8 Popular Skiing Destinations In Europe
Europe is the always popular destination in the world for skiing. Here you will find the best ski resorts with best ski tracks, top facilities and a wide choice of activities. People always love these destinations because of adventure activities like ice-skating, heli-skiing, climbing the wall, snowshoeing, hiking. Following are most visited skiing destinations in Europe.
(1) Zermatt, Switzerland
Zermatt is close to the German border in the upper region of the canton Wallis in southwestern Switzerland. It is definitely the most recognizable for many aspects that skiers and snowboarders are looking for a European ski holiday. Zermatt is the most famous ski resort in Switzerland.
Many of the European ski resort’s views are spectacular, but the Zermatt ski resort is in its own square. The resort sits at the foot of the Matterhorn and the flanks of the heavily snowed Monte Rosa. You will never be far away from the happenings in the city as everything is relatively close to reach.
Zermatt is one of Switzerland’s premier ski destinations with not only the most expensive ski lift passes in the country, but also some of the most expensive hotels and chalet rates. There are endless slopes for intermediate skiers to choose from three main areas, including across the border in Italy.
The Zermatt ski resort consists of 210 km of marked tracks, plenty of marked off-piste routes and freeride terraces. If you go with a guide and start early, you will get the most from off-piste terrain. Skiing in Zermatt has three main ski areas. The Klein Matterhorn-Schwarzsee area is the largest of the areas.
There is everything between Gornergrat-Stockhorn. Gornergrat has diverse terrains with spectacular beginnings and intermediate cruises, while Stockhorn has large vertical freeride terrain. While it is more of a town than a village, Zermatt retains some of its traditional European charm with a protected ‘old city’.
Zermatt Ski Resort can only be reached by train or helicopter. The train journey through the Matterhorn-Gotthard Railway is one of Europe’s best rail journeys. The car-free village of Zermatt requires those who drive to the town of Tasht. Then complete a short train journey to Zermatt.
(2) Val d’Isere, France
Val d’Isere is located 3 mi southeast of the Italian border, in the Tarentaise Valley of the Rhône-Alpes region. It is a premium alpine resort in France that adds charm and terror as well as some of the world’s best ski terrains.
Along with the nearby Tignes ski resort, Val d’Isère gave the French Alps the title “the most beautiful ski area in the world”. Tignes-Val d’Isere was formerly known as ‘Espace Killy’, named after the legendary French champion Alpine ski racer who dominated the sport in the late 1960s.
Val d’Isere is definitely one of the best ski destinations in the world, whenever we don’t necessarily think that it is the most beautiful ski area in the world. The vast and challenging terrain carries a lifetime of skiing and snowboarding, you just have to push your way through the crowd to get it.
Val d’Isere offers highway-like runs at a distance of 150 km. However, this is what the ‘highway’ turns into on the day that lowers the ratings on Vail’s pistol trails. Whenever beginner pistols make up about 60% of the resort’s trails, skiers should note that many of these runs are dark blue in the morning, which develop into ‘dark reds’ or ski days.
An excellent mode of travel to Val d’Isère is via train. The Bourg St Maurice railway station is 30 km (20 mi) away. Book train tickets for Bourg St Maurice. Bus services run regularly from Bourg St. Maurice to Val d’Isere, or you can take a local taxi. Buy bus tickets at Bourg St Maurice train station.
The ‘Old Town’ is undoubtedly very beautiful, with quaint old stone qualities lining the narrow snow-filled streets. The valley has plenty for non-skiers, including snowshoe walks, Husky-sledding, ice-climbing, ice-skating, ice-diving, and indoor climbing.
(3) Bansko, Bulgaria
Banksco is a ski and mountain resort located in the southwestern part of Bulgaria. Bansko is located on two banks of the Grennan River, which is at the bottom of the Pirin Mountains. Pirin mountain is an alpine type mountain with the highest peak – Viren (2914 m).
