Every January a World Cup slalom runs on a slope that finishes in the middle of Adelboden, and the atmosphere that week is worth planning around. The rest of the winter is calmer. Two Bernese Oberland villages linked by lift, both still working farming communities as much as resorts, with sunny varied terrain spread across several sectors and a great deal of easy cruising. Beginner areas are good and the whole place is unhurried. The Engstligenalp is worth a day. It is a high plateau reached by cable car with easy skiing and touring on top of it, and the waterfall below is one of the tallest in Switzerland. Accommodation is chalet style hotels and guesthouses, comfortable and Swiss priced. There are thermal baths at Lenk for the afternoon you decide not to ski.