Crans-Montana
in Valais

Perched on a sun-facing plateau at 1500 metres above the Rhône valley, Crans-Montana has one of the most enviable positions in the Alps. The panorama from the slopes takes in fourteen four-thousand-metre peaks including the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc on a clear day, and the skiing, spread across a wide open domain with exceptional snow exposure, suits intermediate skiers particularly well. The resort has a certain unhurried glamour: good restaurants, a handful of serious hotels, and a golf course that hosts the European Tour each September and happens to have one of the finest settings of any in Europe. It is polished without being showy, which in Switzerland is saying something.

how long to go for

a long weekend, a weekend, a week

when to go

december, january, february, march, july, august, september

holidays

swiss national day (1 aug), christmas day (25 dec), new year (1 jan), ascension day (variable)

how to get there

fly into geneva or zurich, take the train to sierre in the rhône valley, then the funicular or a car up to the resort.

how to get around

by ski, by gondola, on foot, by bus

nice to know

the plateau's south-facing aspect means crans-montana gets more sunshine than almost any other swiss resort.

local language

french(swiss)

currency

swiss franc

in an emergency

call 112