Arosa Gay Ski Week: Europe’s favourite Winter Pride Festival
By Will Stroude
Welcome to the 11th Annual Arosa Gay Ski Week – Europe’s favourite Winter Pride Festival
The idyllic and gay friendly Swiss resort of Arosa invites you from January 11–18 2015 to its fun-filled LGBT ski week. Since 2005, this lively and colorful week has become one of the biggest Gay and Lesbian winter events in Europe.
Our new concept, introduced in 2012, proved a resounding success. All events took place at different locations throughout Arosa: in the new Kursaal, in the Waterworld at Hotel Altein, at the town Ice Rink and in various ski huts, restaurants and hotel lounges. This year, for the first time, the ‘White’ closing party will take place at top of the Weisshorn mountain! The newly linked skiing domain of Arosa-Lenzerheide with its 225km/140miles of slopes, fantastic snow conditions, lots of sunny days, and more than 500 participants from over 30 different countries all justify calling it Europe’s favorite Winter Pride Festival!
Our many years of experience and excellent feedback from participants are reflected in the program: A welcome cocktail party with Sherry Vine & Arroba, friendship dinners (for anyone who hasn’t already hooked up with somebody at the welcome party), daily Après-Ski with DJs, and late bar nights out. So many possibilities – so little time! Fortunately on holiday you can turn night into day without feeling guilty, or you might miss the classic concert in the village church with Michel Dalberto and Michail Lifits, the fondue fun at the Tschuggenhütte with night-time sledging or the „Splash Pool Party“. Highlights this year will include the world-wide infamous „Downhill Costume Race“, and an impressive farewell party at the world’s highest White Party, on top of the Weisshorn at 2’653m / 8’704ft!
Ski bums and snowboarders can discover the vast ski area in groups with our team of sporty guides or take some lessons with one of the experienced teacher of the ABC Snow Sport School. Just the breathtakingly beautiful winter landscape in Arosa should be enough to convince the most resigned couch potato to chance one downhill run. Experienced skiers and snowboarders will not be bored: in addition to the challenging slopes of Arosa-Lenzerheide, they can even book a ski trip to St. Moritz by helicopter! But non-skiers are not left out: in addition to extensive walking and hiking trails, the Tschugenhütte midday rendezvous can also be reached easily and pleasantly on foot!
An extended day in the mountains (don’t forget the sun cream!) can be quite exhausting. There are three good reasons to book a room at one of our eleven gay friendly participating hotels: they offer special packages where you get the Event Pass at a special rate, they are fully prepared to accommodate our gay and lesbian guests attending the festival, Event Pass holders get free entry to all parties, Apres-Skis and concerts, as well as free sun-loungers at the Tschuggenhütte during the week, plus a 10% discount for the ski pass and 20% discount on ski hire at the Bananas Ski- and Snowboard center.
Travel: How do I get to Arosa?
Arosa is at the end of the Schanfigg Valley, in Canton Graubünden, in Eastern Switzerland, between Davos and St. Moritz. Excellent transport connections enable you to arrive at your holiday destination relaxed and ready for the week ahead. It is an easy drive from Zurich to Arosa by car, and the scenic train journey is child’s play: ICE and IC trains go from Zurich Airport to Chur, where you change to the Arosa line. This beautiful, romantic stretch of the journey takes about an hour and is well worth every spectacular moment.
For further information visit arosa-gayskiweek.com
