LAAX and rocksresort in winter:
Our travel report
After thoroughly enjoying our summer at rocksresort (read about it in our blog post here), we are now conquering the slopes of the sustainable ski resort LAAX.
Driving an electric car from Allgäu to LAAX
From our place in the Ostallgäu region, it's only about a 2.5-hour drive to Laax, so we set off at a leisurely pace in the morning. It's a wonderful spring day, just before Easter. Unfortunately, the snowfall this winter wasn't very heavy, and everything around Lake Constance is already in bloom. Nevertheless, the Swiss mountain peaks ahead are still white and inviting for warm days of skiing. Franzi loves it when it's spring in the valley and still winter on the mountain; even as a teenager, it was the highlight of the year to whiz down the slopes wearing only a sweater and sunglasses. The distance is easily manageable with our electric car, which we can then charge at one of the many charging stations in the underground parking garage, but we're using it for our days in Flims.
Sledding fun on the toboggan run in Nagens
We arrive in Flims around midday; the cable cars are located right in the town center with a large parking garage. We quickly park, grab a snack, and hop straight into the next Arena Express gondola heading towards the summit. I regret not bringing my cross-country skis, because below us lies the Plaun high valley, offering a wonderful view of the perfectly groomed trails. But we continue on to Nagens at 2,127 meters and into a winter wonderland – only the warm sun hints at spring. On sleds – racing bobsleds would be a more accurate term – we speed down the 1.5-kilometer toboggan run from Nagens to Scansinas, then back up and down again. Lotta, our snow-loving Labrador, gets to join us for a run, but she takes a break at the lift station, while the kids can't get enough. With broad grins, we take the last cable car down to Flims and then head to our accommodation for the next few days.
The rocksresort in LAAX
It's great to be back! Just like last time, we have a two-bedroom apartment at the rocksresort – the perfect size for our family of four with our dog. Each apartment has a fully equipped kitchen and a living/dining area. The absolute winter highlight is the bathroom with a large stone bathtub, steam room, and rain shower. Perfect for relaxing muscles after a long day of skiing. It's a different apartment than last summer, but just as beautiful and spacious.
Anyone wanting to learn more about the rocksresort can read about it in detail in our latest blog post . Since it's getting late, we're heading towards Riders, another super cool hotel and restaurant in the immediate vicinity of the rocksresort.
The Riders: A casual hotel and restaurant next to the rocksresort
We'd check into Riders in a heartbeat; the atmosphere is super relaxed, the design is totally our style, and they regularly have changing exhibitions and events. Maybe next time without the kids, but tonight we're guests at the Riders Restaurant for a special evening. Oh, and you should know that the Riders Restaurant is entirely vegetarian and vegan – how cool is that?! We're greeted with the words, "Do you know what kind of evening it is tonight?" and immediately surprised. Tonight, two lovely wine specialists and Demeter estate owners from South Tyrol are presenting their wines at the Riders Restaurant , accompanied by a vegan four-course menu. All the guests are seated at a 20-meter-long table, just like at Nonna's. The children are quickly served their kids' pasta alongside the appetizer, while we start with the first wine. We toast, the kids devour their food, and as soon as their plates are empty, they fall asleep in their chairs. Franzi and I toast to that with the second course and the third wine – the evening promises to be quite relaxing, and it was. The menu was wonderful, delicious, earthy, and the wine was a journey through the vineyards of the small estate above Bolzano, with old grape varieties and a very clear view of how wine should be made: natural, ecological and unadulterated.
Thank you for this wonderful first evening!
Up the mountain: Skiing in LAAX
Last night's festivities are definitely taking their toll. It was wonderful, but we did go on a bit late. We refueled with a hearty breakfast at the Signina Hotel and gathered our strength for the upcoming day of skiing. Unfortunately, the weather is rather mediocre, but we're still looking forward to hitting the slopes in Laax . After breakfast, we and the kids headed to the Laax School , where Linus, Leo and Casper's ski instructor for the next two days, was already waiting for us. Since the snow in the valley and the Ami Sabi snow wonderland wasn't as plentiful anymore, we all took the cable car up to Crap Sogn Gion at 2,263 meters. The light rain in the valley gave way to snowfall on the mountain and rather limited visibility, but the mood was still good.
