open daily from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

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Day Care

Child care facility Murmeli
Tel: +41 27 957 40 57
Email: kita-murmeli@3906.ch

The Murmeli playgroup and nursery welcomes children aged 18 months to six years. Here your children are provided with a protected and supervised environment where they can play and let their imagination run wild while you take some time for yourself.

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