Schwarzsee

The praise is for snow: reviewers rate Schwarzsee the most reliable coverage in the Fribourg Pre-Alps, helped by an extensive snowmaking network. Families like the valley learning area with its magic carpet and carousel, while carvers single out the broad Kaiseregg descent, made for long drawn-out turns. The modern Kaiseregg chairlift and the short hop from Bern also count in its favour, with far smaller crowds than the Bernese Oberland names.

The modest scale draws criticism: almost everything is blue, there is little red, and a strong skier is done by lunchtime. The red descent has no snowmaking and in poor winters is simply shut, shrinking an already small area. The Riggisalp chairlift is called old and slow, and guests have been asking for a replacement for years. Ratings are polarised, with a visible share of very negative marks alongside the high ones.