Leo has already logged quite a few kilometers on the slopes with us this year and is relatively confident on skis. So Linus takes Casper and practices the basics with him while the three of us explore the ski area. We whiz past our little ski student again and again, watching him and his instructor. Linus is so patient and motivating with his almost 4-year-old student! After about two hours, Casper and Leo are tired, and we all take the gondola back down the mountain.
We quickly stow our ski equipment in the ski depot locker; each apartment has its own heated locker right next to the lift. And now we're starving!
Perhaps the best Asian restaurant: Grüzi Panasia
Just across the campus from the cable cars is the pan-Asian restaurant Nooba , offering delicious dishes from Thailand and Vietnam to Japan. We love Asian cuisine, not least because of our trip through Sri Lanka. Within minutes, the kids have their syrup and a bowl of edamame on the table before the tasty main courses arrive. The gyoza and paneer makhani are highly recommended. With full stomachs and the sweet aftertaste of the mochi still lingering, we head back to the apartment for some rest, playtime, and, of course, a bath.
Spring hike in Nagens, Flims
Back at the apartment, Lotta is already waiting for us, full of energy and ready for adventure. So, while the boys relax and take a bath in the cozy apartment, I take Lotta on the local bus (free with the guest card) to the valley station in Flims, a 10-minute ride. The FlemXpress , a kind of on-demand gondola taxi, has just started operating there at the beginning of the season. I select "Foppa" as my destination and press the button – and presto, a gondola is ready for Lotta and me, which automatically pulls out to the side and stops when it arrives at Foppa! How cool and sustainable is this innovation?
From Foppa, we take a beautiful winter hiking trail to Scheia, above the village of Flims. The loop takes about an hour and the view from up here is stunning.
Sofa gourmets at s`nani
Time flies, and before we know it, we're on our way to dinner again. S'nani has come highly recommended, so we walk the short distance from Rocks, enjoying the fresh air and the stunning 180° alpenglow. We immediately feel at home; the restaurant is furnished like a living room, and our table even has a sofa, which the kids, of course, immediately claim. The menu features regional ingredients and offers some exciting combinations. We order mushroom ravioli on a bed of cauliflower and celery cream with parsley caviar and roasted hazelnuts. And for the kids, there are homemade fries, which are served alongside our appetizer: roasted pumpkin with Malans walnut mousse, purple potatoes, and parsley oil. As soon as the last of the fries are gone, the children's eyes close, and they both fall asleep on the sofa. A little déjà vu from last night, but understandable—a day of skiing with so much fresh mountain air is tiring and makes you sleepy. So the two of us enjoyed the main course and afterwards a delicious dessert: chestnut cream in shortcrust pastry made from chestnut flour, flambéed meringue and glazed chestnuts.
Perfect weather in the LAAX ski resort
The next morning is the complete opposite of the day before; the sun is shining brightly, vying with the white mountain peaks for brilliance. But first, we have to make another trip to the pancake machine, something the kids have been looking forward to all morning. There's a children's breakfast buffet here at the breakfast buffet, and of course, this truly ingenious machine. Afterwards, we head to the cable car and back up to Crap Sogn Gion. Casper is having his second day of ski lessons with Linus from the Laax School, and Franzi, Leo, and I are off to explore the 214km ski area. There are five snow parks here – we'll see if the kids discover freestyle skiing in the coming years. We head over to the Plaun plateau station, where we went sledding two days ago, and we enjoy the perfect conditions. After about two and a half hours, we meet up again with Casper and Linus, who have moved on to the next larger slope to practice. Exhausted but happy, the little skier falls asleep right on the slope, giving Leo the chance to pick up a few tips from the ski instructor. His stomach is starting to rumble, so it's off down to the valley with a tired adult and a sleeping child.
