Arosa Lenzerheide, Switzerland

Arosa-Lenzerheide is actually two villages that in recent years have combined their lift systems with a spectacular cabin across a valley.

We stayed in Arosa which is a small authentic village at 1800 meters altitude that can be reached by mountain train from Chur in about an hour. If you are changed, you can continue directly up the mountain as two lifts run from the top floor of the train station. Whether you stay in a hotel or apartment, you can probably walk there, or take a taxi for a few minutes. Everything you need in terms of supermarkets, sports shops, restaurants or other services is then just a short walk away.

At first glance the lift system looks small, but the well-placed lifts give you plenty of headroom and the mountains are big with wide slopes. There is as much side country as you want when the snow is fresh. The high altitude provides relative snow safety and the south-facing mountain area with many sunny days gives you nice goggle burn.

Most slopes are in the red-blue range, but the varied terrain sometimes seems to make it difficult to give the right color. On Weishorn, Weishorn Gipfel and Carmenna there are the black runs, which are good but not among the most difficult in the Alps.

Expect a full day if you head over to Lenzerheide, as the best skiing is two valleys away. And don't miss the last lift back. It will be cheaper to stay in a hotel than to take a taxi.

In addition to easily accessible and good hiking terrain, there are also 10 miles of cross-country trails, all-season tobogganing and winter hiking. Don't miss the fun Apréski at the newly opened Kuhbar with its ceiling-mounted smoke-spewing cow head. At Wandelbar, the evening continues longest.

Arosa is not for the extreme skier or night owl, but for those looking for great skiing and a quiet, friendly atmosphere, it's a real gem.