Arosa Lenzerheide

Olympic skier and local resident Stefan Rogentin shares his top tips for exploring the extensive ski area and charming Swiss villages of Arosa and Lenzerheide

SKI

The ski resort of Arosa Lenzerheide will always be my favourite place to ski, having been born and brought up here. The two areas were linked in 2014 and now offer 140 miles of ski runs, as well as plenty of untouched off-piste. The sunny, south-facing slopes of Arosa are the best place to start the day — even on the coldest winter weeks, the sun is warm here and, thanks to the high altitude, the snow is always good. Then, head over to Lenzerheide, where families can enjoy the gentle slopes of the Stätz side and experts will relish the more challenging Rothorn area. Here we have the World Cup downhill and Super G slopes — and I love racing here in front of a home crowd.

Top tip: Families will love the Globi piste and the ‘Zappelbär’ search game.

EAT

The ski area has almost 40 huts and restaurants, with varied menus to suit all tastes. My favourites are Motta Hütte in Lenzerheide, with its huge sun terrace and fantastic food — you must try their cremèschnitte (cream slice) — and the Weisshorngipfel in Arosa, which has spectacular 360-degree views over the surrounding mountains.

ENJOY

For the best apres-ski, head to Kubar, Goldgräber Bar, Avant Clavo or Carmennahütte. But note, in the ski resort of Arosa Lenzerheide, many of the best on-slope experiences come outside typical skiing hours. Here, you can make first tracks before breakfast, ski under the light of the moon and feast on fondue at a remote mountain restaurant. The highlight for me is definitely the ‘Light Ride’ night tobogganing experience. With its colourful lights and music, it’s a really special evening for the whole family.

From top: Arosa ski resort, Graubunden, Switzerland; skiing the Black Diamond Slope in the morning, Arosa Lenzerheide, Switzerland