A 3 Week Winter Tour of Europe for the Adventurous!

January 21, 2025 Laura Lisowski

“So you’re the other ones, eh?” said an older American gentleman to us at a museum in Copenhagen when he heard our American accents. “Excuse me?” I asked, prodding him to repeat what he said. “I mean, you’re the only other American couple we’ve seen traveling this trip during the winter… you’re winter travelers, like us!” he exclaimed.

It’s true. We have absolutely come to love a winter European adventure, despite the colder temps, despite the higher chance of getting sick/having flight delays… we seem to have a proclivity for riskier travel. But really, we see something in winter adventures that our new friend had too: less crowds, easier restaurant reservations, and an opportunity to see a place in its natural winter element. The temps the last few years of winter travels have really not been all *that bad* either… no different than they would have been back at home. In fact, the weather is likely an improvement for us Seattleites, as the December and January months tend to be dark and quite rainy.

The good news is: flights keep-a-runnin’ all winter long, as do the ever-convenient and scenic trains across Europe. This trip, we wanted to take full opportunity of the 3 weeks of PTO our tech jobs allowed, and so we mapped out a diverse trip which would allow us to see and experience so many things that we love: good design, pastries (cardamom everything, please), excellent unique and funky wines, mountain adventures + Aperol apres’, inspiring architecture, and best of all: interesting, kind, diverse people of all walks of life.

Without further ado, here’s the step by step itinerary from our 3 week trip. At the very end, you’ll find a day by day guide if you want to parse out timing. We felt we had just the right amount of time in each place, but feel free to tweak according to your preferences. We probably could’ve spent another day or two in the Alps, as we are mountain-obsessed folks and will never turn down more mountain time. You may also find you want more than a couple of days in Budapest, and perhaps less days in Copenhagen… we personally felt a much stronger pull towards the Danish design, lifestyle, architecture so spent an extra few days there, but you should choose according to what you fancy and plan accordingly!

OSLO:

Stay: Grand Hotel Oslo, a history-filled, central, stunning hotel with probably the best hotel breakfast we have *ever* had (no we aren’t kidding… it was amazing). The hotel has been around since 1874 and in the intervening time, has played host to international celebrities, world leaders, politicians, Nobel Peace prize laureates. It’s certainly called the “Grand” hotel for good reason. There is a heck of a lot of history here. They also shared with us some really fun and quirky stories about the hotel which I couldn’t resist including here:

1) The prominent Palmen restaurant on site has been used for many different purposes over the years. When the hotel was initially built, the Palmen was a horse stable! Later it became a garden and eventually a backyard, then a winter garden. It wasn’t until 1913 that it finally became an integrated part of the hotel in it’s current restaurant form today.

2) The hotel has hosted thousands of historical events over the years, including for instance when Roald Amundsen, the explorer returned from his North Pole expedition in 1920. He was quoted to have said, “If in south, if in north, if in east, if in west… Grand Hotel is and will always be the best”

3) Many celebrities have stayed at the Grand, from Frank Sinatra to the Rolling Stones to Michael Jackson. You’ll find signatures of many of them in the Palmen restaurant.

4) The viral song/video “What does the fox say” was written by Norwegian comedy duo Ylvis entirely in the Palmen restaurant in the Grand.

There are so many other interesting and quirky facts, but I’ll keep it brief. You’ll just have to visit yourself to learn the rest!

The many options at brunch at Grand Hotel

Eat/Drink:

Eat: Vulkanfisk, Elias mat & sant, Hyde, Le Mayor, Maaemo, Arakataka, LuLu, Restaurant Kontrast, Crow Bar & Bryggeri, Fat City, Territoriet, Roots Restaurant (great mezze!)

Bakeries: Tid Bakeri, Apent Bakeri, Farine, Encore Oslo, Obelia, Noro Bjolsen Bakeri, Daegens bakeri, Bob the Bagel.

Drinks: Dr Kneipp’s Vinbar, Arakataka, Radegast Wine Bar, ROOR, Eff Eff Oyster and Wine Bar, Merkur Bar, Nektar vinbar, SALT (book tables outside by a fire), special mention of Tim Wendelboe for *coffee*

Strolling Oslo streets on a quiet December day

Trying the many types of beers on tap at ROOR

Do: Visit the Christmas markets at Spikersuppa, check out the Opera house, go to the Deichman Public library (and check out the conceptual Future Library on the upper floors!), check out the Museum of the Viking Age (reopening in 2027), book a sauna. Check out the Mathallen food hall (you could seriously spend a full day in here just eating!), walk around the design shops, and absolutely go sample coffee at the famous Tim Wendelboe!

Beautiful lamps in design shops — Design shops in Oslo

Notes: Be mindful of what days you are in Oslo, as much closes during the Christmas to New Years gap, and even into mid January. Many of our long coveted eating and wine-ing spots were not open over the holidays so we will have to return during the summer for those! The city definitely felt quiet during the winter… which for us was just great, but want to set expectations accordingly if you are looking for a buzzy hot spot, you may want to go elsewhere!

