The Alps is the home of European skiing and to most people who have little experience of the continent, that means France and a bit of Italy…maybe. The mountain range itself covers France, Switzerland, Southern Germany, Italy, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro, and ends on the shores of Albania’s Adriatic coast. That’s a lot of mountain and if you’re booking a ski chalet, you have plenty to choose from. Here’s a run-down of slopes worth skiing.
France
The highest – and most famous – mountain in the French Alps is Mont Blanc. Its nearest resorts are Courmayeur and Chamonix, both of which offer great skiing and all the gastronomic flair you would expect from any French destination. Further afield you have Grenoble and Lyon. Skiing in France will give you an astonishing range of slopes, ski schools and snow parks for free style skiing.
Germany
While the majority of Germany sees snow each winter, the majority of the resorts catering to tourists are in the southern most Federal State of Bavaria, literally along the German-Austrian border. Here you will find decadent Apres Ski resorts and hearty hospitality. Head east into Saxony and enjoy the slopes of the Erzbegirge. Make sure you take time to visit one of the many excellent spas in the region.
Switzerland
Switzerland has a high concentration of resorts for a country of its size. The advantage is a huge variety of slopes and resorts, all with the quality you’d expect from the Swiss. From the small mountain village resort of Adelboden half way up the Bernese Oberland to the Cosmopolitan bustle of Davos and Zermatt, Switzerland is a thrilling place to ski; all in English, Italian, French and German, if you like.
Italy
The Piemonte Region in the north-west hosted the 2006 Winter Olympics, so skiing these slopes places you firmly in the tracks of sporting history. For the longest ski run in the world, head to Cervinia. At 20km long, it’s considered best for intermediate skiers. The more advanced skiers can be found on the higher elevations at Zermatt. Courmayeur lies in the shadow of the Italian face of Mont Blanc, or Monte Bianco. Sharing some of the highest peaks in the region with the French resort of Chamonix means it’s a popular destination and the town doesn’t disappoint. The resort also offers excellent hiking in the summer.
Austria
The birthplace of the most popular Alpine discipline: the Downhill. Skiing is in Austria’s blood and their skiing industry has been carefully managed to allow a high volume of visitors without causing overcrowding. The Arlberg famously hosts the British Royal Family, which should give you an idea of the standard of luxury. Deals are possibly for those with more down-to-earth budgets. Innsbruck is popular because of its freestyle snow parks, but in reality, the majority of resorts in Austria offer much the same: fantastic skiing.
Slovenia
The general rule is, the further east you go, the cheaper it becomes. Slovenia is an excellent ski destination if you’re on a budget. That’s not to say you’ll be compromising on quality: almost all of Slovenia’s ski centres utilise cable car systems along with snow machines to compensate if Mother Nature doesn’t deliver. The resorts are small, but the terrain diverse.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
It’s no surprise that the most popular resorts are around the beautiful capital of Sarajevo. Host of the 1984 Winter Olympics, the cities skiing tradition has survived the ravages of war and now offers buzzing Apres Ski venues at great prices.
Ski chalet breaks aren’t just for winter and The Alps isn’t only famous for snow. The variety of terrain makes it inviting to cyclists, hikers and climbers. If you’re not particularly active, but want to spend some time in spectacular natural wonder, the Alps offers plenty of that and plenty of hospitality, whichever country you choose to visit.
[box]This guest post was contributed by Marie-Paule Graham, a travel writer for Chaletfinder.co.uk, the independent website to help find dream ski accommodation and unforgettable ski chalet holidays. For the best ski chalet breaks Chalet Finder puts you in direct contact with the owners of ski chalets so you don’t pay booking fees.[/box]