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Laax/Flims is largely undiscovered outside of the Swiss and southern German tourist markets. As Swiss mountain villages go, it is not as chocolate box as some, despite a couple of notable pieces of local architecture, as it is quite spread out. However, if you're willing to forego twee reproductions of an Alpine set from ‘Heidi', you'll get fast, easy access to the village at around two hours from Zurich Airport, and 220km of extremely well connected pistes. Not to mention a plethora of non-skiing activities and easy access to luxuries such as the top spa facilities at the Park Waldhaus Hotel in Flims. As a result, Laax/Flims is extremely popular with Swiss weekenders but comparatively quiet during the weekdays.
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Rebranded last season from Flims to Laax, this cluster of villages is set on a sunny aspect at 1100m above sea level under the Flimserstein or Crap da Flem - ‘crap' being local dialect for ‘peak'. Visitors will note Crap Sogn Gion, Crap Masegn and Crap La Foppa to name a few. This has spawned numerous amusing signs such as the ‘Crap Bar' at the nearby Laax lift station which tourists of all nationalities find irresistible photo opportunities.
The southerly facing location of Laax/Flims, albeit very nice for sitting and sunning yourself at lunch, can result in slushy or icy patches on the lower runs. However around 70% of the runs are above 2000m which compensates nicely and there are tree lined pistes for those days when the fog means you can't see very far anyway. The highest point at 3018m is the skiable Vorab glacier.
The runs in Laax/Flims appeal to everyone from beginners to advanced skiers with a wide range of piste grades on offer across the 100 square kilometre interconnected area that makes up the Alpenarena. There are also free-style slopes and good off-piste opportunities. Real experts and extreme skiers however are likely to find it somewhat low on challenges. It appeals mainly to families with young and teenage children as well as older groups of thirty-something friends.
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There are so many different smaller towns that make up Laax/Flims that you really should take some time to go for a walk around a few of them, if not all, and enjoy the traditional Swiss Alpine charm that this resort has to offer.
| Nearest airports | Type of resort | Stay in | Go for a |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basel Zurich | Mountain town | Hotels Independent Travel Self-Catered | Week Week+ Weekend |
| Good for | Children | Food and drink | Other |
| Cross-country Freestyle Heli-skiing Off-piste Snowboarding | Creches Babysitting Ski schools | Apres-ski Evening drinking Resort dining Vegetarian Family friendly Live music Late drinking Mountain dining | Internet access Churches |
| Other activities | |||
| Adrenaline fuelled Sightseeing Relaxation Shopping |
| Report date: | 20 Nov 2008 |
|---|---|
| Last snowed: | 3 Nov 2008 |
| Fresh snow: | 5cm |
| Lifts open: | 6 out of 27 |
Snow depth: | |
| Lower slopes: | 0cm |
| Upper slopes: | 80cm |
Piste information: | |
| On-piste: | Packed |
| Off-piste: | Limited |
| Resort runs: | Closed |
