Explore & Culture

Recommended by Sereina Perren — TMS ambassador, Zermatt

Designed by New York architect Ali Tayar, The Omnia grafts a Frank Lloyd Wright sensibility onto a Matterhorn-facing crag. Take the lift up from the village centre, walk through the cave-like tunnel, and emerge into a black-walled lobby with a fireplace the size of a small room. The terrace and infinity pool both stare straight at the mountain — go for an afternoon coffee even if you're not staying.

Tipped by Anna Swenn-Larsson — TMS ambassador

Foster + Partners' 2004 residential building looks like a stranded spaceship clad in hand-cut larch shingles that will silver over time. The shape is computer-modelled but the construction is deeply traditional — every shingle was split by hand by craftsmen from the Engadin and Bregenzerwald. Best viewed from Via Tinus on the walk down from Chantarella.

Recommended by Dani Perret — TMS UIAGM mountain guide, Engelberg

Opened in 2013 to replace the cramped 1960s hut, the new Goûter is an aluminium-clad, four-storey structure anchored to the rock with a wind turbine and solar arrays. Even if you're not climbing Mont Blanc, the engineering is worth understanding — it's effectively a self-sufficient outpost that recycles water and generates its own power. Reservation only; the approach from Tête Rousse is technical.

Recommended by Ted Ligety — TMS ambassador, Park City

Pritzker laureate Shigeru Ban's 2014 building uses a woven screen of Prodema panels — a paper-resin composite — that filters light into the galleries like a Japanese shoji. Take the glass elevator straight to the rooftop sculpture garden first; the view of Ajax Mountain reframes the entire town. Admission is free.

Tipped by Stefan Engström — TMS founder, Zermatt

Fifteen villas, every one with two private onsen baths — one indoor, one outside under the snow. The architecture by Makoto Nakayama is restrained almost to the point of silence: dark timber, raked gravel, paper screens. The kaiseki dinner uses Hokkaido produce exclusively. Stay one night minimum; book six months out for January.

Recommended by Piers Solomon — TMS backcountry ambassador, Engelberg

The Verbier Festival (mid-July to early August) brings the Berlin Philharmonic, Daniel Barenboim, and the Verbier Festival Orchestra to a tent at 1,500 m. Tickets release in February — set a reminder. In winter, Pub Mont Fort at the foot of the Médran lift is the unspoken meeting point: dark wood, no reservations, ski boots on the bar stools, ginger-and-Jameson after a long day off-piste.

Recommended by Sereina Perren — TMS ambassador, Zermatt

Five days of acoustic sets in mountain huts, hotel lobbies, and a main tent at Sunnegga. Past line-ups: James Bay, Tom Odell, Sophie Hunger. The format is unique — small rooms, no amplification, plenty of artist-meets-audience moments. Combine with late-season skiing; the Theodul glacier is still in full condition.

Tipped by Anna Swenn-Larsson — TMS ambassador

Dracula Club, founded in 1974 by Gunter Sachs, is members-only — but the building (a former tea pavilion) and the mythology around it are part of St. Moritz lore. For the rest of us: Bobby's Pub on Via dal Bagn is loud, loose, and open until 2 am. The crowd is half ski instructors, half visiting Italians.

Recommended by Dani Perret — TMS UIAGM mountain guide, Engelberg

Chambre Neuf — opposite the train station — has a Swedish house band that has played the same après slot for decades. It's a rite of passage. MBC (Micro Brasserie de Chamonix) brews on site and pulls a more local, climber-heavy crowd; the burgers are unexpectedly excellent.

Recommended by Ted Ligety — TMS ambassador, Park City

Belly Up has hosted Lenny Kravitz, John Legend, The Killers in a room with sightlines from every corner. Check the calendar before you book your trip — a single show can shape the whole week. In summer, Jazz Aspen Snowmass takes over Snowmass Town Park.

Curated by the TMS guiding team

Most major resorts run summer lifts from late June to mid-September. Verbier and Chamonix both have serious bike parks; the Tour du Mont Blanc passes through both. For paragliding, Verbier's Croix-de-Coeur take-off and Chamonix's Plan de l'Aiguille are world-class and tandem flights are widely available — no experience needed.

Curated by the TMS guiding team

If you've outgrown the lift system, ski touring is the obvious next step — Verbier and Chamonix both have well-marked uphill routes and rental shops with full touring kit. For non-skiers: snowshoeing in the Aletsch region (Switzerland) is genuinely transcendent, and most luxury hotels in St. Moritz, Zermatt, and Niseko have wellness programmes that justify a trip on their own.

Tipped by the TMS travel desk

April in Verbier and Zermatt: warm sun, soft snow by 11 am, terraces full. October in the Engadin: the larches turn copper-gold for two weeks and the light is unlike anything else in the Alps. Hotel rates drop 30–50%. The trade-off is fewer open lifts and restaurants — plan ahead.

From the TMS travel desk

Christmas and New Year week prices in Zermatt, St. Moritz, and Aspen routinely double. February half-term brings UK and European school holidays — expect lift queues. The reward is reliable snow conditions top to bottom and a full programme of events.

From the TMS travel desk

Our team's favourite weeks of the season. Pack sunscreen, polarised goggles, and a lighter mid-layer. The snow softens by lunch, so plan harder runs for morning and cruisy laps for afternoon. Many hotels offer 'ski-week' packages 30% below February rates.

From the TMS travel desk

Mid-July to mid-August is high season for alpine hiking. Refuges along the Tour du Mont Blanc and Haute Route fill 4–6 months ahead. Mornings are typically clear; thunderstorms build in the afternoon. Carry a shell, a warm layer, and water for 4 hours minimum.

From the TMS travel desk

Late September to early October is the larch season in the Engadin and the last hiking window before lifts close. November is a transition month — most resorts shut down for maintenance, opening again in late November or early December. Hotel rates are at their lowest.