For Europeans, skiing is the winter equivalent of yachting: a different variety of fun to squeeze between parties. With that in mind, we’ve picked our favorite ski resorts across the Alps, where you can unwind amid stunning mountain scenery. There’s plenty of powder to schuss and couloirs to drop—but don’t forget, it’s as much about soaking up winter with your entourage.Featuring
> Zermatt, Switzerland
> Chamonix, France
> Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy
> Lech-Zürs, Austria
> Bansko, Bulgaria
Plus
> Kitzbühel, Austria
> Val d’Isère, France
> La Grave, France
> Verbier, Switzerland
> France’s Trois Vallées
> Innsbruck, Austria
> Gstaad, Switerland
> St. Moritz, Switzerland
> Wengen, Switzerland
> Levi, Finland
The Idyll
Zermatt, Switzerland
Zermatt is to Old World skiing what the Matterhorn, looming just above town, is to mountains—in a word, iconic. With its car-free streets, gingerbread chalets, and backdrop of glaciated peaks, the snug village of roughly 5,500 defines the authentic mountain culture that pretty much every North American resort seeks to emulate.
Like most resorts in the Alps, Zermatt isn’t one single ski area but a three sprawling “stations”—all of them above 10,200 feet—served by an elaborate infrastructure of gondolas, cable cars, cog railways, and chairlifts. Resist doing laps on your favorite run; skiing here (as elsewhere on the Continent) is less sport and more exploration. You’ll need a map and at least a week to do the enormity justice.
Snow Report The three areas at Zermatt—Sunnegga, the Gornergrat, and the Klein Matterhorn—offer Europe’s highest slopes; many of the north-facing trails stay open year-round. Take a day to ski off the backside into Italy (and the neighboring resort of Cervinia) for a plate of pasta. After lunch, work your way up and back via gondola and cable car to the Klein Matterhorn for the nine-mile warm-down cruise to Zermatt. A Zermatt International Skipass costs $65 (zermatt.ch).
Go for It Guides from the Zermatt Alpin Center will show you little known lines on the Findel and lower Theodul glaciers (from $140 per person). Or zip up the steep flanks of 15,203-foot Monte Rosa in a helicopter (from $260 per person; alpincenter-zermatt.ch).
Lodging Zermatt’s five-star Mont Cervin Palace, a balconied, turreted fortress right in the middle of town, has been a local landmark since 1851. Book a south-facing room for the Matterhorn views (three-night ski packages from $1,320 per person, including lift tickets and equipment rental; seiler-hotels.ch). For the Palace’s aesthetic opposite, check into the sleek two-year-old Omnia, perched on a rocky outcropping just above town. The 30 guest rooms are havens of spare luxury (doubles from $450; the-omnia.com).
Après Après-ski was invented in Europe, and Zermatt holds up its end of the nostalgic bargain with a swarm of in-town pubs and firelit restaurants. Start the evening with a mug of mulled wine on the mountain at the classic Hennustahl. Then book a dinner in the Cavern, a stainless-steel-and-glass cube hewn right into the rock.
> HONORABLE MENTIONS
Kitzbühel, Austria, is synonymous with elite ski racing, thanks to January’s Hahnenkamm World Cup downhill, the most difficult course on the circuit. The base of Kitz sits at just 2,400 feet, making early and late-season snow a suspect proposition. But the medieval village compensates with Tyrolean ambiance and a lively infusion of young Europeans. Stay In town, the modern Hotel Schwarzer Adler has a new rooftop pool (doubles from $370; adlerkitz.at).
In the Savoy region of the French Alps, Val d’Isère produced legendary skier Jean-Claude Killy, who eventually swept with three gold medals at the 1968 Olympics in Grenoble, France. Together with neighboring Tignes, Val d’Isère offers 180 miles of trails in the “l’Espace Killy,” including powder fields, out-of-bounds glacier skiing, and 55-degree chutes. Stay Book at the sophisticated Hôtel Christiania, with a dark, clubby lounge (doubles from $290; hotel-christiania.com).
