A resort for nice people: polite, elegant and refined

Crans Montana has been fashionable since before ski resorts were fashionable, attracting clients from Italy and Geneva as well as from far off destinations around the world. Part of its attraction is its ease of access (only the last 20 minutes are up a winding road from the valley floor) and its spectacular views. Essentially two towns, it is more of a resort for grown-ups and families and you will see many people walking, shopping, or leisurely cross-country skiing, rather than being up at the crack of dawn to go down the steepest black pistes as in some other resorts. If you have never tried the sport, you might actually find yourself enjoying a game of curling.

That is not to say you will not find plenty of athletes and lots to keep them every busy. The skiing is well suited for intermediates and covers a vast terrain. This is a good resort for different levels of skiers in the same group who each want to ski at their level but all join up for lunch. For those on a diet watch out for the temptations of some excellent cuisine. The town itself is attractive but as more of cosmopolitan hub than a small mountain village.