COPENHAGEN:

Stay: 25hours Indre By. When I say you need not look further for any other hotels after hearing this name, I mean it. This is one of my favorite hotels I have ever stayed at, and every. single. detail. is so well thought out, that you almost feel as though you are staying in an artistic masterpiece more than a hotel itself. They also have an incredible breakfast, the most posh lobby bar (and lobby in general… so many cozy fireplaces/reading spots that you wish/feel like it was your own home), and a very cool little shop including a self-serve candy bar (!!), many design/Copenhagen souvenir takeaways (not the tourist shop kind, but actually well curated), and even some beautiful clothing to purchase.

Our room also had a full view of one of the gorgeous inner city streets, and some nights we confess we just brought takeout and snacks back to our room to watch movies with a front row seat to town from bed … in many ways, it made for an even more superior experience than hitting the town. Win-win!

Entrance into the magical 25hours Indre By

Eat: So many great spots in CPH that it’s hard to know where to start, here are some of our favorites: Pauli, Nr. 30, Sanchez, Vaekst, SAFARI, Ancestrale, Hyttefadet, Hooked (my favorite salmon burger in the world with great natural wines!), Pizzeria C’ho Fame, Abaco (takeout!), Gasoline Grill (for a classic smash burger!)

Bakeries: Gosh, where to start. I swooned over Cardamom pastries for months before coming to CPH and not only was I pleasantly surprised with all of the traditional cardamom buns found, but there were many incredible surprises in pastry form, too, including the pistachio croissants at BUKA and the cardamom *croissant* at Hart Bageri. Yum! Other mentions: Meyers Bageri, H.U.G. Bageri, Rug Bakery, Skipper Bageri, Galst Bageri.

Drink: Vinterhytten (seasonal), BRUS, Anlobet, Fermentoren Beer Bar (check out the Big Lebowski-themed bathroom!), Library Bar, Fire Tyve, Cafe Side Hustle, Pio Vin & Bar, Le Petit Vinbar (in the Torverhallerne), Ubbe’s Vinhanndel/Vinbar, Pompette, not your USUAL wine bar, Laban wine bar, RASCAL, Den Vandrette, Sabotoren, Paradiso, Bar Vivant, Melo, Mikkeller Bar Viktoriagade, ABEN Brewery.

Do: Check out all of the design shops (and maybe, if you’re richer than us, buy a special piece to bring home!) including X Y and Z, go spent a few hours at the TorvehallerneKPH (food hall), walk around the University of Copenhagen Library, check out the Designmuseum Danmark.

Lighting inspiration in Designmuseum Danmark

Aside from all of the design/architecture which is an obvious starting place in Copenhagen, the Danish War museum was also a really incredible experience and a great place to stay warm on a cold winters day. We enjoyed learning all about XYZ whilst also seeing a live model of the war in Afghanistan complete with many soldiers stories.

The museum houses permanent exhibitions about war, defense and weapon technology, and presents Danish military history from the 1500s until today, with some very exceptional artifacts dating as far back as the 16th century. There’s a treasure trove of artifacts from samurai swords and ship models upstairs, if you’re into that kind of thing!

Notes: We were in CPH right around New Years and in the days following and while we felt VERY fulfilled by our trip, we did want to mention that some of our wishlist restaurants and shops were still closed through the second week of January. January 1 was a particularly difficult day to find really anything open… but it improved from there and overall we had zero regrets about visiting in the winter. In fact, it was quite nice having it (mostly) to ourselves with more local tourists and less Americans/other.

BUDAPEST:

Stay: We *loved* our stay at the very special luxury hotel, Mystery Hotel Budapest, especially with the spa component. It offered a very relaxing atmosphere and was quite close in walking distance to all of the shops/restaurants (or you can Uber if preferred, as Uber is quite affordable in Budapest). We joked that this felt like the most fun serious hotel we have ever stayed in, with a Mona Lisa behind the bed wearing a VIP necklace, and almost overdone (but not) decor. The breakfast included was also as over the top and extra as they come… I could not have eaten more food and still walked out of there - but that’s what makes it special. It’s a tongue in cheek type of decadence that you might not get at home but certainly will come to expect at Mystery Hotel.

Wellness and sauna at Mystery Hotel Budapest

A VIP Mona Lisa at Mystery Hotel Budapest

Eat: I joked the whole time that Budapest felt more like “Foodapest” as there are endless amounts of wine bars, bakeries and VPR (very posh restaurants!) to explore in the city. We did find a few relatively laid back but top-quality places that we loved, so will include some of those here, with some honorable mentions as well.

