Apres Ski in Adelboden
Adelboden has nearly 20 restaurants in the centre of the village, serving traditional Swiss and Italian dishes including pizza. For the best food and fine wines, the Bellevue, Cambrian, Kaminstubli, Alpenblick and Hohliebe-Stubli are highly regarded.
Apres-Ski Bars in Adelboden
Scott’s Bar at the Cambrian Hotel is Adelboden’s best bar and an ideal place for après-ski from 4 pm, pre-dinner drinks or a beer while watching major sporting events on the big-screen television. It’s also a fun place to chill out or shale a leg late in the evening with visiting DJs hosting regular parties until 1 am.
The World Cup Bar in the main street is also quite appealing if you are lucky enough to find a vacant stool at the bar, but Adelboden is a relatively quiet traditional Swiss village – not a party town – and there are not very many bars in the village other than hotel bars the best of which, in addition to the Cambrian, are the Adelboden, Baren, Beau Site and Bellevue hotel bars.
Time Out Pub is a quite popular bar, despite its cheap unappealing exterior. The Alpenrose Fumoire bar in Dorfstrasse is frequented mainly by local youth and is noteworthy only for getting around anti-smoking laws by installing sliding glass screens to separate the bar staff from the smokers.
Restaurants in Adelboden
The new Belle Vue restaurant at the Parkhotel Bellevue has 13 Gault Millau points and is recommended for modern French and Mediterranean cuisine, exceptional wines and stunning views. The Cambrian Hotel restaurant also serves beautifully presented “New Alpine” dishes made using only the finest seasonal locally sourced ingredients and has an extensive wine list.
The restaurant Kaminstübli at the boutique Hotel Beau-Site is also worth visiting and the restaurant Alpenblick, awarded 14 Gault Millau points, is recommended for speciality meat dishes and creative desserts. The Hohliebe-Stübli (closed on Sundays and Mondays) has 13 Gault Millau points and is recommended for excellent food in a cosy and rustic ambience.
The restaurant at the 3-star Hotel Adler serves reasonably good food and has a large sun terrace which is busy at lunchtimes and for après ski later in the season. The restaurant at the 3-star Hotel Baren offers a selection of local and international dishes and over 160 wines to choose from.
If you like “Italian” food, grab a pizza at the Hotel Kreuz Pizzeria or try the Pizzeria Trattoria Alfredo or for Asian and Oriental cuisine try the Viktoria Eden Thai Mandarin restaurant. For afternoon tea or coffee with local patisserie and Swiss chocolate visit Cafe Haueter and Tea-Room Schmid, both of which are highly recommended.
Adelboden Other Activities
Adelboden has plenty of other activities in addition to Alpine skiing and boarding. There is a wide selection of other snow and ice sports on offer including tobogganing, winter walking, cross-country skiing, ice climbing, dog sledding, sleigh rides, ice skating and wellness.
Cross-Country Skiing in Adelboden
Adelboden has 21km (13 miles) of cross-country skiing (skating and classic) including 8 km (5 miles) of well-prepared high-altitude trails on the Engstligenalp plateau at 2,000m and 11km of floodlit cross-country trails beside the river Engstligen in Boden which are open until 9m from December until late March depending on snow conditions. The cross-country trails at Boden begin next to the Wildstrubl restaurant. Use the free ski bus to get from Adelboden to Boden (5 minutes) or ride the Luftseilbahn cable car to get to Engstligenalp at 2,000m. Cross-country ski passes can be purchased at the Adelboden Tourist Centre: Tel: +41 (0) 33 673 80 80; Web: www.adelboden.ch.
Night Skiing in Adelboden
There’s night skiing in Adelboden on the World Cup slope at Chuenisbargli, which is open for floodlit skiing each Friday evening from early February until the beginning of March from 7pm. It’s free of charge if you have already have a valid ski lift pass, otherwise tickets are available from the Adelboden Lift company: Tel: +41 (0) 33 673 90 90.
Ice Skating and Curling in Adelboden
The new indoor Adelboden Leisure and Sports Arena replaces the original open air ice rink and features a bowling alley (six bowling lanes and a bar), four indoor curling rinks, ice rink for skating and ice hockey, Alpine curling, indoor climbing hall with boulder room, a restaurant and meeting rooms. The curling hall incorporates state of the art technology and infra structure for amateur and professionals and the climbing hall is suitable for beginners to advanced climbers on walls up to 13 metres high: Tel: +41 (0) 33 673 17 77; Web: www.arena-adelboden.ch
Toboganning and Snowtubing in Adelboden
The Adelboden-Lenk ski area includes 24 km (14 miles) of specially prepared toboggan runs including floodlit tobogganing and a ski hut party on Tschenten Alp each Saturday night from the end of December until March. Adelboden’s longest toboggan run is the 5km long Sillerenbuhl-Berglager run. There’s also snowtubing at Engstligenalp (www.engstligenalp.ch) and a 2km long airboard run at Tschenten Alp (www.techentenalp.ch). Toboggans can be hired at the summit lift stations. For more information about tobogganing contact Adelboden Tourist Centre or the Swiss Ski and Snowboarding School in Adelboden: Tel: +41 (0) 33 673 80 80; Web: www.skischule-adelboden.ch
Dog sledding in Adelboden
Markus Rothlisberger spends the entire winter living with two teams of dogs in a large igloo on the plateau at Engstligenalp at 2,000m above sea level. The dog sledding really is an experience not to be missed and can be pre-booked through the Engstligenalp lift company: Tel: +41 (0) 33 673 32 70; Web: www.engstligenalp.ch.
