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Alpine winter vacations

There's more to Switzerland beyond the city limits, where thrills await travelers in search of majestic summits, athletic challenges and the world's favorite winter wonderland. People come from around the world to experience winter sports of every description. But most of all, they come to challenge the unparalleled ski slopes of Switzerland.

Three Swiss regions are synonymous with alpine adventure: the Grisons, part of the Romansh Region in the East; the Valais in the South; and the central Bernese Oberland.

In the Grisons (also called the Graübunden), skiers hail the long slopes of Persenn as ideal terrain. This region has long attracted the rich and famous. There is also a strong literary connection: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, enjoyed the ambience of Davos. And Robert Louis Stevenson completed his most famous work, Treasure Island, there.

Speed skaters from all over the world come to the Grisons to compete, and throughout winter, lightning-fast hockey games heat up the ice. Noncompetitive skaters also enjoy world-class Davos Rink. Klosters, a smaller resort with a more intimate atmosphere, attracts serious skiers to the challenging Persenn slopes.

St. Moritz, a fashionable resort with a reputation for international glamour, is also in the Grisons region. Winter sports were pioneered at St. Moritz, and since two Winter Olympics were held there, the facilities are superb. Snowboarding, bobsledding and ski jumping are available for the wild at heart.

The sporting action isn't strictly downhill either; visitors enjoy watching dog sledding or polo. And golfers are invited to play a challenging round of snow golf where duffers swing at red balls instead of white ones, for obvious reasons.

A voyage by train is the most scenic way to travel between the Grisons and the Valais. The impressive seven-and-a-half-hour train ride ends in Zermatt, at the foot of the Matterhorn. Automobiles are banned here, so the city seems isolated in the clouds at 5,300 feet. Water, as well as snow, makes the Valais Region a popular cold weather getaway: The mineral rich springs of the area's spas have enticed visitors for centuries. In addition to the regular roster of winter sports, thrill-seekers test their mettle by paragliding - soaring high over the mountains for a bird's eye view of the Alps.

North of the Valais is the Bernese Oberland, an area often called "The Rooftop of Europe.” The panorama from the revolving Piz Gloria restaurant, on the Schilthorn summit, is a magnificent sight. The spot was featured in the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Resorts in the Bernese Oberland range from the quaint villages of Wengen and Grindelwald in the Jungfrau region to Lenk, with its ski ballet school, and ever-fashionable Gstaad.

Although skiing is the No. 1 sport in Switzerland, it's not the only game in town. A popular game is curling. Players push 40-pound granite stones over ice to the center of a target area, or dolly. The team whose stones come nearest the dolly at the end of the match wins.

The traditional refueling after a strenuous outdoor frolic is called après ski. That's the time to enjoy good company and a warm drink around a blazing fire.