Adrenaline to après

Nothing settles the post-skiing buzz like retreating to an Alpine hotel – this elevated world balances contradictions like no other. The Chedi Andermatt is home to no fewer than 200 fireplaces, for example: with access to more than 180km of linked slopes and the Gemsstock glacier, days here are spent both off- and on-piste.

When the outdoor gear is hung up, it’s time for treatments ranging from hydrothermal therapies to restorative massages at the spa, which is home to a Tibetan-themed relaxation lounge, a 35-metre indoor pool and a 12-metre heated outdoor pool. Follow your spa visit with some serious Swiss fine dining (there’s a fondue pop-up from December to April) or two Michelin-starred dining at The Japanese Restaurant. Come bedtime, make the most of deep-soak tubs in each room.

Guests have access to the award-winning Bürgenstock Alpine Spa which has five pools and panoramic views of the lake. In order to reach the chocolate-box city of Lucerne itself, guests board first a catamaran and then the historic funicular railway. For scenes that look almost otherworldly, where spectral hulks of mountains are ever-present in the background, it’s hard to beat Switzerland. There simply aren’t many other destinations like it.