My memories & more
Summer in Saas-Fee is all about the simple things in life. The changing colours of the seasons, the rock-strewn slopes that rise from lush pine forests and the icy crest of the Allalin that crowns the village with its sparkling jewels.
Saas-Fee is like a 100% natural wellness retreat. High above the heat and traffic of the valleys, Just one deep breath of the mountain air is like drinking in the elixir of life. Just 5 minutes spent gazing at the view is 5 minutes of mindfulness. Saas-Fee is effortlessly beautiful, and its beauty is timeless. The present is firmly rooted in the past, and the past remains pleasingly visible in the present.
The quiet can be too much for some. I once visited Saas-Fee on a summer day trip with a fellow rep who astonished me by failing to fall under the Saas-Fee spell. ‘I feel trapped,’ he said, looking up at the wall of mountains that I found so thrilling. Saas-Fee is not for everyone, so it remains pleasingly non-touristy for the few that venture there.
Summer in Saas-Fee holiday highlights
- Saas-Fee has access to 350 km of hiking trails in the Saas Valley. Overnight visitors are gifted the Saastal card, which includes free use of the summer cable cars – a massive bonus for summer hikers.
- Summer snow and ice. The best skiers in the world flock to the glacial ski area for their summer team training. You can join them for a morning on the slopes. Or explore the interior of the glacier at the Ice Pavilion.
- Year-round highlights include the highest revolving restaurant in the world and the Rodelbahn steel toboggan track, Feeblitz.
- Day trips – Saas-Fee is not the ideal base for sightseeing trips. But if it happens to rain (which is perfectly possible), you can reach Zermatt or Interlaken in less than 2 hours by bus and train. Not only can the weather in Interlaken be completely different (sunny even), but you’ll have plenty of shops and sights to while away the day in both destinations.
- Sustainability – Saas-Fee has been traffic-free since 1951. Its green credentials include a solar thermal local heating network and an E-bus valley shuttle service. Travel sustainably, arriving and departing by train and bus. Then, stay long enough to connect with the local culture and natural surroundings.
A few of my favourite things about summer in Saas-Fee
The marmots
When they wake up from hibernation, the Saas-Fee marmots are very friendly. They love nothing better than nipping between burrows to greet hikers who wander the Spielboden area. Marmot territory is subalpine rocky grassland, which I’ve crossed countless times on my hikes around Switzerland. Over the years, I’ve heard the distinctive whistle of many a marmot, often even glimpsing a bushy tail or two as they take cover behind a rock. But only in Saas-Fee have I sat next to a big furry marmot while it munched on a carrot. So stick a carrot in your pocket or pop by the Saas-Fee tourist office before you set off for your hike – they sell little bags of nuts to feed your new friends.
Peace, quiet & simplicity
Meander down the cobbled main street to pick up a slab of cheese, a freshly baked bread roll, a red juicy tomato and an original Swiss penknife. Then follow a yellow ‘wanderweg’ (walking path). Leave all expectations behind and stroll on until you find you’re perfect picnic spot. It might be a bench with a view of the Almagellerhorn (the triangular-shaped mountain that rises like a chunk of Toblerone from the neighbouring village of Saas-Almagell). It might be a rock for two, sprouting from an alpine meadow where Swiss cows graze, the melodic clanging of their bells carried on the breeze.
Remote & rugged high-altitude hikes
I love nothing better than hiking within touching distance of snow-capped peaks. Saas-Fee has such hikes in abundance, rugged underfoot as you cross barren and wild terrain, high above soft rolling meadows and lush pine forests. With every step, you climb higher to find a dazzling alpine lake here, an ibex sighting there, and a welcoming mountain hut where you kick off your boots and tuck into a huge slice of apple strudel. This is my kind of hiking, away from the tourist trap trails.
Read about my exhilarating hike to the Britannia Hut here.
Guest grumbles about summer in Saas-Fee
Disclaimer: I was a winter rep in Saas-Fee, so I had no true summer guest grumbles. Instead, as previously mentioned, I’m using the less-than-complimentary comment made by my fellow rep on our summer day trip.
I feel trapped!
Upon further investigation, my friend also felt a little claustrophobic. He was suffering from the higher altitude (1400 metres higher than the lakeside village where he was a holiday rep). Saas-Fee is one of the higher mountain villages in Switzerland. There is no sign of any civilisation or life beyond the village; there is just Saas-Fee and the mountains. To remind you – I love, love, love this, but for the same reasons, my friend felt uncomfortable and was glad when the Post Bus began its long winding descent back towards the urban highlights of Visp.
Saas-Fee doesn’t work as a base for exploring; it’s too isolated. Saas-Fee works best if you’re a repeat (and serious) hiker to Switzerland. If you’ve already hiked in the Bernese Oberland and are ready for a different experience, quieter and more remote, then Saas-Fee could be a great choice. You could also twin Saas-Fee with Kandersteg (only 2 hours by bus and train) for a proper hiking extravaganza.
Gluten-free gems
I have limited gluten-free experience in Saas-Fee, staying only one night with my gluten-free husband in tow in the summer of 2022. This was our experience –
- It was difficult to find a gluten-free lunch, but it didn’t help that it was approaching 2:00 p.m. Kitchens across Saas-Fee were closing for an afternoon break. With every minute that passed, our options were reduced, which was stressful. We ended up with a supermarket picnic.
- We visited the tourist office for advice on where we could find a gluten-free fondue. They were initially flummoxed by the question but suggested we ask at the Vieux-Chalet. We did, and they said we were welcome to bring our own gluten-free bread or have fondue with potatoes. Luckily, we arrived equipped with our gluten-free bread as they had decided they had a potato shortage that evening and could only serve potatoes with raclette. I’ve eaten here before; the atmosphere is lovely, and the staff are friendly. Plus, the cosy wood-panelled interior exudes an exquisite and permanent smell of cheese. The fondue was exactly as we’d hoped: deliciously cheesy.
- The next morning, we had breakfast at The Capra. My husband was in his element with gluten-free goodies galore and an omelette freshly cooked to order.
- Read more about our experiences travelling gluten-free in Switzerland here.
If you have the budget
The Capra is a sublimely beautiful five-star hotel with a wellness focus. I loved the genuine welcome, friendly staff, the amazing breakfast (THE best way to fuel up before a day hiking) and the view from my private balcony looking out towards my humble repping abode of days gone by only 250 metres away (but a million miles away in style).
Finding facts & further information about Saas-Fee
Winter in Saas-Fee – click here to read my blog post
Summer hiking in Saas-Fee https://saas-fee.ch/en/summerhiking
Switzerland Tourism https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-gb/destinations/saas-fee-1/
Saas-Fee Tourism https://www.saas-fee.ch/en/