The Capital of CoreChamonix, France
For more than a century, skiers, mountaineers, and nearly every breed of mountain athlete have flocked to this village below the scalloped summit of 15,771-foot Mont Blanc, at the intersection of Switzerland, France, and Italy. Skiing Cham is like lunching at Hollywood’s Chateau Marmont: Everyone who’s anyone shows up eventually. “I always run into people I haven’t seen in years,” says U.S. pro freeskier Seth Morrison. Here’s why: With 30,000 acres of terrain (including loads of glacier skiing) and 9,200 feet of stomach-dropping vertical, Chamonix serves up some of the Alps’ most challenging terrain—and chases it with a charming but cosmopolitan atmosphere.
Snow Report Chamonix’s four main ski areas sit 3,000 feet above the valley floor, which means long cable-car rides from town to snow. It’s worth it: The lifts at the highest area, Grands Montets, reach 10,800 feet and offer in- and out-of-bounds runs on three glaciers above the village of Argentière, a 30-minute bus ride upvalley from Chamonix. From the top of the town’s Aiguille du Midi cable car, drop off into the Vallée Blanche, a 12-mile ski adventure best tackled with a guide (from $91; www.chamonix-guides.com). The Mont-Blanc Unlimited lift pass ($63; chamonix.com) grants access to every last run in Chamonix and Courmayeur, Italy, the sunny and “more rustic side of Mont Blanc,” according to U.S. pro freeskier Dana Flahr.
Go for It Click into your skis and strap on a mini-parachute for a “speedflying” session at the Ailes du Mont-Blanc paragliding school (lesailesdumontblanc.com). Or check out arguably the world’s most legendary ski tour, the six-day Haute Route, which wends from Chamonix to Zermatt ($1,105; www.chamonix-guides.com).
Lodging The newly renovated, ultramodern Le Morgane sits right in the middle of Chamonix’s lively pedestrian district; downstairs, Le Bistro keeps a well-stocked wine cave (doubles from $215; morgane-hotel-chamonix.com). It’s just a quick walk to the Aiguille du Midi cablecar station. Upvalley, between Chamonix and Argentière, the four-star Jeu de Paume has easy access to the steeps on the Grands Montets (doubles from $205; jeudepaumechamonix.com).
Après At Hameau Albert 1er (hameaualbert.fr), chef Pierre Carrier serves seasonal delicacies like venison on pumpkin risotto and Jerusalem artichokes with truffles. The wine cellar stocks 20,000 bottles, including an exceptional sparkling white from vines in nearby Ayse.
> HONORABLE MENTIONS
With only two lifts and two marked trails, but more than 7,000 vertical feet of backcountry terrain, La Grave, France, is a miniature yet more extreme version of Chamonix. The focus is on the slopes of Le Meije, the 13,065-foot massif rising above town. Stay The centuries-old l’Edelweiss makes for a cozy base in town (doubles from $80; hotel-edelweiss.com).
Situated at 4,900 feet in southern Switzerland, Verbier is legendary for its accessible off-piste steeps and casual attitude. “The town is not conservative or stodgy,” says Swiss freeskier Dominique Peret. Stay Chalet d’Adrian (doubles from $450; chalet-adrien.com) is the hot hotel in town, serving some of Verbier’s only Italian cuisine. Try the risotto con funghi.
Italian Largesse
Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy
Only in Italy could eating come close to upstaging powder skiing. That’s saying a lot at Cortina, a megaresort complex in the Dolomites with 460 lifts and more than 700 miles of trails—the biggest interconnected winter playground in the world. Everything’s on a grand scale here, including the restaurants, of which there are hundreds scattered throughout Cortina’s hyper-stylish pedestrian center, the Corso Italia, and into the outlying villages. If the skiing weren’t so vast or varied, you’d think hopping on a lift was simply the easiest way to get to your next plate of stewed beef or gnocchi. “The Italians can drink and eat all night long, then get it together to meet for lift-accessed ski tours first thing in the morning,” says Kit DesLauriers, the first person to ski off the tops of all Seven Summits. “I suggest an afternoon nap to keep up.”
