Wine at the world's highest revolving restaurant

At 3,500m, the revolving restaurant Allalin completes one rotation per hour, serving Valais wines with a slowly changing panorama of 18 four-thousanders. The "Pearl of the Alps" nickname becomes clear as ice peaks parade past your table.

What to do there

4 things to do

1. 1 Ride the World's Highest Underground Railway Adventure · Price: moderate

   You're about to enter a 1,749-meter tunnel drilled THROUGH the Fee Glacier in 1984 — the world's highest subway, an underground funicular climbing 476 vertical meters inside solid glacier ice. The Metro Alpin at Felskinn station (2,980m) takes you to Mittelallalin (3,456m), emerging at the base of the Allalinhorn (4,027m). Round-trip from car-free Saas-Fee costs CHF 79, and inside the tunnel, look for ice formations through observation windows as you literally travel through a glacier's interior.

   Backup: If Metro Alpin is closed (rare), you cannot reach the revolving restaurant. However, the Felskinn station itself offers glacier views and is worth the cable car ride (CHF 50 return).

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2. 2 Count the Four-Thousanders While the Room Spins Adventure · Price: moderate

   At 3,500m above sea level in Revolving Restaurant Allalin, you're surrounded by 18 peaks over 4,000 meters — the highest concentration in the Alps. The entire dining room rotates 360° in exactly one hour, meaning every 3.3 minutes a new peak appears: Dom (4,545m - Switzerland's highest), Täschhorn (4,491m), Allalinhorn (4,027m). Order anything (CHF 25-40 for mains, open 11:00-15:00), set a timer for 60 minutes, and ask servers 'Which peak is that?' — they know all 18 by sight.

   Backup: If clouds obscure peaks, focus on the glacier below - the Fee Glacier's crevasses and ice formations are mesmerizing. The rotation continues regardless of weather.

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3. 3 Taste How Altitude Destroys Wine Wine · Price: moderate · Optional

   At 3,500m, your nose and palate are DRY from thin air — 30% less oxygen than sea level — and wine tastes completely different here. Tannins seem sharper, aromatics duller, alcohol more pronounced. You're in the world's highest taste laboratory. Order a glass of Valais red (Humagne Rouge or Cornalin, CHF 12-18) and notice how the tannins bite more, the fruit seems muted. That's altitude dehydration affecting your palate — drink water between sips to help rehydration.

   Backup: If wine isn't appealing, try a local beer or hot chocolate - both handle altitude better. The experience of tasting ANYTHING at 3,500m while rotating is the story.

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4. 4 Find the World's Largest Ice Grotto Inside the Glacier Adventure · Free

   Glaciologist Benedikt Schnyder carved 5,500 square meters INSIDE the Fee Glacier — the world's largest artificial ice cave. You're walking through ice that's been here for centuries, now shaped into galleries and sculptures in this completely renovated (2016) pavilion. The Ice Pavilion sits directly below the Metro Alpin station at Mittelallalin, accessed by a 70-meter gallery. Entry is included with your Mittelallalin ticket (CHF 79), temperature inside is -5°C year-round, and you can touch the ice walls — they're solid glacier, not frozen water.

   Backup: If the Ice Pavilion is closed for maintenance, step outside onto the Fee Glacier viewing platform. The glacier extends to 3,200-3,300m with the Allalinhorn, Alphubel, Täschhorn almost within reach.

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Insider tips

• Time your meal to complete one full rotation (1 hour) for all the peaks

• The glacier terrace below offers budget-friendly wine with similar views

• Year-round skiing means summer wine on snow is possible here