This winter sport domicile is known as "pearl of the Alps" - and this not for no reason. Thirteen four-thousand-metre peaks wrap themselves around Saas-Fee and its neighbours Saas-Grund, Saas-Almagell and Saas-Balen like a shell. They give the valley its distinctive name.

In addition, Saas-Fee is a traffic-free resort. Also you can access this Swiss resort by car or public services, no motor ran engines are allowed inside the village limits allowing Saas-Fee to keep hold on its traditional character with many old Valaisian wooden houses and grain barns.

But the status of being a pearl is also earned by its amazing winter sport region up to 3,600 metres. The Allalin glacier thus guarantees snow at its best all year. All other slops which are not part of the glacier are kept in condition by 95 snow cannons.

Due to the high altitude of the main ski area and the snow park, some nice riding is possible in the summer time. No wonder, that a lot of prominent athletes strike their summer camps in Saas-Fee in order to get the fine-tuning for the up-coming winter.

And it is logical that the World Cup also took benefit of the secure snow conditions of Saas-Fee. The first ever World Cup in Saas-Fee took place in 2004. Within the next five years, four more competitions were staged at Allalin glacier - having always been the first European halfpipe contest of the season.