It’s fair to say that most Swiss resorts have a reputation for high quality, reliability and spectacular mountain scenery but not so much for a chilled-out, youthful atmosphere. That’s where LAAX has made its mark over the past four decades, offering all that’s good about Swiss skiing but with a laid-back and easy-going atmosphere, more reminiscent of California than Switzerland.
LAAX has been subverting expectations of Swiss ski resorts for a long time now, being an early champion of snowboard culture back in the 1980s when few in the rest of the ski world were taking the sport seriously. It’s since grown into Europe’s leading freestyle resort and home to the world’s biggest halfpipe.
What is very Swiss though is cutting-edge technology, with LAAX again leading the way after being one of the first to embrace 5G, it’s unveiling its incredible on-demand gondola, the FlemXpress, this winter.
As well as being both super comfortable and efficient, the new lift for another big LAAX priority, sustainability and the rapid move to carbon neutral operations, here again it’s a ski business leader.
But for your holiday it’s that Californian vibe you’ll notice most, especially if you book into the stylish Riders Hotel, one of the most snowboard friendly in Europe and enjoy a few fabulous meals in the Riders vegetarian restaurant.
On the slopes, you’ll find that even the snowparks are inspired by California’s waves and skate scene, and the resort’s Freestyle Academy, which has the seal of approval of legendary skater Tony Hawk who visited LAAX last year, will reopen bigger and better than ever before following a makeover next summer 2024.
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