Snow Report The Dolomiti Superski, of which Cortina is the undisputed hub, swallows 12 separate ski areas. Start from Tofana village, on the west side of town, where you can make loops on the chutes below the gnarled face of 9,317-foot Tofana peak all day long. If you prefer moving forward, the 25-mile Sella Ronde loop, accessible from the Alta Badia ski area to the west, circumnavigates some of the region’s biggest spires, with plenty of rifugi, or mountain cafés, en route, serving espresso, wine, and fresh-made pasta. The Dolomiti Superski Skipass (from $46; www.dolomitisuperski.com) lets you ride all 460 lifts.
Go for It Ski the Freedom Tour, a 60-mile ski/sleigh/bus ramble that follows the old front line between Italian troops and the Austro-Hungarian army, who fought for control of these peaks from 1915 to 1917.
Lodging Corso Italia’s Hotel Ancora has been a local institution since 1826; the hand-carved ceilings give it an Old World aesthetic, and its proximity to high-end shops and restaurants make it even more attractive (doubles from $435; hotelancoracortina.it). In the village of San Cassiano, 16 miles west at the base of Alta Badia, Rosa Alpina Hotel and Spa (from $370; rosalpina.it) is a refuge from the weekend crowds that pour into Cortina from Milan.
Après Dive into the culinary bounty at Baita Piè Tofana, a rustic wood cabin with an innovative Italian-country menu; ask for the table next to the fireplace. More stylish après can be had at the wine bar Enotoca and at L.P. 26, a café that pairs aperitivi with wild-boar antipasti.
> HONORABLE MENTIONS
France’s Trois Vallées, a three-way merger of the resorts of Courchevel, Méribel, and Val Thorens, features 360 miles of trails. Stay At 6,000 feet in Courchevel, the ski-in Les Grandes Alpes (doubles from $520; lesgrandesalpes.com) sets the standard.
Innsbruck, Austria, is the gateway to nine Tyrolean ski areas, including the famed powder of Stubai Glacier. The Innsbruck Glacier ski pass (three days from $135; www.innsbruck.info) serves all nine resorts, plus a bonus day at both Kitzbühel and St. Anton. Stay Mick Jagger prefers Grand Hotel Europa (doubles from $280; grandhoteleuropa.at), across from Innsbruck’s central train station, so why shouldn’t you?
Royal Schuss
Lech-Zürs, Austria
Wedged into a gorgeous little valley in Austria’s Arlberg region, the stylish hideouts of Lech and Zürs are Europe’s equivalent of Deer Valley, Utah, or Beaver Creek, Colorado: polished, pricey, and nearly perfect, with manicured slopes dwarfing intricately carved timber buildings. When Europe’s discriminating royals want to ski in a paparazzi-free zone, they hole up here. In addition to the exclusivity, Lech and Zürs offer more than 160 miles of skiable terrain, with slopes connecting to nearby Stuben.
Snow Report These two resorts sit relatively low—the highest lift tops out at 8,038 feet—and their trails skew toward intermediates. Still, their north-facing slopes hold snow well, and there is plenty of guided steep terrain out-of-bounds. “Everyone was skiing with their instructors in groups, so we had the run of the mountain,” says Warren Miller film legend Scot Schmidt. “It was like enjoying a big, private powder field.” The Arlberg Card is good at all 85 lifts spread across five ski areas (from $55; lech-zuers.at).
Go for It The areas’ most famous intermountain linkup is the White Ring, a spectacular 13-mile circuit from Zürs that passes through the resort village of Oberlech and Lech. Allow a full day for leisurely refueling en route, including a de rigueur slopeside lunch at the Mohnenfluh mountain hut in Oberlech. The Zürs Ski School runs heli-skiing day trips to deep powder on 3,500-foot Mehlsack ($455 per person; skischule-zuers.at).
Lodging In Zürs, the five-star Hotel Zürserhof (seven-night packages from $3,235 per person, including an Arlberg Card; zuerserhof.at) is a skiin sanctuary with panoramic mountain views, marble baths, and its own indoor tennis court. In Lech, the equally well-appointed Hotel Gasthof Post (doubles from $670; postlech.com) is a green-shuttered chalet that exudes warm Alpine ambience, with three restaurants that specialize in hearty regional cuisine.
