The most theatrical setting in the Alps. The Eiger north face stands directly above the pistes and hotel balconies point straight at it, so ask for a room and a table that face the right way. Grindelwald is a working village with mountain railways running through it. Wengen and Mürren across the valley are car free and reached only by train. Getting around involves trains and cable cars rather than one continuous lift network, which costs time every day and is worth knowing before you book.

The skiing is scenic, rolling and mostly intermediate. The runs down from Kleine Scheidegg are long and beautiful, and the Lauberhorn race course runs through them. Grindelwald First on the other side of the valley is the freestyle and snowboard side, and it doubles as an adventure area with a cliff walk and a zip line. Two things beyond the skiing are worth planning for. The train up to the Jungfraujoch, which is the highest railway station in Europe, and the toboggan run down from Faulhorn, which is one of the longest in the world.