Snowshoeing in Adelboden
Gentle guided snowshoe tours in Adelboden are suitable for all ages and are available through the Alpine School and through 4wellbeing on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays and on specified dates from January to March and otherwise by prior arrangement. Afternoon snowshoe tours are between 1pm and 4pm and night snowshoeing by moonlight is from 7pm until midnight: Tel: +41 (0) 33 673 46 40; Web: www.4wellbeing.ch.
The Igloo at Engstligenalp
Enjoy a cheese fondue lunch or a romantic candlelit dinner in the large and spacious ice world Igloo at Engstligenalp surrounded by a snow covered landscape. For more information and to book: Tel: +41 (0) 79 666 05 83; Web: www.fondue-iglu.ch.
Ice climbing in Adelboden
There’s a natural ice climbing arena on frozen waterfalls on the cliffs at Engstligenalp (1480-1960m) with mixed routes and varying levels of difficulty from beginner to advanced ice climbing. Contact the Engstligenalp Lift Company for more information: Tel: +41 (0) 33 673 32 70.
Paragliding in Adelboden
Adelboden has two paragliding schools – Cloud-7 and Kropf Fly – offering tandem paragliding flights with qualified instructors. Contact Hanspeter Schmid: Tel: +41 (0) 79 630 98 93. Web: www.cloud-7.ch or Sami Kropf: Tel: +41 (0) 33 654 45 30; Web: www.kropf-fly.ch. Or for a bigger picture view of the Alps from a light aircraft, round trip flights to the Eiger-Monch-Jungfrau, the Matterhorn and Mont-Blanc are offered nearby at Reichenbach: Tel: +41 (0) 33 676 23 43; Web: www.fluggruppe-reichenbach.ch.
Sleigh rides in Adelboden
Horse drawn sleigh rides in and around Adelboden from 30 minutes to 2 hours duration can be pre-booked or available for hire outside the church in the centre of the village. Tel: +41 (0) 79 666 76 69
Winter Walking in Adelboden
Adelboden is a popular destination for winter walking with a network of 112 km (70 miles) of well-prepared footpaths and trails for winter walking through forests and across snow fields with magnificent panoramic views and plenty of mountain restaurants for refreshment. There are a total of 14 defined routes varying from 45 minutes to 2 hours duration and including lift accessible walking trails in the ski area. For more information including route maps for walking and winter walking lift pass prices, contact the Adelboden Tourist Center: Tel: +41 (0) 33 673 80 80; Web: www.adelboden.ch.
Wellness in Adelboden
If your accommodation does not have wellness facilities and you feel like pampering yourself, a modest entry fee will buy access to the spa and wellness facilities at several hotels in Adelboden including the spa at the 4-star deluxe The Cambrian Hotel (Tel: +41 (0) 33 673 83 83). Voted “one of the Top 20 Swiss Hotels with Wellness”, The Cambrian spa is open daily from 9am and has one of the “Top 10 outdoor pools with Amazing Views Worldwide”. The Parkhotel Bellevue & Spa (Tel: +41 (0) 33 673 80 00) is also recommended and has a beautiful outdoor pool with a stunning view as well as a large sauna area including saunas in the park. Contact Adelboden Tourist Office for details of other hotels with wellness facilities open to non-residents.
Adelboden Folk Museum
The museum in English Church in Landstrasse on the outskirts of Adelboden charts the history of the village and is open for guided tours every Wednesday in winter from 2-5pm. It’s worth visiting and exhibits include local crafts, a superb collection of Swiss cow bells, historical exhibits depicting village life long before tourism, the fire in Adelboden in 2003 and the achievements of local mountaineer Robert Allenbach pictured planting the Swiss flag on the summit of Mount Everest 8848m on 16 October 1978. Contact the Adelboden Tourist Centre: Tel: +41 (0) 33 673 80 80; Web: www.adelboden.ch or local expert Hanspeter Oester: Tel: +41 (0) 79 685 41 86 who is a charming guide.
The Tropical Centre in Frutigen
The Tropical Centre in Fruitgen (20-30 minutes by bus from Adelboden) is an interesting place to visit and comprises specially constructed greenhouses with exotic tropical plants and sturgeon swimming in pools fed by a free and sustainable energy source of warm water flowing from below ground at the base of the mountain at the rate of 100 litres per second. Great for nature lovers and to visit the adjoining restaurant and bar serving fresh foods made from products of the Tropical Centre and with sturgeon swimming in the pools that include caviar! Tel: +41 (0) 33 672 11 44; Web: www.tropenhaus-frutigen.ch.