Best dinner options were Circo Pizza (love love their pizza + natural wine in a casual atmosphere), PINGRUMBA, Levant Lebanese Bistro, SALT, Babka Budapest (top notch!), BAR LOLA, HACHI Budapest, Zazie Bistro & Bar, Retek Bistro, MAK restaurant, Borkonyha, KonyvBar & Restaurant, TATI Farm to Table. LuLu Budapest was a great, trendy and healthy breakfast option, as was Lion’s Locker.

The Central Market Hall, built in 1897 (!) is also a fun spot to pick up some snacks or some food-related mementos to take home for you or your family/friends. We enjoyed seeing what was in season for fruit, and saw a lot of pastries unique to Eastern Europe.

Bakeries: VAJ Sas, NOR\MA, Laget Pekseg, COFFEE STAND BACKDOOR, Kern Collective Coffee, CORTO, Deryne Kenyer, Pekmuhely, Vekni, aran bakery (check out their porridge place a few doors down as well called Fagel by Artizan).

Drinks: Gravity Brewing, Huncutka Bite & Wine, WINE NOT? Wine bar, Charbon Art Cafe, Tokaj wine bar

A really fantastic meal of pizza and natural wine at Circo Pizza

A cinnamon bun for walking from aran bakery

Plethora of fruit on tap at Central Market hall in Budapest

Do: one of our favorite adventures in Budapest was simply walking and wandering the streets. We also made time to go up to Fisherman’s Bastion which offered incredible, unparalleled views of the entire city from the Pest side (side note, we spent most of our time on the other side, and only later in the trip did we discover we may have even liked the Pest side more… definitely worth going back for future exploring!). There are also so many incredible libraries to visit (a personal favorite thing for us to do, if you had not yet picked up on that!) and we recommend checking out as many of them as you can… our favorites were the Szabo Ervin and the Budapest University Library.

A bit of background on the Szabo Ervin: it was not always the library it is today, as once upon a time it was originally constructed as a palace - and its origins are on display from the moment one enters its wings, evidenced by its gilded interiors, floor to ceiling mirrors and ornate lighting fixtures. The Wenckheim Palace was originally created during the height of the Austro-Hungarian empire and served as a classic example of Hungarian Neo-Baroque architecture. In 1927, the residence was bought by the City Council of Budapest, and after four years of construction, it was reopened as a library in 1931 as Metropolitan Ervin Szabo Library. To date, it holds 1.1 million volumes and opens its doors to visitors for around 4 euros.

If you want to obsess even more over cool Budapest libraries, we recommend starting here.

If short on time, we also recommend you at minimum check out Fishermans Bastion, a stunning architectural marvel in the Budapest Castle District. Built in the late 19th century, it opened in 1902 for the Hungarian Millennium celebrations as a fortress featuring pointed towers and turrets, reminiscent of a fairytale castle. Since 1987, it has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

While in Budapest, we would be remiss if we didn’t also mention the need to set aside a full day to check out one of the baths. While we didn’t get an opportunity to do so on this trip, we’ve heard from many folks that is a worthwhile and necessary part of a first (or 90th) visit to the city.

Notes: Ubers were quite cheap for scooting around town. Definitely allocate some time to check out both the Buda and the Pest side, as they are distinctly different and neither should be neglected!

Interior views of Budapest University library

Gorgeous city views from Fisherman’s Bastion

Inside of Szabo Ervin library in a former palace

Outdoor bookstores are common in Budapest

GRAZ:

Stay: NED Hotel and Hotel Weitzer Graz.

Eat: One of our favorite spots in Graz was an incredible Moroccan restaurant specializing in traditional tagines, called Ya Habibi. We’d definitely recommend starting here! Other honorable mentions include Der Steirer, Gatto im Museum, Cafe Moses, GenieBerei am Markt, Oskar am Markt, KABUFF Bistro, Restaurant Kornati, Mohrenwirt Graz, Pierogi, EL PESCADOR im Rathaus, HUMMEL, Das Mundwerk.

Gorgeous natural wines in Graz at Glou Glou Wein und Champagnerbar

Bakeries: Coffeeshop Barista’s St Peter, Cafe Greenhouse, Cafe Fotter, Mimi’s, Klescher, Bakery Kern, Martin Auer.

Drinks: Wine bars are aplenty too for sampling local Austrian wines. We loved Glou Glou Wein und Champagnerbar and the owner was extremely friendly and generous with his time in telling us all about Austrian wines. Also check out Tscheppe ums Eck, Weinbar Auenbrugger, Gerlitz Hof, das MARKUS, WeinKost, Klapotetz Weinbar.

Do: There is a plethora of historic and contemporary architecture in Graz, including the Franciscan Church… but after a lot of time spent in cities this trip, our preference was actually all of the beautiful land/wineries and spaces outside of Graz, particularly as you head towards Styria (next section of our trip!)

Notes: Graz is the second largest city in Austria, which was news to us! We often hear the names Vienna, Innsbruck, Salzburg… Graz stays ever so slightly off the radar to the rest of us despite its size.

