Ski season begins thanks to early snow

Grindelwald is one of the resorts opening its lifts a month before the season usually begins. Switzerland Tourism Byline: ST/swiss-image.ch

The ski season is off to an early start with several resorts taking advantage of an unusually high amount of November snowfall.

Zermatt, Verbier and Grindelwald are among the first reporting good ski conditions.

Half of the lifts in Zermatt are running, while Verbier is reporting good conditions in the upper reaches.

Skiers wanting to get a head start on the season at Verbier can make their first curves in the Lac des Vaux and Mont-Fort areas.

The Grindelwald First area will run its lifts each weekend from now until the official start of the season in mid December depending on the weather conditions.

It’s also possible to ski in November on the higher slopes in Flims-Laax-Falera in Graubünden and Saas Fee in canton Valais.

Samnaun in eastern Switzerland will open its lifts on the last weekend of November. Samnaun is connected with the large Austrian resort of Ischgl.

Onions add flavour at Bernese market

On November 25, Bern hosts its popular onion market, whose origins date back to the 15th century.

At dawn, farmers from surrounding areas will converge on the city with truckloads of onions and garlic, which are twisted into fantastic shapes and figures.

The onions are also the chief ingredient in tasty onion tarts, which are offered for sale with spicy mulled wine to keep out the cold.

According to legend, the market came into being after farmers from the neighbouring Fribourg region helped in the cleanup following the city fire of 1405

Fashionable Lucerne

November in Lucerne means music and fashion. The prestigious Lucerne Festival holds its “Piano” event from November 20 to 24.

Top acts will perform “classical and modern piano music on modern and historical instruments” which the festival organisers say is unique in Europe.

Also in Lucerne is “Gwand”, the largest fashion event of its kind in Switzerland, which attracts big names from the world of fashion while promoting young designers.

It runs this year from November 28 to 30.

swissinfo