Après Before wrapping up your day, stop by the Eisbar at Lech’s Hotel Tannbergerhof for five o’clock tea or a warm brandy. Take a sleigh to the Gasthof Hotel Rote Wand, outside Lech in Zug, for its meaty fondue bourguignone. Late night, head to the Fux restaurant and bar for jazz, whiskey, and a Cuban Montecristo.
> HONORABLE MENTIONS
The quaint, car-free village of Gstaad, Switerland, in the Bernese Oberland, has made a name for itself as a hangout for high rollers. It’s also the axis of the massive Gstaad Super-Ski Region, encompassing ten resorts. Stay The five-star Gstaad Palace hotel (doubles from $955; palace.ch) is just as it sounds: an old-fashioned castle that’s been updated with modern perks, including Wi-Fi in all the rooms and a newly refurbished spa.
The oldest—and showiest—resort in Switzerland, St. Moritz has been the benchmark for winter high style since the 1860s. In addition to hosting two Winter Olympics (1928 and 1948), this ski center attracts a jetset clientele that comes as much for the glitzy restaurants and summer polo matches as for the skiing. Stay There’s nothing understated about the newly renovated Badrutt’s Palace Hotel (doubles from $630; badruttspalace.com), an 1896 edifice that towers over town.
Virgin Territory
Bansko, Bulgaria
Western Europe may be the well-established birthplace of winter sports, but those who want to ski uncrowded slopes need to explore the mountains of the former Eastern Bloc. The skiing is cheap, the powder is light, and the crowds are nonexistent at Bansko, Bulgaria’s newest and biggest resort. A once sleepy thousand-year-old trading center, modern Bansko has been booming ever since its first lift started climbing into the Pirin Mountains in 2003. International investors have poured millions into the resort’s infrastructure, developing luxury condos, new lifts, and a bustling après district. Real estate is astonishing—you can score a cheery brick bungalow not far from the slopes for under $45,000—and plans are afoot for an airport in town.
Snow Report Get this: At Bansko (bulgariaski.com), you get 40 miles of trails with 5,500 feet of mostly north-facing vertical, a brand new eight-person gondola, and equipment for a paltry $47 per day. Plus, there’s night skiing. A new 4.2-mile illuminated ski road back down to town means you can linger on the mountain.
Go for It While in Bulgaria, venture up to Borovets, 30 minutes north of Bansko, the country’s original winter retreat (opened circa 1896), at 4,430 feet in the Rila Mountains. The resort is in the middle of a makeover to become Super Borovets, with plans for a golf course, new hotels, and an additional 50 miles of runs. Here you’ll find the choicest ski lodge in Bulgaria: The fivestar, American-owned Villa Stresov is a Swiss-style chalet with four guest rooms (doubles from $250; villastresov.com).
Lodging Book a room at the Kempinksi Hotel Grand Arena, a 21st-century convenience just across from the gondola station. The hotel’s Zalez spa has an indoor and outdoor pool and shiatsu massage; or just unwind in the upstairs cigar lounge (doubles from $230; kempinski-bansko.com).
Après Bankso doesn’t have a bustling bar and restaurant scene—yet. But there are authentic Bulgarian mehanas (taverns) for pints of local beer or the mulled apple wine called rakiah. The Lion’s Pub and the Kasapinova Kashta saloon are two local favorites. Over at the Ethno restaurant, grilled piglets are the house specialties.
> HONORABLE MENTIONS
For an eyeful of Mount Eiger, hole up at Switzerland’s Wengen, a tiny but tony resort village of 1,300 in the central Jungfrau region. There’s no road in—it’s 15 minutes by rail from Interlaken—so the place feels lost in time. The Jungfrau Sportpass is good at Grindelwald and Murren, which are linked to Wengen by more than 100 miles of runs (two-day passes from $170; jungfrauwinter.ch). Stay The classy Hotel Regina offers weeklong ski and-stay packages, including elegant four-course dinners (from $2,450 per person; wengen.com/hotel/regina).
Levi, Finland (lift tickets from $71; levi.fi), brings new meaning to the term “spring skiing”: One hundred miles north of the Arctic Circle, its 44 runs hold snow through mid-May. Stay Hotel K5 Levi (doubles from $240; k5levi.fi) is a den of Lapland chic, with stone and wood finishes and—no kidding—a reindeer corral out back.
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