Leukerbad: skiing and thermal baths

We wanted to spend a weekend in the mountains, not far from home, in a nice place where even those who don't ski (like the undersigned) can spend pleasant moments.

The answer is LEUKERBAD, a Swiss town famous for its thermal springs.

We reach Leukerbad via the Simplon Pass. From Milan it takes us about 3 hours. You don't even need the motorway sticker because the motorway route in Switzerland is so short that, near Brig, you can easily get off.

We chose the hotel via the internet and, having received an offer at acceptable prices, we booked a luxurious 4-star in the centre of the town.

The Grichting hotel also contains its own thermal centre with a lovely pool of warm water and a hot pool.

The restaurant is very elegant, the service impeccable but, alas, Swiss cuisine doesn't go very well with Italian tastes.

However we certainly don't stay with empty bellies and among the many courses of the menu included in the half-board treatment, we always manage to find something we like.

Hotel Grighting

After completing the formalities at the hotel we head to the ski slopes and here, unfortunately, we are a bit disappointed.

The facilities are strictly separate: facilities for children and beginners at one end of the town and a cable car to reach the slopes for expert skiers at the other.

We therefore decide to stay at the beginners' facilities, near the SportArena Sports Centre, to allow the little girl to ski without difficulty.

Unfortunately we cannot hire skis immediately, since the only hire point is far from the slopes and has strange opening hours.

Moreover, we discover that private ski lessons have eye-watering prices (over 60 Euros for an 85-minute lesson) and so we decide, for this first day, to forget about skiing.

We head to the ice rink, where my daughter consoles herself with a skate on the ice.

In the afternoon, instead, relaxation in the pool and wellness centre of the hotel and dinner at its restaurant

The second day we get up early and, after an abundant buffet breakfast, we head to the ski hire shop and rent the equipment at a rather expensive price.

We spend the whole day on the easy slopes of the SportArena, where day passes are quite cheap and children have several facilities at their disposal.

We end the day with the usual and reinvigorating bath in the pool.

The following day we decide to go to one of the two large thermal centres of the town.

In Leukerbad there are two large thermal baths: the Burgerbad and the Alpentherme; both with several pools of hot water, both indoor and outdoor, whirlpools, saunas etc. The special feature is that in these places you can bathe outdoors even in the depths of winter, surrounded by snow and immersed up to your neck in hot water. It is a wonderful sensation that lets you breathe in the fresh mountain air with full lungs while staying nice and warm in the steaming water. And if a beautiful sunny day happens to come along, the sensation is even more pleasant.

After long deliberation we choose the Lindner Alpentherme: much quieter, even if a little smaller than the Burgerbad, but certainly of greater aesthetic impact.

We buy a 3-hour entrance ticket at a cost of about 18 Swiss Francs, equal to about 12 Euros.

You should know that in Switzerland all shops accept Euros or Francs indifferently but give change only in Swiss Francs.

On leaving the thermal centre, we spend the last francs on chocolate bars with the strangest fillings (you don't find them in Italy) and, with a beautiful sun lighting up the surrounding landscape, we head home.

Dani and Max

you can find links and photos of the places mentioned at the website

texts by Daniela

photos by Max