Wengen in Switzerland has long been a ski holiday favourite for Felix Milns and family, now the new Grand Hotel Belvedere gives them one more reason to love this incredible destination.
Milns’ family, Grand Hotel Belvedere, Wengen ©Felix Milns
There are few places more spectacular to ski than Wengen and Grindelwald, among Switzerland’s mighty Jungfrau peaks. For me it is second only to the Dolomites. There is something utterly magical about skiing under the watchful eye of the mighty North Face of the Eiger.
We were here with our youngest daughter, Imogen, to check out the newly refurbished Grand Hotel Belvedere, the first five-star hotel in Wengen. The hotel may have taken a season longer than planned to fully open, but it is certainly worth the wait.
After a typically scenic Swiss train ride from Zurich an electric car whisked us up along the small, but perfectly formed, Dorfstrasse. On arrival we checked in at the beautifully restored timber-panelled lobby bar area, with the open fire crackling and warm glasses of welcome herbal tea in hand. Setting the tone of informal luxury and laid back service.
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Room with a view, Grand Hotel Belvedere, Wengen ©Lucas Dutertry
Staying at five-star Grand Hotel Belvedere, Wengen
Rooms are very comfortable, timber panelled, with stubli-style bathrooms of green-tinged granite with internal, curtained, windows into the bedroom. We were staying in a suite with a large, comfortable sofa bed for Imogen, and a spectacular view down the Lauterbrunnen valley.
Next to the Lobby bar is a large terrace overlooking the chasm-like valley of Lauterbrunnen, which translates as “loud water”, due to the 72 waterfalls that spill down the sheer sides of the valley below the resort. All bar one of the waterfalls were frozen for our early season visit, but the winter views are no less spectacular.
Imogen at the ‘famous staring hut’ Lauberhorn, Wengen ©Felix Milns
How to plan a perfect ski day with your kids
There are two ways up the mountain from the village. You can take the train up to high mountain plateau of Kleine Scheidegg on the Wengen side, but we tended to start our skiing day by riding the Mannlichen cable car. This actually takes you up to the top of the Grindelwald ski area, which allows you to ski the Grindelwald side then work your way back round to Wengen.
A top tip if you need to rent skis is to use Skiset, who have a shop, and free of charge ski room, just opposite the base station, 50m from the train station. There is a ski room in the hotel, from which the porters transport your skis, but if you need to rent, then the skiset ski room is a great option.
The wide slopes of Mannlichen are home to some stellar cruising reds and blues, all backdropped by the emblematic North face of the Eiger, and it was such a pleasure to watch Imogen beaming from ear to ear as she carved fast turns.
They were the perfect warm up before heading over to the Lauberhorn. This is one of the most fearsome downhills on the circuit and, outside of race times, you can start the run from inside the famous starting hut. It was great fun launching ourselves out, adrenalin pumping.
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Felix and family, Wengen, Switzerland ©Felix Milns
Why choose Wengen for family ski holidays?
British skiers have been coming to Wengen for over a century, and the resort is home to the famed Downhill Only Club, which celebrated its centenary in 2025. It was founded by Arnold Lunn, one of the godfathers of Alpine skiing, and still boasts over 1200 members. The name is part-joke part-philosophy, and refers to Wengen’s pioneering train service at that time, which allowed skiers to ride the train up then ski down, rather than having to walk back up, as was the typical custom.
One of Europe’s oldest ski resorts, Wengen has long been an under-the-radar family favourite. One regular visitor I spoke to, Vanessa Fisher, who learned to ski here as a child and then rinse-repeated with her own kids, explained, “my three children learnt to ski in Wengen. The nursery slopes under the cable car in the middle of the village provide the perfect area for beginners.”
Vanessa went on to say it also works really well for multi-generational families, “the ability to access all the ski areas by train means that tired children can come back to the village by train, and if non-skiing grandparents or parents are part of the holiday, they can also easily meet the family for lunch and a scenic walk.”
Indeed the high mountain plateau of Kleine Scheidegg is a marvellous option for non-skiiers, with its open sunny aspect in stark contrast to the brooding north face of the Eiger it looks out onto.
Imogen, Alpine Museum & Ice Palace, Wengen ©Felix Milns
Impressive engineering and spectacular glaciers
This notion of trains as an integral part of the lift system is particular to Switzerland, and nowhere is it more prevalent than here. Watching the trains wind up and down alongside the pistes is quite the spectacle.
The trains also afford a booming year-round market for sightseeing non-skiers. At 3454m, the Jungfraujoch train station is the highest in Europe, and represents one of the greatest engineering feats in the history of the Alps. Construction began in 1896, with the top station opening in 1912. After a pitstop at a look out point midway up the Eiger, it tops out with a viewing platform over the mighty Aletsch glacier, and is home to both a fascinating Alpine museum and an ice palace.
Imogen was delighted to find a frozen Bunibo next to a carved ice dragon, and we thoroughly enjoyed feeding the tame Alpine Chough birds that circle the promontory. It’s a fun alternative if you fancy something different one afternoon.
The awe-inspiring Eiger Express
Yet it’s not just about the trains. Wengen and Grindelwald have invested half a billion Swiss Francs in lift infrastructure in recent years, completing reimagining the links between the resorts with the awe-inspiring Eiger Express. Similar in technology to the peak-to-peak Gondola in Whistler, and the Vanoise express that links Les Arcs and La Plagne, this epic gondola spans 6.5km over only 7 pylons. Taking you from the base of Grindelwald up to the top of the Eigergletscher sector in Wengen, it revolutionises the flow around the ski area.
The glaciers are truly spectacular here, and one of the many things that makes Wengen so special is that you ski from the heart of the glaciers all the way down to the village 2000m below.
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The Roasty Blossom, Grand Hotel Belvedere ©Felix Milns
End of the day at Grand Hotel Belvedere Wengen
Back at the hotel we ventured down to the new spa, formed in brutalist concrete with indoor and outdoor pools, and a range of spa treatments designed by Susanne Kaufmann. The yin before the yang of the bar and one of their signature cocktails, the Roasty Blossom. A mix of tequila and mezcal, it’s mixed with black lime and infused on site with locally grown bergamot and mint syrup. Served under a glass cloche with smoky apple wood chip, it has just the right balance of smokiness and theatre.
It was the perfect aperitif before dinner in the Brasserie Belvedere. They offer a versatile mix of alpine favourites with a twist, like chicken schnitzel with celeriac and truffle and an epic burger with raclette cheese, but their headline-grabbing dish is indubitably the beef fillet pithivier: a mini beef wellington for two to share. Served with porcini hollandaise it was absolutely delicious, and a glorious way to round off the long weekend. It’s safe to say the Wengen baton has been successfully passed to another generation.
READ MORE: The best family hotels in the world recommended by parents who know
Make It Happen
How to get there
Direct UK Flights to Zurich from 1 hour, 15 minutes
Zurich to Wengen by train from 2 hours, 45 minutes
Where to stay
Grand Hotel Belvedere, Family Suite, B&B (2 adults, 1 child) from £541 per night
Good to know
There are many reasons to explore Switzerland by public transport; not only is it the best way to enjoy unparalleled panoramic views in a relaxed atmosphere, but also seamless connections are guaranteed – whether by train, bus, boat or mountain railway. Point-to-point tickets start at £40 one-way; Swiss Travel Passes start at £229 for three days.
Book ski equipment online in advance with Skiset and save up to 50%
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