Châlet Birkhahn — Saas-Fee

The house

Recreation in harmony with nature

On the quiet sun terrace of Hohnegg, 100 vertical metres above the village, an old Valais farmhouse from 1676 has been renovated in an authentic style. Local larch wood, natural stone and sheep's wool insulation carry the warmth and atmosphere of an alpine hut, while a generous kitchen and living space with a soapstone and Swedish stove invite quiet evenings. A private biosauna offers relaxation after a hike or a day of skiing.

Skiers reach the cable-car valley station and the Staffelwald beginner area in about 5 minutes on the groomed ski trail near the house. Ski-in is possible on a narrower ski path to within around 600 m of the house; the last 500 metres or so are on foot. Alternatively, a ski depot can be rented at Cesar Sport near the lifts.

1676

Original Valais farmhouse, rebuilt in authentic style

Where to stay

Simple or generous — two ways to stay

The Châlet Apartment

From CHF 80 per person / night

110 m² 2 bedrooms + mezzanine Up to 6 guests

110 m² across two floors: two double bedrooms with king-size box-spring beds, pocket-spring mattresses and temperature-balancing sheep's wool duvets. Each room has its own bathroom with rain shower or bath, plus a mezzanine open to the living room under the roof windows for the children.

Private biosauna / Finnish sauna — the sauna belongs to this apartment alone
Soapstone and Swedish stove at the heart of the living room
Two bathrooms with rain shower and shower-WC; the upper-floor one also has a large bathtub next to the sauna
Balcony off the Sahara room, facing the southern peaks and the Allalin
In summer: outdoor seating with mountain views, a barbecue area and a herb corner
Mezzanine under the large roof windows, a favourite with children. Reached by ladder
Bed linen, towels and bathrobes included
High-speed Wi-Fi and cable TV
Induction stove, dishwasher, oven and steam oven
Quooker boiling-water tap and Nespresso coffee machine
Cot on request
Staple foods, spices and a Sodastream waiting on arrival

Photos of this apartment

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The Schafstall Studio

From CHF 60 per person / night

35 m² Studio, ground floor Up to 4 (+1)

A 35 m² two-room studio on the ground floor with a pull-out bunk bed for up to four guests. An extra bed as a sofa bed in the living area is possible. Fully equipped modern kitchen, cable TV and Wi-Fi, and a small outdoor seat with a panoramic view by the entrance. (The biosauna and Swedish stove belong to the private Châlet apartment upstairs and are not accessible.)

Fully equipped kitchen with oven, steam oven, induction hob and microwave
Bedroom: pull-out double bunk bed and wardrobe; sofa bed for a fifth guest on request
Bathroom with rain shower / shower-WC
Small seating area with a panoramic view by the entrance
Mountain views from the windows
Bed linen and towels included
High-speed Wi-Fi and cable TV
Cot in the living area on request
No sauna — the biosauna belongs to the Châlet apartment

Photos of this apartment

Full details & all photos →

Getting there

Car-free Saas-Fee

The resort

At the foot of Switzerland's highest peaks, Saas-Fee offers a glacier ski area open year-round and long valley descents in winter, plus a rope park, toboggan run and minigolf for families, guided mountain tours and wide-open hiking trails in summer. On rainy days, the Aqua Allalin indoor pool and wellness centre wait in the village; day trips reach Zermatt, the Mattertal or the Aletsch region easily.

Getting to Saas-Fee

By car via the Lötschberg car-train, allow around 3 hours from Zürich and about 3½ hours from Basel or Geneva, all via Visp. By train, Swiss Rail (SBB) runs directly to the Saas-Fee bus terminus.

Open SBB timetable

Arrival

Saas-Fee itself is car-free — park in the large garage at the village entrance. The house sits about 100 m above the village on the Hohnegg sunny terrace: roughly 10 minutes by electric taxi, or a scenic 15–20 minute walk via the Hannig valley station. Guests normally book the taxi themselves; on request we are happy to arrange it. Until 5 pm we welcome you in person at Hohneggweg 47 and help with carrying your luggage over the last 100 metres. After 5 pm the keybox takes over — you receive the code in advance, and there is no help with luggage at that hour.

