Editing Swiss Alps (section)

===Winter tourism===
{{Main|List of ski areas and resorts in Switzerland}}
[[File:Breithorn plateau.jpg|thumb|Highest ski area in Europe above Zermatt]]
The major destinations for [[skiing]] and other [[winter sports]] are located in [[Valais]], [[Bernese Oberland]] and [[Graubünden]]. Some villages are car-free and can be accessed only with public transports such as [[Riederalp]] and [[Bettmeralp]].<ref>There are in total 9 car-free villages members of the GAST (Gemeinschaft Autofreier Tourismusorte): [[Bettmeralp]], [[Braunwald, Glarus|Braunwald]], [[Riederalp]], [[Rigi]], [[Saas-Fee]], [[Stoos]], [[Wengen]], [[Mürren]] and [[Zermatt]].</ref> [[Zermatt]] and [[Saas-Fee]] have both summer ski areas. The ski season starts from as early as November and runs to as late as May; however, the majority of ski resorts in Switzerland tend to open in December and run through to April. The most visited places are:<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bilan.ch/enjeux/davos-la-station-la-plus-fr%C3%A9quent%C3%A9e-de-suisse |title=Davos, la station la plus fréquentée de Suisse bilan.ch |access-date=2009-06-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090604064654/http://www.bilan.ch/enjeux/davos-la-station-la-plus-fr%C3%A9quent%C3%A9e-de-suisse |archive-date=2009-06-04 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[File:Altes Zermatt.jpg|thumb|Due to strong political will by the citizenry, [[Zermatt]] remains car-free and retains much of its original character]]
*[[Davos]] – [[Klosters]] [[Grisons|GR]]
*[[Zermatt]] [[Valais|VS]] (car-free village)
*[[Engadin]] – [[St. Moritz]] GR
*[[Lenzerheide]] – [[Arosa]] GR
*[[Jungfrauregion]]: [[Grindelwald]] – [[Mürren]] – [[Wengen]] [[Berner Oberland|BE]] (car-free villages)
*Les quatre vallées: [[Verbier]] – [[Nendaz]] VS
*LAAX: [[Flims]] – [[Laax]] GR
*[[Aletsch]] Arena: [[Riederalp]] – [[Bettmeralp]] – [[Fiesch]] VS (car-free villages)
*Les Portes du Soleil: [[Champéry]] – [[Morgins]] – [[Les Crosets]] VS and [[Avoriaz]] in France
*[[Adelboden]] – [[Lenk]] BE
*[[Val d'Anniviers]]: [[Grimentz]] – [[Zinal]] – [[Vercorin]] – [[St-Luc, Switzerland|St-Luc]] – [[Chandolin]] VS
*Gstaad: [[Gstaad]] – [[Saanen]] – [[Saanenmöser]] – [[Zweisimmen]] BE – [[Rougemont, Switzerland|Rougemont]] – [[Chateau-d'Oex]] [[Vaud|VD]]
*Silvretta Arena: [[Samnaun]] GR and [[Ischgl]] in Austria
*[[Crans Montana]] VS
*[[Saas-Fee]] VS

Other important destinations on the regional level are [[Engelberg]]-[[Titlis]] (Central Switzerland / [[Obwalden|OW]]) and [[Gotthard Oberalp Arena]] with [[Andermatt]] (Central Switzerland / [[Canton of Uri|UR]]) and [[Sedrun]] (GR), [[Leysin]]-Les Mosses, [[Villars-sur-Ollon]], [[Les Diablerets]]-Glacier 3000 (all VD), [[Leukerbad]] (VS), [[Savognin]], [[Scuol]], [[Obersaxen]], [[Breil/Brigels]] (all GR), [[Meiringen]] – [[Hasliberg]] (BE), [[Sörenberg]] ([[canton of Lucerne|LU]]), [[Klewenalp]] with [[Beckenried]] and [[Emmetten]] (both [[canton of Nidwalden|NW]]), [[Melchsee-Frutt]] ([[canton of Obwalden|OW]]), [[Flumserberg]] and [[Pizol]] (both [[Sarganserland]] in [[Canton of St. Gallen|SG]]), [[Toggenburg]] with [[Wildhaus]] – [[Unterwasser]] – [[Alt St. Johann]] (SG), [[Hoch-Ybrig]] and [[Stoos]]  (all [[canton of Schwyz|SZ]]), [[Braunwald, Glarus|Braunwald]] and [[Elm, Switzerland|Elm]] ([[canton of Glarus|GL]]), [[Airolo]] and [[Bosco/Gurin]] ([[Ticino|TI]]) and many more.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://meteo.search.ch/snow.en.html |title=Winter Sport Areas |publisher=search.ch |access-date=2015-11-09 |archive-date=2015-11-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151109131108/http://meteo.search.ch/snow.en.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

The first person to ski in [[Grindelwald]], Switzerland was Englishmen Gerald Fox (a resident of [[Tone Dale House]] in England) who put his skis on in his hotel bedroom in 1881 and walked out through the hotel Bar to the slopes wearing them.<ref name="Skiing the Alps">{{Cite web |url=http://skiingthealps.com/Default.aspx?go=Resort&ResortID=74 |title=Skiing the Alps |access-date=2014-01-28 |archive-date=2014-02-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201214008/http://skiingthealps.com/Default.aspx?go=Resort&ResortID=74 |url-status=live }}</ref>