AUSTRIAN ALPS:

Stay: Hotel Nesslerhof - the happiness hotel is untouchable when it comes to incredible location, hospitality and overall experience in the Austrian alps. Their only flaw is that not as many people know about them as compared to places in Chamonix, Zermatt… but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Get in while you can… they’re heating up! (They’ve also graciously shared with us a discount code for first time visitors: use the code FIRSTSTAY for 5% off a 4 night stay!)

While we’ve certainly vacationed in the past in the more traditionally popular ski towns, we are actually huge fans of this option as a healthy alternative - perhaps even better, and more exclusive? The emphasis of the hotel is natural everything, and happiness everything, and you feel it from the moment you walk in, from the appealing and organic decor choices, to the enthusiasm and happiness emitted by the staff themselves. Whenever I’ve been to another one of the more popular resort times, I find myself at times overwhelmed by 1) choices of things to do outside of the lodge/skiing itself, 2) pulled in many directions versus doing what I was actually intending to do which is REST and decompress, and 3) food options, and sussing out various restaurants within spitting distance of my accommodations.

Hotel Nesslerhof sort of has all of the things you want - in ONE place. Their all inclusive model includes the most incredible (and ABUNDANT) meals you’ve ever had in your life, to the point where we had to start rationing ourselves on the amazing options (you mean local homemade icecream is included every night after a fresh sushi buffet AND a four course meal?!)… they also have more quiet/relaxation/spa rooms than you can even find time to visit while there. We got massages and visited the stunning spa looking out at the mountains, and even found time to enjoy their workout room as well. AND, best of all, the skiing is right out the front door so you literally walk to the slope from your bedroom. The proximity of everything made for a truly relaxing, indulgent, and happy experience which truly rivals all of those other places you may have heard about. TLDR: Don’t sleep on Nesslerhof and Großarl!

(And another bonus is that it’s in spitting distance of Slovenia, so you can also go ski Kranjska Gora if you’re looking for a bit of variety!)

Views of hotel Nesslerhof after a morning dusting

Eat/Drink: Though the town of Großarl does have a few other options, we ate all of our meals at Nesslerhof, as the meals are all included in the experience and they were 5 star, unbeatable cuisine, so why would you go anywhere else? Something we absolutely *loved* as well is the emphasis on local when it comes to the foods being served. Cheese comes from right down the road, meats as well… we are huge fans of eating hyperlocal and Nesslerhof delivers.

Local meats perfectly prepared at supper

We admit: Nesslerhof was so enjoyable that the only time we left the property was to ski/snowboard, and of course partake in apres up at the Sky Lounge Wolke 7 at the new mountain station of the Kieserlbahn cable car. 360 degree views of the Austrian alps, Aperol spritzes to our hearts delight, and a lot of tomfoolery from fellow skiers? We had a super A+ day!

Riding ski lift back to Hotel Nesslerhof

Views in town as the sun sets in Großarl

Aperol spritz apres ski at Sky Lounge Wolke 7

Do: Ski in and ski out of Nesslerhof, obviously. Be sure to go up to the Sky Lounge Wolke 7. But really, just enjoy staying at Nesslerhof, as it is the main attraction of this visit. We really loved the emphasis on natural happiness which is touted by the entire staff at Nesslerhof. You feel comfortable, and like you are able to enjoy a bit of luxury in an entirely non-pretentious, totally organic type of way. If outdoor sports are your thing, great, go do that and then come back and enjoy a sauna. Or if you’re like me and really just wanted some R&R, eat all of the delicious food served and spend a day getting a massage at the spa, followed by a few hours of reading in one of the many silent rooms.

Notes: We swung by Halstatt, Austria on our drive from Nesslerhof to Austria wine country and definitely recommend you do the same! You’ve probably seen Halstatt all over Instagram, and in some regards THE photo location that everyone posts from was a little underwhelming after seeing the classic photo so many times, but the rest of the town was quite adorable and worth a visit. It was also an easy halfway point between Graz and the alps, a great place to stretch the legs.

SLOVENIA:

Stay: Hotel Nebesa in Kobarid

Eat/Drink: One of my forever favorites is Hisa Franko, though they have become quite popular after Chef’s Table and being donned a Michelin star. We suggest pivoting over to Lake Bled, and eating a beautiful, slow meal at Bled Castle whilst overlooking all of Lake Bled and the surrounding mountains.

Do: Visit Kranjska Gora. Walk around Lake Jasna. Drive down to Triglav National Park. Check out the Vintgar Gorge (note: closed in winter). Spend a day at Lake Bled.

Views of Lake Bled and surrounding peaks from Bled Castle

Lake Bled and Bled Castle from down below

Notes: Slovenia is a very expansive, incredibly beautiful place worthy of a longer visit in itself - and personally we love the summer season there the most. It’s also easily accessible from places in Italy like Venice… so we recommend that you drive from Venice through Friuli in the summer, and do some hiking around Triglav/Slap Kocjak when you can more deeply appreciate the stunning icy blue waters in their prime summer season.