Departure

On the day of departure, please leave the apartment broom-clean by 10 am. On request, a later check-out may be possible. Book your return transfer in good time using the numbers above — in high season waiting times are common, so reserve 1–2 days ahead.

2–5 pmPersonal check-in

10 amCheck-out

150 mTo the slope

The stone path from the village up to the house

Map of the main routes to Saas-Fee from Basel, Zürich, Geneva and Milan

Main routes into the valley

Electric taxi

Electric taxi from the car park — Taxi Bolero +41 27 957 70 20 or Taxi Edelweiss +41 77 443 73 32, both around CHF 45. Uber runs in the valley too and costs about CHF 30, but is not always available. In high season, book 1–2 days ahead.

Pets

As a rule we cannot accept pets. Well-behaved, easy-going animals may be possible by prior arrangement — please ask before booking. Animals are not allowed on the sofas or beds, and the apartment must be left clean and free of hair. If we find soiling attributable to an animal, we charge an additional cleaning fee of CHF 200.

High-speed Wi-Fi

Fibre, included

Self check-in

Keybox with your own code

Historic farmhouse

An original from 1676, rebuilt

Ski & hiking guiding

On request, from your hosts

Welcome drink

Basic groceries and a Sodastream

Ski-out / ski-in

150 m to the ski trail, 5 min down to Staffelwald; ski-in only guaranteed in good snow, with the last 500 m on foot.

Luggage & electric transfer

Arranged for arrival and departure on request

Hosted in four languages

German, English, French and Italian

Getting to the slopes

Ski-in / Ski-out

The house isn't directly on the piste, but it's 150 m to the groomed ski route to the Staffelwald beginner ski area and cable-car valley stations — about 5 minutes downhill.

To the slope / ski-out

About 150 m on foot to the ski trail into the ski area. Then a 5-minute run down the trail to Staffelwald.

Back to the house / ski-in

The return route runs from Staffelwald along a narrower ski trail back to the descent path. The last 500 m or so are on foot back to Châlet Birkhahn. This ski route is only reliably open in good snow conditions — if it isn't, we recommend a ski depot at Cesar Sport by the sports ground/ski school.

~5–7 minDown to the lift

~500 mOn foot on the way back

Staffelwald liftEntry to the ski area

↔ Swipe the map sideways Schematic — not to scale. Interactive piste map (zoom, lift status) Official panorama piste map

Tip: The route to the piste is short and reliable; the ski-in route back is only guaranteed in good snow conditions, so expect to walk more of the last stretch after a thaw. If it's unreliable, a ski depot near the sports ground is an easy alternative to carrying skis home.

Around the house

A car-free mountain resort at the foot of Switzerland's highest peaks — 13 four-thousanders

Saas-Fee packs a full winter and a full summer into one valley — glacier skiing above 3,600 m, long valley descents, and hiking paths that start at the door.

Book the activities directly with the provider — but book your stay here: this page gives you 10% off the apartment or the studio. Booking through Saastal Tourismus or a portal costs more.

Winter

Snow-sure skiing up to 3,600 m on a year-round glacier, with long runs back down to the valley. Ski school and instructors in the village, and a floodlit toboggan run for the evenings.

Winter in the Saas valley

Summer

Hundreds of kilometres of marked paths, from gentle alp walks to high mountain tours. Summer skiing continues on the glacier, and mountain guides can be booked in the village.

Summer activities

Autumn

Golden larches, clear air and empty trails. There is already snow on the peaks but not in the valley — and it is much quieter than in summer or winter.

Autumn in the Saas valley

With children

A high-ropes forest course, the summer toboggan run, minigolf, a forest playground and an adventure trail — enough to fill several days without a car.

Family offers

Rainy days

Aqua Allalin in the village combines a public indoor pool with a wellness centre. The local heritage museum and the village restaurants fill the rest of an afternoon.

Pools and wellness

Day trips

Zermatt and the Mattertal, the Aletsch glacier region, and the old towns of Visp and Brig are all under an hour away by road or rail.

Worlds to explore

Guided by your hosts

Frank Bumann will come along as a guide on request — on skis or on foot. Useful above all for knowing where the good snow is right now and which paths are empty.

Mountain guide offices

More ideas for the valley: saas-fee.ch

An authentic Valais chalet in Saas-Fee, on the sun terrace of the Alps