The Village of Adelboden
Adelboden is an attractive Swiss Alpine village with traditional attractive chalet-style buildings, with five family-friendly ski areas totalling 210km of pistes covered by a single lift pass and plenty of activities for non-skiers.
One of Switzerland’s less well-known resorts Adelboden is a pretty village on a south-facing hillside featuring attractive dark wood chalet-style buildings with red and green shuttered windows and Swiss flags flying from their upper floors. The main street, Dorfstrasse, runs for about one kilometre through the middle of the village and is the focal point for most hotels, shops and restaurants.
Adelboden’s main street includes a reasonable selection of shops selling sports equipment, clothing and souvenirs, and Backerei Confiserie Haueter and Confiserie Tea Room Schmid, which are worth visiting for afternoon tea or coffee with pastries and Swiss chocolates. The pretty village Church hosts festive concerts and is famous for its stained glass windows by Augusto Giacometti, the father of sculptor Alberto Giacometti examples of whose work can be seen on the reverse of a 100 Swiss Franc banknote.
From Christmas to Easter, skiers and boarders throng Adelboden’s long, narrow, main street, then in the spring and summer the hikers and bikers arrive. There’s plenty of hiking also in winter with numerous routes signposted from the centre of the village ranging from a short 30 minute walk to full day hiking routes to Matten and Kandersteg. If you prefer a more romantic and effortless form of transport, horse drawn sleighs are available for hire outside the church. The village is best explored on foot but a car will come in handy for getting to and from some of the smaller ski areas 5-10km from Adelboden.
For nearly 500 years until the beginning of the 20th Century, Adelboden’s main activity was farming and the centre of the village still features a beautiful old farmhouse built in 1855 with a hay store outside for winter feeding. The local economy was boosted by slate mining from 1833 to 1874 then by manufacturing match boxes from 1867 to 1913. The first tourists arrived in 1873 leading to the construction of many hotels, the arrival of the first winter guests in 1901 and the founding of the Adelboden Ski Club in 1903.
From 1943-1945 Adelboden was home to 1,200 wartime “guests of the government” including 600 American pilots who managed to crash land their stricken aircraft in neutral Switzerland before being rounded up by the Swiss Army and pleasantly accommodated in Adelboden hotels. The wrought iron gates to the church were “presented by interned American Airman and escaped POW’s of the British Commonwealth in memory of many pleasant months spent in Adelboden 1943 – 1945”.
Adelboden’s pride in being a permanent fixture on the FIS Ski World Cup circuit is celebrated in the main street by two monuments showing foot imprints of past race winners, including five-time winner Ingmar Stenmark and three-time winners Hermann Maier and Benny Raich.
Recent and planned development in the village includes a new ice centre, finished in 2010, and the Swissspagroup’s plans for the ground-breaking Adelboden Alpine Spa project. The project plan, still subject to approval at the local level, features a 5-star superior spa hotel with 91 rooms and over 7,200 m² including underground parking for 100 guests and an impressive 4,500 m² spa and wellness facility with 840 m² of pools, 19 treatment rooms, eight saunas and 16 mineral water pools.
Adelboden Events
The highlight in Adelboden’s calendar of events and the biggest party weekend in winter is the AUDI FIS Ski World Cup at Chuenisbargli, one of the most difficult giant slalom races in the world. Another great fun event for spectators and participants is the Horaschlitta-Rena, a crazy long-horn sledge race, also on Chuenisbargli.
Winterylute Adelboden
Adelboden and guests greet the winter with the traditional “Winterylüte” celebrations on a Saturday in mid-December.
AUDI FIS Ski World Cup Racing
Adelboden is a permanent feature in the AUDI FIS World Cup Ski race calendar and hosts one of the World Cup’s most challenging giant slalom ski races on the famous Chuenisbargli course in January each year. The world’s ski racers are cheered on by a crowd of 30,000 spectators so book your accommodation early if you want to join them for the giant slalom on Saturday and the slalom on Sunday.
Horaschlitta-Rena on Chuenslibargli
Another race event with a difference is the Adelboden Horaschlitta-Rena in February each year, which is a crazy toboggan race and an amazing spectacle, as 100 or more traditional long-horned sledges, manned by crews of two, race at breakneck speeds down the slopes at Chuensbargli to finish the course in the shortest possible time. Some teams wear modern winter sports clothes but many are kitted out in traditional old clothes as a reminder of days gone by when farmers used Horaschlitta-style sledges to bring hay down to the valley for winter.
Children’s Olympiad in Adelboden
Adelboden is the host venue for the Children’s Olympiad, with children from all over Switzerland competing for victory. Organised by the Swiss Ski and Snowboard School in Adelboden, the event takes place towards the end of March.
For more information contact the tourist office in Adelboden:
Adelboden Tourismus
Dorfstrasse 23
CH 3715 Adelboden
Tel: +41 (0) 33 673 80 80
Emil: [email protected]
Web: www.adelboden.ch