Views of the alps on the drive from Austria to Slovenia

STYRIA:

Stay: SteiRerBLiCke in Sudsteiermark was the most incredible location for overlooking all of the vineyards, not too far from Gamlitz.

Eat/Drink: Restaurant Broadmoar is a new top 3 favorite restaurant of ours, and was found outside of Graz in Styria.

When I say life-changing experience, believe me. Truly life changing. I have been to a few Michelin/Chefs Table restaurants before they blew up, and this may have been an even better experience than some of those… so keep your eyes on this place. It’s certainly one that I want to stay hidden, so I can go back time and time again. We cannot say enough good things about the incredible, fun, knowledgeable staff. They specialize in unique local Austrian wines and hyper local meat/vegetable dishes, perfectly prepared. DO NOT MISS THIS - it was well worth the effort. A couple of dishes may or may not have brought us to tears (I promise it wasn’t the wine).

Do: There are so many gorgeous wineries to visit in Styria; you really cannot go wrong. We were there in the winter season, so things were certainly a bit quieter, but as our friends told us at Restaurant Broadmoar - people here are almost always willing to talk about and share their wines year round… just send them an email or a message on social media, and people tend to be thrilled to open their doors. Some wineries we wanted to visit and were told about often and will certainly see next time we are in town include Weingut und Buschenschenk Albert, Weingut Lackner-Tinnacher, Strohmeier, WeingutMuster, Weingut Werlitsch… and of course, Meinklang.

Notes: We easily drove to Styria from Graz, where we grabbed a Sixt rental car for about $40/day. Highly recommend this option for transportation, as you will want to be mobile! Europeans also care a LOT about making sure rental cars have adequate snow tires - so every car comes with studded tires in the winter. No worries there! Just be prepared to drive manual if you don’t otherwise specify :)

AMSTERDAM:

Stay: Eric Vokel Amsterdam Suites are our favorite place to stay aside from the Hoxton, which has been a favorite for years. We have recently been leaning towards more of apartment style stays, especially for longer trips where we want to feel some semblance of home, and Eric Vokel is exactly that, except better, because they help with breakfast, laundry needs, and have a front desk concierge who is ready and willing to help with any immediate needs. Not to mention they are literally two doors down from our favorite restaurant in the city, Choux. Eric Vokel can do no wrong!

View from our room terrace at Eric Vokel

Breakfast at Eric Vokel Amsterdam suites

Eat/Drink: Our favorite restaurant in town is without a doubt Choux, however there are many other honorable mentions. De Kas is a truly unique experience, as one of the pioneers of farm to table, though be sure to book well in advance. Hinata Ramen is our favorite cozy no-fuss ramen spot. Winkel43 is undeniably the best apple pie you’ll ever have in your life.

Do: Take a stroll in any of the parks. Westerpark and Vondelpark are our favorites. Also, a very niche off the beaten path experience known to locals but less so to tourists is a meal out at Vuurtorneiland, an old war bunker. You take a boat out from central Amsteram to a little island (thus the name Vuurtorneiland) and are treated to an absolutely delightful meal. This books up many months in advance so be sure to get your reservations in early, but it’s a special and worthwhile experience. In recent years, they have even opened up accommodations on the island, too, for those interested in staying!

Go eat bitterballen. Try a Brouwerij beer. Stroll the streets. Go to Foodhallen. We have a few other posts about best brown cafes in Amsterdam and other tips for staying like a local, so go click on those for a deeper dive!

Here’s our day by day itinerary for anyone desiring to follow similar / get a cadence of timing for each city:

Day 1-4 Oslo

(fly from Oslo to CPH)

Day 5-11 Copenhagen

(fly from CPH to Budapest)

Day 12-14 Budapest

(train from Budapest to Graz)

Day 15-17 Graz

(rent car and drive to Austrian alps)

Day 17-19 Austrian Alps

(drive from Austrian Alps to Styria via stops in Slovenia)

Day 19-21 Austria Styrian wine country

(fly to Amsterdam)

Day 21-23 Amsterdam

(fly home)

A Winter Week in the Alps: Zermatt and Chamonix

January 17, 2024 Laura Lisowski

I’ve been heading to the Alps for the better part of the last ten years now for the winter or holiday season, and thought it would be prudent to finally put pen to paper about some of my learnings and very best experiences on these trips. I’d like to think I have started to approach more of a locals grasp on secret spots out there and it just wouldn’t be very nice to gatekeep, so without further ado… some of my favorite spots and best way to spend one wintry week in the Alps.