The city of Bansko is located 925 meters above sea level, while its ski area is 2000 – 2600 meters. The city is located 6 km from the city of Razlog and 160 km from the capital of Sofia. Ski runs are serviced by several chair lifts and drag lifts including 8-man gondola with bubble shields to protect against harsh weather conditions.
The resort provides excellent ski and snowboard conditions and infrastructure. Lots of hotels of various standards and prices are available for online booking. About Apres Ski resort has hundreds of bars and traditional restaurants, known as ‘Mehana’.
The Banco ski resort is attractive in all seasons. It offers excellent ski and snowboard facilities, as well as a unique history and architecture of an old and new part of the city. Many new luxury hotels and facilities have been constructed in the area of Gondola lift station.
In less than 20 minutes a fast gondola will take you to the Banco Ski Center, which is located about 12 km from the city. All the routes to Gondola are located on the outskirts of the city. The entire facility is equipped with artificial snow machines to ensure a great skiing experience.
At the end of the day, Gondola Base Station transforms into a nightclub and the city center has a lively atmosphere. Banco’s nightlife is fulfilled by the pub and bar offering a variety of cocktails, live music and karaoke. For quiet nights the bowling area can be a very good option.
(4) Chamonix, France
The Chamonix Valley extends from the Sarvos to Barberine on the Swiss border. The main towns include Les Hauches, Les Bosons, Chamonix, Les Pres, Argentina, Montreux / Le Tour and Vallorcine. Chamonix became the world capital of mountaineering and evolved into a world famous ski resort.
The first major winter season was in 1906–07. Much of the initiative came from ‘Club Alpine Franc’ which organized the local winter sports competition. One of the oldest ski resorts in France, Chamonix was home to the first Winter Olympics to date back in 1924.
The sprawling Chamonix Valley is in the French Alps with unique views of the famous Mont Blanc and Aiguille Midi. In summer, try your hand at mountain biking or enjoy a hike through stunning alpine terrain. A cable car is accessible throughout the year.
The Chamonix-Mont Blanc Ski Area is a world-class ski resort spread across three mountains, five main ski areas, 166 lifts and 326 scalable miles. The center of it all is Mont Blanc, which grows 4,810 jaw-dropping meters into the alpine sky. Grand-Monteats offers longer, intermediate-to-expert runs.
There are a variety of lift tickets available at the ski resort. Hop aboard the Montenevres train on a short ride to the foot of France’s largest glacier, Mer de Glace. Here you can enjoy the views of the peaks, visit an ice cave and discover the history of the early 19th century mountains.
The open-round, luge-alpine is a 4,265-foot toboggan, which runs on rails with jumps, spirals and night rides. In summer, visit the Adventure Trail Les Houches, where you can take the zip line, rope bridge, tunnel, ladder and skywalk from tree to tree. There are 75 aerial challenges as well as specific circuits for children.
(5) Lech, Austria
Situated in unnatural surroundings, this iconic traditional village is surrounded by the best skiing in Europe. This part of Austria also benefits from some of the most reliable ice in the Alps. This ensures superb skiing conditions throughout the season. The village has direct access to the Sonnenkopf ski area.
The entire Arlberg region consists of 94 lifts, 340 km ski runs and 200 km off-piste. The slopes above the main village and around Oberlech, most of the ski area of Lech lies above the treeline. Skiers and boarders will enjoy wide-open runs, extensive beauty and a well-connected tourist trail.
The White Ring or Der Weisse Ring is the region’s famous circuit that connects the resort’s many runs and lifts. The course is 22 km long and boasts 5500 m descent. Lech is an intermediate skier’s paradise, as most of the finished runs are painted red. There will be a variety of tones and long-lasting thigh burns.
For a challenge, intermediate ones will get some great mogul runs, and easy off-piste runs. More advanced skiers should hire a guide to discover something spectacular, and often quite challenging, off-piste terrain that does not pan out quickly.
