Apres Ski in Champery

Champery Village

The village of Champery sits on two roads beneath the spectacular peaks of the Dents du Midi. The higher road is pure Swiss “Chocolate Box” charm.The lower, newer, through road runs up to the Telepherique and takes care of the practicalities. Everything is within fifteen minutes’ walk.

Tourism in Champery dates from 1857 and the Swiss Ski School in Champery was founded in 1932 making it one of the older ski resorts in Switzerland. Development has been pretty much continuous but, with one extraordinary exception, has been in complete sympathy with the architectural heritage. The non-profit Fondation du Patrimoine Champerolain, founded in 1933, works hard to maintain not only architectural heritage but also the cultural history. And the result is a ski resort that’s pleasant to wander around looking at the old and beautifully maintained wooden chalets. Ther are plenty of bars, restaurants, hotels and shops too but they also blend in seamlessly.

Champery is not big; everything is within a 10 to 15 minute walk, apart from the Grand Paradis chairlift which is well served by the free ski bus service. So park the car, if you have one, and stroll around. A good place to start is the fountain at the bottom of the village where the purity of the water is recorded for posterity in granite. If you take in the beauty of the clock tower, you might notice the clock strikes the hour five minutes early. Not quite the legendary Swiss time keeping accuracy! (Perhaps it’s the French influence.)

Ski Hire and Equipment Rental

There are plenty of ski and board hire options, but the Skiset outlet is handily placed, between the Hotel Chateauform and the Hotel Suisse, has a good range , and gives generous discounts if you book online in advance here.

 

 

Champery Restaurants & Bars

The apres ski scene in Champery isn’t busy. But this is compensated for the bars and restaurants later in the evening.

As you come off the Telepherique, the Le Gueullhi and Le Jonquille just over the road are convenient for the day’s debrief on the huge distances you’ve covered. Just up the hill past the car park, Mitchell’s, with it’s four TV screens broadcasting in four languages and it’s modern décor is another après ski spot.

But it’s later when Champery comes into it’s own. The ubiquitous pizza is, of course, easy to find but the restaurants in Champery generally have seen the arrival of younger go-ahead chefs in recent years and c21 on the main street boasts a Michelin star.

Restaurants in Champery

Auberge Le Paradis
Tél. 024 479 11 67

Café-Restaurant Le Nord
Tél. 024 479 11 26

Restaurant L’Atelier Gourmand
Tél. 024 479 11 26

Café-Restaurant Le Gueullhi
Tél. 024 479 35 55

Café-Restaurant Le Vieux Chalet
Tél. 024 479 19 74

Café-Restaurant Le National
Tél. 024 479 11 30

Le Resto-Palladium
Tél. 024 479 15 12

Café-restaurant Le Pub
Tél. 024 479 15 32

Cantine des Rives
Tél. 024 479 11 71

Café-Restaurant Le Mitchell’s
Tél. 024 479 20 10

Restaurant Le Centre, c21
Tél. 024 479 15 50

Crêperie Chez Martine
Tél. 024 479 14 56

Café-Restaurant Le Farinet
Tél. 024 479 20 98

Restaurant Le Toupin
Tél. 024 479 15 48

Restaurant Le Chaudron
Tél. 024 479 21 52

Restaurant Chez Coquoz
Tél. 024 479 12 55

Restaurant La Croix-de-Culet
Tél. 024 479 23 34

Cantine Lapisa
Tél. 024 479 36 43

Restaurant Le Plein Ciel
Tél. 024 479 28 38

Champery Other Activities

While Champery is not an ideal destination for the absolute beginner, there’s still plenty to do both indoors and out.

The ultra modern Palladium (a National Centre for Ice Sports) not only hosts major ice sports events but is also open for public use. It has a gym, indoor and outdoor pools, ice skating, curling, a climbing wall and, in the summer, tennis courts. As a convention centre, it also has a hotel and restaurant as part of the complex.

Palladium de Champéry
1874 Champéry
Tel : +41 (0) 24 479 05 05
www.palladiumdechampery.ch

Cross-country skiing, winter walks, paragliding and snowshoeing are all available in Champery. While there’s no dog sledding based in the resort, the The Grand Odyssée is a spectacular dog-sled race which passes through Champéry and well worth watching.

The thermal baths of Val d’Illiez are a short trip away from Champery and a great way to relax after a day on the pistes in the Portes du Soleil. Open all year round, the outdoor thermal pools are a visual spectacular; especially when there’s snow on the ground.

Les Bains Thermaux de Val’D’Illiez
1873 Val-d’Illiez
Tel : +41 (0) 24 476 80 40
View on Trip Advisor

But there is really too much happening in Champery to cover here. When you’re going, visit the website – www.champery.ch – and check out what’s on; there will almost certainly be something.

By the way, in summer, Champery is a perfect base for mountain bikers.