Sun and treats in the Piazza
We quickly dropped off our ski gear at the depot and stayed at the Piazza Cafedeli . The kids fueled up with pizza and pretzels – a rather unusual combination, but if it makes them happy, so be it. We had a vegetable quiche with salad and a delicious cappuccino. Relaxing with the sun on our faces, we watched the activity around the valley station and the Piazza at the Rocksresort. It's always lovely to see how laid-back and yet so different everyone is here; it's a lively bunch from all over the world, united by their love of sport. We relaxed a little longer in our room, but the children were full of energy again after their meal.
Shopping and rocking out at the Stenna Center Flims
Because it's so easy and quick, we take the local bus back to Flims and get off at the Stenna Center. Then it's back to the KIDS Freestyle Academy for me and the kids. While Franzi strolls through the shops at the Stenna Center, the KIDS Freestyle Academy was so much fun in the summer that we promised to come back. They immediately rush onto the trampolines and do backflips into the airbags, jump from different heights into other airbags, and slide down the fast wooden slide what feels like 150 times. I can hardly keep up with their antics, they're going up, down, over, and so on so fast. Then they grab their balance bikes and skateboards, and equipped with the available protective gear, they conquer the pump track. I didn't think they'd have so much energy after half a day of skiing. After two hours, though, they've had enough, and their stomachs are demanding more energy.
Enjoy varied and stylish dining at The Hide Deli
One floor up in the Stenna is The Hide Deli , a restaurant with a stylish interior. The dark green velvet, combined with gold, gives the whole place a truly elegant feel. The clean, modern details, however, make it so well-rounded and stylish. The attentive staff must have realized that our two rascals had just come from the
Slow morning with a mystical mountain view
The morning is still quite overcast, it's drizzling, and the mountain ranges are shrouded in wispy clouds. So, the perfect opportunity for a leisurely start to the day. We enjoy the cozy apartment one last time; the children spread out their toys while we settle down with our first coffee on the windowsill of the panoramic window and watch the clouds. For a moment, the thought crosses our minds to fire up the steam room again in this gray weather, but we're leaving today and want to experience something despite the weather. After a very slow start to the day, Franzi takes our Labrador, Lotta, for a walk, and we arrange to meet for breakfast in half an hour. For what will be the last time for a while, the kids make a beeline for the pancake machine, and we enjoy the extensive breakfast buffet. A little sad, but already looking forward to next time, we check out before heading to the treetop walkway.
On the back of the dragon Senda dil Dragun
Those who read our blog post about summer in LAAX are already familiar with the treetop walkway . We visited the world's longest treetop walkway this summer. However, halfway through, a thunderstorm started, and we had to turn back. But because it's so beautiful, we want to walk the whole thing today, despite the light drizzle, since we haven't tried all the marble runs yet. But first, we'll get another dragon's tear (those are the large wooden marbles) from the information point in the Piazza and decorate it. Then it's straight to the slide, because the kids are really excited about it. We whiz down the three stories on special carpets, and I can still hear their shrill screams of joy. Then it's off to the treetop walkway.
There are plenty of information panels and discovery games here, so the kids easily stay engaged and have fun walking. As a highlight, each platform also features a marble run. The world's longest treetop walkway, at 1.56 km, winds through the treetops of the alpine landscape around Laax, either towards the village of Laax or in the opposite direction.
Lunch at the lakeside house
After all the fresh air, the many marble runs, and the small and big discoveries, our stomachs were rumbling, so we stopped at the Ristorante Ustria Lags, located right on the lake. The friendly team gave us chilly hikers a warm welcome and immediately provided the children with coloring supplies. We treated ourselves to something truly traditional and enjoyed the vegetarian Capuns, one of our favorite Swiss dishes.
After an espresso, it's finally time to say goodbye to our winter holiday in Flims LAAX Falera, but not for long, we'll definitely be back, this place has become magical for us.
And if you've developed a taste for summer in Flims LAAX Falera, you can read our blog post about summer here .
See you soon,
Franzi & Marius
