Villas in Surselva

Laax and Flims suit freestylers and big-area skiers, Disentis and Sedrun quieter weeks, and Obersaxen families, but nightlife is thin. This is chalet country in Romansh-speaking Graubünden, with most properties chalets or apartments in chalet buildings. Summer means lake swimming at the Caumasee, the Rhine Gorge and walking in quiet side valleys.

Where

Villas: 676
From, per week: £398
Cheapest month: September
Nearest airports: Zurich is the closest airport: around an hour and a half to two hours to Flims and Laax by car, longer to Disentis and Sedrun. The train via Chur works well for Flims and Laax. Flights from London to Zurich take around an hour and three quarters.

Where to stay in Surselva

Laax, Flims and Falera

These three villages share one large ski area, running up to the Vorab glacier, with some of the best terrain parks in Europe. Laax has the most properties, Flims is larger with more shops, and Falera is the quietest, with a prehistoric stone circle above the village. In summer the turquoise Caumasee near Flims is the place to swim. Chur station is around 30 minutes by bus.

Best for: Freestyle skiers, snowboarders and summer lake swimmers

Not for you if: You want a traditional village square: Laax Murschetg is a modern base with a big car park.

Disentis and Sedrun (upper Surselva)

Disentis is a small town below a large Benedictine monastery, with its own ski area and a stop on the Glacier Express. Sedrun, with Rueras, Dieni and Camischolas, has lifts linked over the Oberalp Pass to Andermatt on one ski pass. In summer you can walk to Lake Toma, the source of the Rhine. The Oberalp road closes in winter, though the train keeps running.

Best for: Quieter skiing with access to Andermatt

Not for you if: You want a short transfer: this is the far end of the valley, well over two hours from Zurich.

Obersaxen and Breil/Brigels

Obersaxen is a group of hamlets, including Affeier, Surcuolm and Flond, spread across a sunny terrace with the Obersaxen Mundaun ski area above. Breil/Brigels, across the valley, has its own small lake for summer swimming and a family ski area shared with Andiast. Ilanz, the valley's market town, is around 20 minutes below. Zurich airport is about two hours by car.

Best for: Families who want uncrowded slopes and easy prices

Not for you if: You want lively après-ski: evenings are very quiet.

Val Lumnezia (Vella, Lumbrein, Vattiz, Cumbel)

The Val Lumnezia climbs south from Ilanz, with villages on its sunny slope and old churches such as St Vincent's at Pleif near Vella. It is green and quiet in summer, with walks between villages and up to Vrin at the head of the valley. In winter Vella and Morissen are close to the Obersaxen Mundaun lifts. You will need a car.

Best for: Walkers and anyone who wants a quiet farming valley

Not for you if: You want to ski from the door: lifts are a short drive away.

Safiental and the Rhine Gorge (Valendas, Tenna, Thalkirch)

Valendas sits above the Ruinaulta, the Rhine Gorge, where white limestone cliffs drop to the river and rafting trips run in summer. The Safiental, behind it, is a long narrow valley with scattered farms, Tenna halfway up and Thalkirch near the end. Tenna has a small ski lift for local skiing. Flims and Laax are around half an hour away.

Best for: Solitude, walking and rafting trips in the gorge

Not for you if: You want shops nearby: these are tiny villages with little more than a dairy shop.

When to go to Surselva

Skiing runs from December to April, and Laax's high runs up towards the Vorab glacier hold snow well late in the season. Christmas, New Year and February are the busiest weeks, and Swiss weekend traffic from Zurich fills Laax on sunny Saturdays. Summer, from late June to mid-October, brings walking, biking and lake swimming, and the Oberalp Pass opens to cars. In May and November many lifts, hotels and restaurants close, and the villages go very quiet.