ZERMATT

Fun fact: up until the early 19th century, Zermatt was a poor, rural village whose inhabitants mainly worked on the land and visitors were few and far between. Zermatt is of course surrounded by some of Switzerland’s highest and most majestic mountains which attracted mountaineers and explorers in the early 1800s. As a result, tourism began to slowly develop from 1820 onwards and in 1838 the first hotel was opened in Zermatt, which still stands today as the Hotel Monte Rosa. It was from here that Zermatt started to more firmly evolve into a popular sports and mountaineering destination to what it is today: the largest and highest summer skiing area in Europe, with 25km of pistes and 8 ski lifts open all summer.

Something else that fascinates me every time I read about it is the history of Zermatt’s most prominent peak, the Matterhorn. Many people realize that Matterhorn is the 6th tallest peak in the Alps, but what is often not realized is that the peak of Matterhorn is actually an African immigrant to Europe, from when the African tectonic plate collided from the south into the European tectonic plate about 30 million years ago. Geologists studying the Matterhorn have determined that the lower 11,000 feet of its slopes are sedimentary rock from the European plate and ocean crust from the forgotten seas, while the top 3,000 feet, the mountain’s peak - is actually harder and older metamorphic rock from the African plate, pushed on top of European sediment and eroded away by glaciers. Fascinating stuff!

Indulging in aperol spritz at Chez Vrony

Perusing stylish retreats at Focus Matterhorn

Just the tip of Matterhorn from Restaurant du Pont

Where to stay: Matterhorn Focus

Yes, I’ve only provided one recommendation. No, I won’t be providing any others. I have stayed at several places in Zermatt over the years and the hospitality of Matterhorn Focus is second to none - by a long shot. I have stayed in many of their rooms over the years, each with its own special twist, but on my most recent trip, was blessed to enjoy my stay (and views) from their Futura and Deluxe rooms.

Why does Matterhorn Focus stand many heads above the rest? It’s honestly hard to pinpoint, but a few things that immediately spring to mind:

1) The staff are incredibly attentive, kind, and consistently go above and beyond to make sure your experience is top notch. I can say this because I have now been back multiple times, and have looked for flaws, and cannot find any. In fact, I remarked to my partner on this trip that Focus makes vacation feel “like it used to be,” where they truly take a load off my shoulders and leave me feeling looked after and taken care of. In a world of bad hotels and poor hospitality experiences where customers are left feeling like they need to do all the work, be more like Focus! A special kudos to Kristina and Patrizia…bravo!

2) The room quality + view quality is unparalleled. I’m tempted to make a little R(oom) vs V(iew) chart with an X and Y axis for you, with a star in the upper right hand corner, but will spare you my cheesy visuals. I’ve often pondered if there’s a better place to stay geographically within the relatively contained Zermatt, and while nearly every part of town affords you some views, I can’t imagine not being as close as humanly possible to the Matterhorn whilst in town. Waking up, making an in room Nespresso, and then being able to crawl back into bed all whilst staring at the alpenglow trickling over the Matterhorn - you just cannot beat that experience.

Exterior views of stunning Focus property

3) Breakfast and bar quality. Look, I love a pain du chocolate (or 7) as much as the next guy whilst on vacation, but I’m also an adult and have come to realize in my late 30’s that solely subsisting on pastries while on vacation just won’t cut it. So what that means is that it’s become increasingly important to me to get a hearty and complete breakfast before heading out on a day’s worth of adventures - whether that be skiing, snowshoeing, fat biking, or simply working hard to trek through snow on the way to the afternoon’s aperol spritz(es) at Chez Vrony. I remarked to the folks at Matterhorn Focus that their breakfast is the best I’ve had at the many hotels I’ve visited around the world and I stand by it. They have a muesli/granola bar, a plethora of pastries from Fuchs bakery in town (yes, pastries can be ~a part of~ a balanced breakfast ;)), eggs, bacon, a huge assortment of breads (with my favorite pine and wild honey!), an extensive fruit bar. I can’t actually think of a single breakfast food I would have wanted that they *did not* have. Breakfast of legends, for sure.

4) Perfect balance of adventure + relaxation. Being on the Matterhorn “side of town” means you are the first one to the trails or to the lifts if you so choose, and have adventure at your fingertips from your doorstep. On the other hand, there’s a plethora of opportunities to simply *relax* at Matterhorn Focus - something that I know I can be terribly bad at, unless it is almost forced upon me. Anyone else love to go go go? We had a couple of very cold and overcast days on our latest trip which meant forced relaxation, so I took the time to meander around Matterhorn Focus’ spa and pool facilities. They give you everything you need to relax, including robes, slippers and big plushy towels - and even this active gal finally enjoyed the opportunity to just sit still in a clean, beautiful atmosphere. My favorite amenity is probably the eucalyptus steam room… I could spend hours in there, and now immediately need to figure out how to replicate the experience at my home.

Fruit and muesli selections at Focus breakfast

Lounging poolside with snowy views at Focus

My top Zermatt Experiences:

Visit Air Zermatt. I first learned about the innerworkings of Air Zermatt from the show “The Horn” which can be found on both Amazon and Outside TV, and have spent the better part of the last 7 years obsessed with their operation, as well as the absolute top tier example/standard they set for the rest of the emergency medicine/aviation industries.

