Tuesday 31 July 2012

Removals to Switzerland: Moving to Switzerland - A Guide to Switzerland’s Winter Sports

Whatever your reasons for moving abroad, Hamiltons Removals have years' of experience in removals to Switzerland and other European destinations and can guide you through all aspects of your move.

People require removals to Switzerland for a wide variety of reasons, including work and business opportunities. It may be that you work in finance and get the chance to join the 100,000 or so other English speaking residents in Geneva - a leading financial and business centre; or get granted an opportunity to work in Zurich - a major centre for international finance.

It could be that you are planning a move to Switzerland to be nearer to family and want to bring up children in a safer environment with the support of your relatives. Or it may be that you and your family require removals to Switzerland to enjoy a better standard of living. After all, Switzerland's quality of life is rated the best in the world with Zurich as the top city to live in, closely followed by Geneva.

Some people also choose a move to Switzerland to work in the Swiss Alps, or to set up a business venture and take advantage of the amazing winter sports on offer. Certainly the Swiss are very health conscious and cite skiing and mountaineering among their leisure activities.

Whatever your reasons for moving to Switzerland, Hamiltons offer removals to Switzerland from the UK, Europe or any other part of the world. We can provide full load shipping and removals in 20 ft or 40 ft containers, groupage (part load) services and air freight. Our services are designed to suit you and the importation of vehicles, specialist removals (such as artwork and other valuables), storage and packing can be provided as required.

Removals to Switzerland - click here to read more about our removals to Switzerland service.

Although you may not be moving to Switzerland purely because of the lifestyle it offers, a move to Switzerland can give you access to a wide range of winter sports in the beautiful Swiss Alps. Here we shall look more closely at why Switzerland is such a great destination for skiing and snowboarding.

Moving to Switzerland - About the Swiss Alps


The Alps is one of the things we most associate with Switzerland and it covers more than half the country. It is the destination for beautiful and dramatic scenery including snow topped mountains, ice age glaciers and vast lakes.

This mountainous region stretches from Austria and Slovenia through Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Italy, France and Monaco. The highest mountain is Mont Blanc on the French-Italian border which stands at 15,782 ft.

If you want to move to Switzerland to enjoy the scenery and benefit from all the sporting activities, you will not be disappointed. See below to find out more about the winter sports on offer.

Moving to Switzerland: Winter Sports on Offer


The Alps as a whole attracts some 50 million people a year and is popular for a range of sports including hiking, paragliding, mountain biking, swimming, sailing, tobogganing and Nordic and Alpine Skiing.

Of course, Switzerland is not the only place to go for winter sporting activities, but is one of the world's top skiing destinations - and is the home of Alpine skiing (skiing with fixed heel bindings) also known as downhill skiing or piste skiing.

One of the reasons why skiing is so attractive in Switzerland, is because its resorts are well organised, clean and efficient. Switzerland has some of the best ski resorts in the world and their chalets are among the most recognisable and also among the most luxurious.

Swiss ski resorts tend to attract more exclusive clientele compared to resorts in France and Italy. They also tend to be smaller, more welcoming and offer more of a traditional experience. As a result, skiing in Switzerland tends to be more expensive than in other European ski resorts. However, if you are looking for cheaper deals, it is best to time your break for the end of the skiing season (at the end of March). Bear in mind that January and February are the peak times, and also the most expensive time for a ski break.

As Swiss pistes are at the highest altitude, they tend to be more difficult, so snowboarding and skiing in Switzerland is generally for the more experienced (although there are slopes for beginners too and every ski resort has a range of different runs with varying levels of difficulty). However, if you are looking for excitement and sporting adventure, you will certainly find it here. Although there are no resorts strictly for snowboarding, many ski resorts cater for snowboarding activities and these are mainly based in the south of Switzerland.

Skiing or snowboarding in Switzerland gives you a chance to enjoy a wonderful break in the mountains and take advantage of the beautiful scenery and delicious long leisurely lunches - which can run on for a couple of hours.

A must while on holiday is to sample the fondue or, another specialty, Raclette (melted cheese served with potatoes and pickled onions) which is eaten before the cheese sets. Après-ski you will always find plenty of bars to relax and unwind in.

Moving to Switzerland - The Swiss Ski Resorts

Switzerland has some top class ski resorts and among them are the world famous resorts of Zermatt, St Moritz and Verbier. Here we shall take a closer look at these three ski resorts, but there are plenty of others across the country.

The resort town of St Moritz in the Engadine Valley, is known as the birthplace of winter sports holidays - with the first tourist office in Switzerland opening up here in 1864. Five star accommodation is offered at the Badrutts Palace Hotel, which is known for its elegance, luxury and first class service. The hotel has a staff of 520 and is the biggest employer in St Moritz. The most popular winter sports in the resort are skiing, snowboarding, hiking and tobogganing.

The resort town of Zermatt is known throughout the world for its skiing and is overlooked by the Matterhorn, one of the highest peaks in the Alps. Much of the economy is built on tourism and there is skiing continuously throughout the year. Skiing is divided into four areas: Sunnegga, Klein Matterhorn, Schwarzee and Gonergrat. It is a car free zone so visitors and the locals get about by electro buses, shuttles, electro taxis and even horse drawn carriages.

Verbier, in the south west of Switzerland in the canton of Valais, is another popular place to ski and is seen as one of the top off-piste locations in the world. It attracts many celebrities including the British, Swedish and Danish Royal Families. It is one of the largest holiday resorts and places to ski in the Swiss Alps and tends to attract younger visitors than the other tourist resorts. Although it attracts off-piste skiers it is not recommended as this is potentially fatal due to the risk of avalanches etc.

Removals to Switzerland - click here to read more about our removals to Switzerland service.

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