Arosa-Lenzerheide: Switzerland gets a new ski resort

In the second half of January 2014, the time has come: the new double reversible aerial tramway is scheduled to start operating between the two previously independent ski resorts of Arosa and Lenzerheide, uniting the two destinations into a kind of major destination. This will make the ski area larger, the choice of hotels more varied and this at practically the same prices. That sounds good.

by Rolf Fleckenstein

Until now, the two Graubünden destinations have had their very own appeal. Especially from Zurich, Lenzerheide can be reached relatively quickly and, with the new gondola lift on the Rothorn side, has a modern and attractive connection to the ski area. The lift is practically new and fast. The ski area on the Rothorn side is great: you can quickly get to the Scharmoin middle station and from there you can enjoy a pleasurable descent to the valley station - the difficulty level is easy to medium - or you can continue on the Rothorn cable car to the Rothorn summit at 2,865 meters. Tunnel runs, terraces, challenging moguls and enjoyable flat passages await more experienced skiers from here, without immediately being technically overtaxed: Something for the masses, in fact. However, the culinary offer on the mountain is rather modest and the hotel selection, especially in the upscale segment in the village, is just as modest in comparison with destinations such as Davos or the Engadine, which is why many book a vacation apartment or return home in the evening.

Arosa, for its part, is relatively difficult to reach by car for normal drivers from Chur: An extremely winding, about 30 km long pass road with narrow passages, where two vehicles can hardly pass each other, if one of them should not threaten to plunge down the slope deep into the valley, awaits the Arosa friends on their approach, only to end in a valley basin. It is therefore not surprising that every year the Arosa Classic-Car mountain race is held with great success, the track is really made for it. In addition to the romantic atmosphere, Arosa offers a wide range of hotels with two luxury hotels and corresponding culinary delights.

The merger to 225 km ski area a real coup
Strategically, this connection of the two previously independent ski destinations to form a new large ski area is a real coup. A very strong point is that the previous prices remain pretty much the same. The day ticket in Lenzerheide is CHF 4.00, in Arosa CHF 7.00. "More ski region for the money" could be the slogan, and in times of constant financial crisis in this world, this really hits the nerve of the time. The bare figures are now also convincing: Up to now, skiers had 70 km of slopes at their disposal in Arosa and 155 km in Lenzerheide. After the opening of the new Urdenbahn, snow-loving customers suddenly have 225 km of piste at their disposal. This means that the new ski region overtakes Flims/Laax (220 km) or the Jungfrau region (216 km) and catches up with Samnaun/Ischgl (235 km). In addition, it is a contiguous ski area. The comparison with the Upper Engadine with 350 km, whose kilometers of pistes are spread over 7 mountains, or the Davos / Klosters region with 320 km, whose pistes are spread over 6 mountains, must therefore be put into perspective. From Zurich's point of view, the region is now certainly gaining significantly in attractiveness. However, the destinations remain independent and continue to act as separate destinations. Similar to Ischgl/Samnaun, they share a common ski area, but each destination fights for the favor of guests with its own advantages.

Urdenbahn: The new double reversible aerial tramway
It is not only the unification of the ski area that seems appealing, no also the new double reversible aerial tramway is ultra-modern and the right answer...

You can find the whole article in the issue Sportguide Winter, issue 05/2013
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