It is important to note that while they do sightseeing tours, and in fact, they are some of the most spectacular tours in the world, their primary operations revolve around mountain support and rescues, as well as emergency medicine and rescue training, which includes a flight school, as well as fire services, water survival, critical care, first aid and first responder classes, to name a few.

We walked into Air Zermatt last week for our 40 minute sightsee over the Matterhorn, but truth be told, we were just as interested in “sightsee”-ing their operations in action.

The second person we saw upon entering the facility was Simon, who we had observed perform meticulous and miraculous rescues on The Horn, and who we soon learned had also in the interim 7 years since the show become an active pilot for Air Zermatt as well. If ever there was a ‘celebrity’ I wanted to meet (not a big fan of fawning over a Kardashian!), Simon would be it.

Now people like Simon give us a real reason to recognize someone as a legend and hero! Humble and unassuming - but exuding a quiet confidence … this embodies the ethos of Air Zermatt exceptionally well.

Everything at Air Zermatt gives the impression of a meticulous attention to detail, perfection, and the highest standard of excellence - from the communication from the front of office, to the detailed maintenance of their fleet of helicopters, to the carefully curated selection of the most impressive staff around. I know if I needed to trust someone with my life on a mountain, these guys would be at the top of my list to call.

As a testament to their reputation, when I shared some stories from our flightseeing adventure on my Instagram, I had tens of helicopter pilots send me messages sharing sentiments to the effect of, “I’ve been flying helicopters 30 years around the world, and Air Zermatt’s operation is the gold standard,” and then thanked me for highlighting their organization. They are very clearly highly respected for every angle of their work - and one not need to look far to understand why. An elite operation in every way.

Matterhorn off in the distance on Air Zermatt flight

Eat a meal at Sonnmatten. I’ve been coming back to Sonnmatten for the better part of the last 7 or 8 years and have never had a bad meal. Better news is that if you take my advice and stay at Focus Matterhorn, Sonnmatten is a quick 5 minute walk away, and a perfect cozy escape on a cold wintry night.

The best part about Sonnmatten is the small, family-run style of their restaurant and accommodations. The same faces have greeted me over the years, as well as help me picked a cozy meal to strike my fancy (gnocchi and scallops this time around… yum!) as well as a perfectly paired cocktail or glass of wine. Not to forget my forever favorite unique drink around the world which can be tasted and purchased aplenty: a unique hay schnapps, which feels like it was cultivated from the land and curated just for your palette. You’d think they’d screw up the recipe somewhere over the years, but they just never miss. Chefs kiss!

Hang out at Chez Vrony for an afternoon. There are many mountain huts and apres skis in Zermatt, and plenty of good food, but for me, nothing ever beats Chez Vrony. This is hands down my absolute favorite place in the world to enjoy an aperol spritz, and I don’t see it being unseated from the top spot anytime soon.

You simply take the Sunegga lift up to walk in, or ski in, and are greeted by incredibly well meaning and attentive staff and an extensive and equally impressive wine and food menu. I’m always partial to an incredible burger - and indeed theirs is one of the best - but their carpaccio and gnocchi dishes caught our attention as well and paired quite kindly with our overindulgence of aperol spritz. Every time I sit under a blanket, looking over the railing and out at the Matterhorn on the Chez Vrony patio, I find myself asking to every companion in listening distance, “is this place really real? Can you believe where we are right now?” How can a place be so perfect? That’s not for me to say… it really never gets old.

Unbelievable warming gnocchi at Chez Vrony

Special mentions: Go hang out at Brown Cow pub at Hotel Post downtown and get a burger and a tall Guinness. We also loved The North Wall Bar & Pizzeria for no fuss design-your-own-pizza. Easy, slightly off the beaten path, and 10/10 delicious (and GF friendly!) Best pastries in town are found at either Fuch’s or Petit Royal.

Golden latte and chocolate croissant at Petit Royal

Reading time in cozy upstairs at Petit Royal

Upfront and personal with the Matterhorn from Focus

CHAMONIX

In 1741 two Englishmen, Windham and Pococke, discovered the 'Chamouny' valley and its glaciers. Their expedition was met by a rural population of mountain farmers, and a humble monastery. This community lived off animal husbandry and a sparse harvest of oats and rye. After their initial discovery, Windham and Pococke explored the valley and visited the Mer de Glace (Sea of Ice). A few short decades later, the first guest house was opened in 1770 and in 1786, two local men made the first ever ascent of Mont Blanc. Not until 1901 was a railway line finally inaugurated into the area, which finally opened the town to winter visitors, and thus the touristic seasons begun.

