Admittedly, the short hours of sunshine and the cold can have quite an impact on your mood. But winter brings with it something quite magical: Snow. And the snow offers endless opportunities to do something good for ourselves and to forget the worries of everyday life for a few moments. Because in addition to fast-paced downhill runs, many other exciting experiences of the slopes lure us out into the miracle in white. How about…
1. Langlauf- statt Netflix-Marathon
Time to get off the sofa and get your heart pumping? How about strapping on your cross-country skis and skating out into the vastness of the cross-country trails? Cross-country skiing is the ideal cardio workout, making it the perfect booster for your immune system. Besides, it helps slow you down, despite being demanding. Sound good to you? Then our cross-country skiing hostels with surrounding cross-country skiing network are perfect for you: These include the youth hostels Davos, Gstaad Saanenland, Pontresina, Scuol, St. Moritz, Sta. Maria and Valbella-Lenzerheide. In Pontresina, the cross-country ski school with shop and rental is located right within the hostel.
2. Digital detox, yeti style
For those who prefer a more leisurely pace, snowshoeing is just the thing. There’s a reason why this trendy sport is so popular. You don’t need much equipment or previous experience for snowshoeing. In many sports shops or tourist offices, you can easily rent snowshoes for a day. But what makes snowshoeing so appealing is the unique natural landscape. With two poles and snowshoes, it’s off to the mountain. Step by step, the wonderful panorama before your eyes. Thoughts far from the stress of everyday life. Of course your mobile can make a brief appearance for a photo.
3. Mario Kart on the Light Ride
What looks like a screenshot from a video game in the pictures is real, located in the Grison Alps: Launched this season, the Light Ride offers a multi-sensory sledging experience on the Scharmoin-Canols sledging run in Lenzerheide.
Those who demonstrate skill, speed and reaction collect lots of points and have a good chance of being crowned “Light Rider”. A cool adventure and a great alternative to the usual club outing during your stay in Valbella-Lenzerheide Youth Hostel. Jil tested it for us and chronicled her experience in her report.
4. Snow park action to the max
When it comes to the snow park, it’s not the speed that counts, but the height and distance – and all that with some style, if possible. There are no limits to creativity. Laax has several Snow parks. In addition to the world’s largest halfpipe, you will also find a medium park and a beginner line at the trendy freestyle resort. Ideal for giving it a try – slowly and safely. You can also find snow parks in Gstaad, Grindelwald, in the Aletsch Arena, in Crans-Montana, Saas-Fee, Zermatt, Davos, in Arosa Lenzerheide, Scuol, St. Moritz and around Engelberg. By the way, the Valbella-Lenzerheide youth hostel is right next to the ski lift, so you can be out of bed and on your board in no time at all – and vice versa.
5. Spa, pubs and deck chairs
After the adrenaline rush on the slopes, it’s good to put your feet up, get some sun and just relax. A session in a deck chair under a bright blue sky and a bit of wellness are good for the immune system and great against the winter blues. Fans of snowy mountain romance should make sure to include the Waldhüsli of Grindelwald Youth Hostel on their bucket list. It offers an outdoor hot tub including torch lighting and a one-of-a-kind view of the Bernese Alps. Since 2014, wellness has been available right outside your door at the modern wellnessHostel4000 in the glacier village of Saas-Fee. Most recently, you can also enjoy a drink, dip or massage in the luxurious spa of the wellnessHostel3000 in Laax and leave the halfpipe snow behind. Here at Aua Grava, the focus is on wellness for all five senses, with the spa area providing pampering with special offers such as a sound room or fire bath.
By the way, these kinds of stays are also good for your conscience. After all, anyone who pampers themselves in one of these sustainably built and heated wellness hostels is automatically doing lots for their ecological footprint. Learn more about sustainability at the Swiss Youth Hostels.
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