Saas-Fee is the main village in the Saastal, one of the most scenically beautiful and diverse valleys in the Valais
and in the Alps. This car-free village lies on a high plateau 1800
metres above sea level, nestling amongst the icy dome of the Allalinhorn
and the rocky group of the Mischabel chain. Their typical old Valais
wooden houses create the perfect setting for winter holidays, deserving
of its name “Pearl of the Alps”. Saas-Fee has some of the most
restrictive building and zoning regulations in Switzerland. All
buildings must have a gabled roof and at least one third of the facade
of the building must be built of wood. The typical Valais style of
Chalet can be maintained with these measures.
The foundation for creating a resort conscious of the environment and of quality was laid in 1951, when the community made the decision to keep the village car-free. The absence of cars in Saas-Fee contributes considerably to the relaxed holiday atmosphere and romantic character of the village where there is no stress from traffic. Guests benefit from the peace and quiet, the good quality of the air and the freedom of movement in the streets. 10 years ago, car-free resorts in Switzerland which care about a high quality of service and the environment joined forces to form the Society of Car-free Swiss Resorts. The Society (GAST in short) is a network of several car-free Swiss touristy communities (Bettmeralp, Braunwald, Riederalp, Rigi, Saas-Fee, Stoos, Wengen-Mürren and Zermatt) that promotes car-free recreation and holiday experiences in alpine resorts. The resorts commit themselves to nine decided quality criteria, which are checked regularly.
Saas-Fee committed itself to the Alliance in the Alps project as a pilot community in 1996. The Alliance in the Alps community network initiated in collaboration with CIPRA (Commission Internationale pour la Protection des Alpes) is an association comprising over 250 communities located throughout the Alpine region, from France to Slovenia. The member communities have come together in support of the goals of the Alpine Convention for sustainable development in the Alps. To this end they work in close contact with the resident populations to improve the ecological, social and economic situation in their communities.
Saas-Fee was awarded the status of Energy Town in June 2002. The label represents the introduction of actual quality control concerning communal energy policies and is awarded to towns and communities which -in proportion to the possibilities at their disposal- go to exceptional lengths to implement energy and traffic policies in their community.
Saas-Fee was the first resort in Switzerland to introduce fees for refuse bags in 1994. By means of this fee, residents are called upon to sort refuse exactly and to produce less refuse in general. Household refuse may only be disposed of in the official bags which carry a fee.