As we lay in bed and listened to the booming of avalanche dynamite between 5am and 6am every day from our cozy well appointed chalet bedroom at La Sapiniere, we felt like we had officially arrived in Chamonix. The town and it’s people make you feel well looked after, from dynamite to dusk.

One thing I love about Chamonix is how it is clearly a oft-coveted adventure destination, whether in the winter or summer, but somehow it seems to avoid feeling overly touristic and maintain its authenticity. Of course there are a few selfie sticks here and there, especially on the popular tourist activities like the Aguille du Midi, but we are continuously surprised at just how easy it is to get off the beaten path. Take the ski lift up the Flagere, for instance, and within 10 minutes you can be in wide open bowls teaming with snow.

Where to stay: Le Sapiniere or one of the other ones I’ve written about from prior visits in the blog, including Hotel Mont Blanc Chamonix.

Sunset view from the room at La Sapiniere

My top Chamonix Experiences:

Eat at Cool Cats. Imagine the best apres-ski food you can ever envision and then make it 10x better. That’s Cool Cats in a nutshell. Loaded nachos and dogs and high quality food, so that you can indulge but not feel bad afterwards. I’ve been here 10 times and it’s still not enough.

Go up the Aguille du Midi. There are views pretty much everywhere you look in Chamonix, but none quite like the ones you get from the top of the Midi. This cable car holds the world record for the highest vertical ascent, from 1035m to 3842m.

Spend a spa day at QC Terme. There’s plenty of time for adventure and relaxation both in Cham and I’m a big fan of the yin yang. The same way you run 10 miles through the Alps to follow it up with an evening of raclette… you also must reward all the movement time with a bit of relaxation, as well. The spa at QC Terme is a great place to do so. Give yourself four hours or so.

Skiing/Riding the Chamonix Valley. It’s world class for a reason, with more vertical than you know what to do with. Towering peaks expand into a freerider’s paradise of chutes, cliffs and untouched snow. From Chamonix, you can take the lift up Brevent and transfer seemlessly to the Flegere area. There are mid station apres for all to enjoy, and they even take reservations! Up the valley, Les Grandes is the largest area with the biggest terrain, accessible via bus, shuttle and train. For the extreme thrill seekers, book a guide to gain access to the complete Vallee Blanche. The most inclusive pass is the Mont Blanc Unlimited which includes access to all the ski resorts in the valley, plus the Aigulle du Midi, Mer de Glace and more.

Don’t Ski/ Ride? You can still access the mountains multiple ways. You can buy individual roundtrip tickets to: Aigulle Du Midi, visit the Mer De Glace, join your friends for apres at any of the resorts with individual round trip tickets available at any ticket office. If you plan to do a few items listed, check out Pedestrian Pass which even allow for reservations for the Aigulle du Midi and the Mer de Glace! For the adventurous, check out paragliding!

Hang out at Les Caves. A trendy nightclub but without the pretentious vibe. Insider tip: you can ask for the extended wine menu which comes from Le Cap Horn upstairs and drink a beautiful beaujolais whilst hanging in a more laid back venue. Win, win.

Snacks on snacks - never leave home sans baguette

Head for breakfast at Arcus Coffee. By far the best breakfast in Chamonix. They are one of the only places I’ve ever been that has an extensive menu and actually does everything on the menu well. We switched it up day over day from eggs to omelettes to avocado toast to pancakes to acai bowls and none of them disappointed. The staff were also exceptional and the atmosphere welcoming and cozy.

Go for a glass of wine at Le Bistrot des Cristalliers. What better place to drink wine than in a cave? The wine menu and ambiance is impressive.

Some other honorable mentions: We loved the take out Mediterranean food at ELA (even the tahini brownie had me drooling), interesting/unique dishes at MUMMA, forever were picking up pastries and baguette/cheese sandwiches at Nicholas, and find that stopping at the Super U in town to pick up the basics/snacks is always a good idea. Also, if you’re anything like us, you need to find the occasional smoothie or vegetable while traveling to maintain some, ahem, regularity, Arctic Juice & Cafe is a great spot to find all the healthy things your heart desires.

A few additional travel and logistics notes:

We found that flying into Amsterdam from the U.S. was a great landing place to acclimate to the new time zone and enjoy some food and city scenes. Not to mention Schiphol is a hugely accessible airport, so a good bet. We recommend spending a New Years Eve there if you ever get the chance! From there, train travel is king.

We found that buying a 4 day Eurostar pass was the most cost effective and efficient way of moving around for our travel plans. BUT be wary you you need to pay slightly more for reservations for high-speed trains. Also, despite their best efforts, the travel planning apps don’t have every single option. I highly recommend reviewing the regional and local train tables because there can be more options than the app may show.

Also, Geneva is a great starting ground for access to the Alps. We used to visit there often and loved the opportunity to go back. Our favorite hotel there is Hotel Edelweiss. Super clean, spacious, and great views from the room… not to mention easy walking to all kinds of restaurants and bars, very centrally located.