Nenda, Switzerland

By | January 6, 2023

The quiet town of Nenda is located in the Rhone Valley near the main city of the canton of Valais, Sion. It has everything that sports and outdoor enthusiasts need, because Nenda is considered the heart of the famous 4 Valleys ski area with almost a hundred lifts and 412 km of slopes. And don’t forget about the cross-country ski trails, hundreds of kilometers of winter hiking trails. Check equzhou for more cities and countries in Europe.

The ski season in Nende lasts from early December to mid-April. During the rest of the year, the town turns into a family resort popular with mountain bikers and hikers.

How to get to Nenda

The path to Nendou almost always passes through Sion, located 15 km away – the largest city in the region with a population of 30 thousand people. Buses connect Sion with Nenda. Travel time between cities is 30 minutes, ticket price is 6-10 CHF.

Nenda is located in close proximity to the major airports of Geneva (165 km), Milan (250 km), Zurich (285 km) and Basel (255 km). There is an airport in Sion, however, it is of regional importance.

You can come to Nendu by train – the trains depart directly from the airports of Geneva and Zurich. For example, the journey from Geneva to Sion takes 2 hours, a train ticket costs almost 50 CHF.

By car, you need to take the A9 motorway to Sion, and then at the exit turn towards Sion-Ouest.

Skating

Nenda is primarily a route of medium and high difficulty levels. It is dominated by red slopes designed for experienced skiers and snowboarders. But lovers of calm skiing with children will find good gentle slopes here. Most of the slopes are at an altitude of more than 1700 m.

It must be said that Nenda stands out from the background of his fellows from the “4 Valleys”. Firstly, the town is located in the north-east of this resort region – a young, dynamically developing, and, therefore, affordable. In addition, Nenda attracts family tourists due to its silence and lack of pathos. And this is no coincidence, because today’s resort grew out of a calm old village with its traditional wooden chalets, giant barns and granaries.

A ski pass in Nende costs an average of 71 CHF per day. A six-day ski pass will cost 355 CHF. Lift services throughout the 4 Valleys area cost CHF 56 per day and CHF 282 for 6 days.

A 12-kilometer track has been laid especially for lovers of cross-country skiing. Snowboarders can appreciate the snow park with a half-pipe, and freestyle fans can enjoy a fun park with various types of jumps, kickers, rails and boxes. The Funpark is divided into two zones with different levels of difficulty, so that both professionals and beginners can try their hand here.

Accommodation in Nende

Nende has a large number of housing offers of various levels of comfort, but all of them are distinguished by home comfort and quality service. There are no luxury hotels here, this is a rather democratic resort.

Most tourists choose apartments or chalets. So, a cottage for 6 people will cost 500-1500 CHF for 6 nights – this is cheap for Switzerland. True, you almost always need to add about 100 CHF to the cost for cleaning, bed linen and city tax.

An even more affordable option is apartments. On average, accommodation for 4 people for 6 nights costs 500-1500 CHF. As in the case of the chalet, this amount does not include services and city tax. 6 nights in a five-star hotel will cost about 2000 CHF for a double room.

What to do in the summer in Nende

An important feature of Nenda is the possibility of recreation throughout the year. While other ski villages are free from noisy tourists and are slowly preparing for the next season, travelers are coming to Nendu.

In summer, the irrigation canals are considered the most popular tourist destination in the village. They were built centuries ago to prevent drought in the valleys and to irrigate vineyards, fields and orchards. Unique channels are cut right in the rock – a real monument to human industriousness and ingenuity.

In July, Nenda hosts the international festival of the alphorn or alpine horn, an ancient wind instrument reminiscent of the Carpathian trembita. It is here that the most crowded event of its kind in Switzerland takes place. The festival attracts hundreds of participants from all over the country.

In August, Grand Raid is held in Nende: the longest and most extreme mountain bike race on the planet. 4,000 participants travel along the Verbier-Grimements route, 131 km long.

Weather

The region in which Nenda is located has been famous for its wonderful climate for centuries – sunny and dry. In summer, the weather here is very reminiscent of Spanish – warm and dry winds descend from the mountains and mix with the scent of pine needles. So Nendu can be safely called not only a ski resort, but also a mountain climatic resort. The warmest in July is +19 °C. The average January temperature is around 0°C.

Nenda, Switzerland