Top of Val d’Anniviers – time out at the Chandolin Boutique Hotel

Curve after bend, the road from Sierre winds its way up the steep mountain flanks towards Val d’Anniviers. Pleasantly wide at the beginning, it becomes narrower and narrower until there is not much left between the angular rock faces and the abyss for crossing manoeuvres. For me, it is not the first trip into this archaic Valais side valley surrounded by mighty four-thousand-metre peaks, and yet this still adventurous approach captivates me. Luckily, I can sit back in the upholstered Postbus seat and enjoy the view.

A few years ago, we spent a wonderful summer weekend and sun-drenched autumn days in the Val d’Anniviers. This time we would like to take a look at what the area has to offer in winter. The base for our winter weekend is similar to an eagle’s nest on a sunny plateau high above the deeply incised mountain valley. With an altitude of over 1,900 m above sea level, the village of Chandolin is one of the highest permanently inhabited mountain villages in Europe. Here – at eye level with the imposing mountain scenery – the Chandolin Boutique Hotel was reopened three years ago. A refuge for all those who appreciate stylish mountain days.

Chandolin – Jewel auf 2’000 m ü. M.

I find it remarkable that the Chandolin Boutique Hotel was not a new building, but that the private investor Esteban Garcia, who is passionate about architecture and design, took up the challenge of taking over a previous hotel in need of renovation and breathing new life into it with a comprehensive renovation and redesign. Not only was emphasis placed on particularly energy-efficient construction in accordance with Minergie standards, but local companies were also deliberately involved in order to strengthen the region in the long term. From the charming chalet building to the pleasant natural materials to the invitingly bright hotel rooms with magnificent views, this is a thoroughly successful project.

The total of 30 hotel rooms – including 3 suites and 5 apartments – are spread over 4 floors and while you can still spend the night below 2,000 m above sea level on the second floor, we have cracked the 2,000 mark with our room on the 3rd floor.

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A place for sun worshippers and outdoor freaks

After a first look, the sun’s rays lure us outside. Chandolin wants to be explored! Various snowshoe tours/winter hikes start in the centre of Chandolin. For a leisurely afternoon round, the approximately 3.5-kilometre-long circuit of the Rèche N°7 is ideal. This leads from the tourist office down to the historic town centre, where the church and a beautiful viewpoint are also located. We then follow the snow-covered forest path through the larch forest further down the valley to the mountain pastures at La Weiler La Rèche – from there the path continues to the old mills of Chandolin and then climbs back up to the village. By the way, the fact that mountain pastures are located below the actual village is also a special feature of Chandolin!

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Back at the hotel, we enjoy the last rays of sunshine of the day with an aperitif on the sun terrace.

Fine dining or raclette plauch – spoilt for choice

Mountain air and active mountain days soon make your stomachs rumble after dark. This is also well taken care of at the Chandolin Boutique Hotel. With two restaurants, the hotel covers three culinary concepts. Awarded 15 Gault Millau points, “Le Restaurant” celebrates fresh, inspiring Alpine cuisine. Guests have the opportunity to put together something from the à la carte menu, or to taste a coordinated 4- or 5-course menu. We tried our way through the “Chronique hivernale” and were particularly impressed by the combination of trout with grapefruit and gin sorbet. If you want to treat yourself to a special evening for two, this is certainly the right place for you.

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Things are more casual in the neighbouring “Le Chalet”. The second restaurant covers both typical Swiss cuisine and Italian fare. Fondue, raclette or pizza and pasta? Not an easy decision. In the end, we choose raclette, because it is made with raclette cheese (AOP) from the valley. At this point, the “raclette police” would probably only complain about the fact that the cheese is not melted as a loaf, but in slice form.

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Beautiful winter hike high above the Val d’Anniviers

The local reference is also noticeable in the breakfast buffet with the large selection of dried meat specialties from the valley. In addition, the buffet also includes a sweet temptation from the canton of Fribourg – meringue with double cream. I can’t resist that.

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Fortunately, the calories are immediately wiped out with the planned winter hike. Theoretically, the St-Luc/Chandolin ski area starts right behind the hotel – the most extensive range of slopes in the Val d’Anniviers. However, due to the uncertain weather forecasts, we had left our skis at home and used the remaining hours of sunshine for one of the most beautiful winter hikes in the valley – the tour from the Tignousa mountain station along the Planet Trail to the venerable Hôtel Weisshorn, which was built at the end of the 19th century at over 2,300 m above sea level to accommodate the first English mountaineers.

Depending on the snow conditions, it is recommended to take your snowshoes with you for the 5-kilometer ascent. Due to the small amount of fresh snow, this was unnecessary for us. A great, decelerating winter excursion in the middle of a phenomenally beautiful mountain landscape – you should simply not underestimate that the tour with a total length of 10 kilometers also takes some time and stamina. On the other hand, we were less enthusiastic about the blueberry pie at the Hôtel Weisshorn, which is praised in many other places. It was too “watery” for me personally. But tastes are known to differ.

Bubble through, please

Well aware of the announced change in weather, we started our tour to the Weisshorn early and are back at the Chandolin Boutique Hotel just in time with the onset of sleet. It’s the perfect time to relax your legs as you trudge through the snow. In the basement of the hotel there is a small wellness area with steam bath, sauna and sunbathing areas. In addition, there are two outdoor whirlpools, each of which is “allocated” for 30-minute time slots after reservation.

Later, equipped with exciting reading, we retire to the cozy Salon des étoiles and make ourselves comfortable on the cuddly armchairs. Right next to the Salon des étoiles is the hotel bar “Moonclub”, where the bar manager knows how to surprise his guests with unusual cocktail creations. Whether it’s a bright winter’s day or an uncomfortable bad weather front – an enjoyable time is guaranteed at the Chandolin Boutique Hotel, regardless of the weather!

My top tips for a break at Chandolin Boutique Hotel

• Chandolin can be reached from Zurich in 3:45 hours by public transport. From Sierre there are hourly post bus connections via Vissoie to the Chandolin, Poste stop, which is located right next to the Chandolin Boutique Hotel.
• The Chandolin Boutique Hotel is a member of the Design Hotels and in 2019 was voted by Geo Saison – rightly so, in my opinion – among the best mountain hotels in Europe.
• Room rates vary depending on the season and category, starting at CHF 140 for the lowest category (Economy Twin). Breakfast and spa access are included in the room rates.
• The 4-course menu at Le Restaurant costs 95 CHF / The 5-course menu currently costs 125 CHF.
• At Le Chalet, the prices for fondue/raclette and pizza/pasta range between 20 – 35 CHF per main course.
• With the ski slopes directly behind the hotel and an extensive network of winter hiking trails and snowshoes, there is a lot to discover around Chandolin/St-Luc in winter. A good overview of all marked trails can be found on the Val d’Anniviers website.
• In summer, the destination is considered an insider tip for sporty bikers and mountain hikers.

Our stay in Chandolin was at the invitation of the Chandolin Boutique Hotel. Thank you very much for this – all impressions and opinions are, as always, ours.