Lech is also the only resort in Austria to offer heli-skiing. Heli trips are ideal in the spring, when the snow softens, but this is only possible on weekdays. Other activities in Lech abound, such as horse-drawn car rides, snowshoeing and winter hiking, cross country trails, ice-skating, tobogganing and heli-skiing.
Some more unique activities include a Mercedes-Benz off-road driving experience, game feeding, tandem paragliding and a climbing wall. Lech is also proving itself in the world of gastronomy with many excellent restaurants and on the closed mountain. Each season Lech runs a series of “Lafellwise”, gastronomic diners with prized chefs from around the world.
(6) Livigno, Italy
Livigno ski resort is deep in Alta Valtellina, North Lombardy, Italy. Close to Switzerland’s border, it can be reached from the south via the Sahara, Italy over Tirano and Bormio Passo Foscagno Or from the north via the expensive Tunnel Munt La Shere via Zernez and Mustair Switzerland.
Livigno Ski Resort has a great reputation as a freeride destination, but it shines more for its deep snow and world-class lifts and piste trails. With its own duty-free status, Livigno can feel isolated from the rest of the world, but it has had everything from sunrise to wellspring since sunset.
Unlike many skiing destinations in Europe, Livigno is not just for skiers, it is also a snowboard paradise. The Livigno skiing and snowboarding area is divided into a wide valley and half and the city extends along it. Both sides (Carrocello and Motolino) are connected by a ski-bus and share a common lift pass.
Most of the resort’s slopes extend above 2000 meters in height and ensuring premium snow conditions. The Carolos 3000 area is the larger of the two sides, with elevators extending directly from the west and the edge of the city. The 3 gondolas and 6 chairs perform heavy lifting at a substantial 980 m vertical.
Behind Carousel is a freeriders backcountry haven, as well as tree skiing around the avalanche fence from Costesia. On the eastern side of the valley, Motolino has 1 gondola and 5 chairlifts, which serve the same scalable vertical approximately 970 m.
Reaching the gondola and chairlift requires walking or local transportation to reach the city and from the novice ski area. For non-European and UK travelers, the best airport based on road conditions is Milan Malpensa (MXP), 250 km and 4hrs drive away.
(7) Sölden, Austria
Areas with more than 2000 meters in height, 146 km of piste trails, 2 glaciers, skiing from October to May, 3 peaks over 3000 meters, huge beginner ski area and a huge off-piste make Sölden an attractive ski area. To make it even bigger, each lift pass of 3 days duration or more is valid at all resorts in Oetztal.
Sölden Ski Resort is a carved eunuch that tells of how big it is. Two glacier ski areas. Austria has the largest scalable vertical and longest run. Perhaps there are too many people on pistols. Perhaps the tawdi-feeling city itself undermines the resolve to enjoy a real ski experience Or perhaps much of the on-piste area is for beginners.
Sölden is one of Europe’s hottest snow ski resorts. If purchased online for at least 5 days before use, a standard day lift pass can be € 11 cheaper. Sölden Ski Resort thrives on the city of the same name in the otztal of Austrian Tyrol. The cities and airports with the best entrances are Innsbruck (INN) (88 km to the northeast by road) and Munich (MUC) (about 250 km north).
Another 7 km north, Ötztal provides train access from Bahnhof to Innsbruck, Munich or Zurich. Bus services run at least 9 times per day from the valley to Otztal Bahnhof to Sölden and beyond. Travel time from Innsbruck is generally less than 2hr. The city of Sölden is a large gathering, leading the busy main road leading to Obergz towards Obergurgl.
It has zero traditional atmosphere but is definitely functional. If looking for a traditional Austrian ski village, Sölden may not be for you. The upper areas of Hochsolden and Tiny Innerwald, Unterwald and Ausserwald provide the topmost towing options to move over the city.
(8) Verbier, Switzerland
Located in the canton of Valais in the southwest of Switzerland, Verbier is bounded by France in the west and Italy in the south. It is about a two-hour drive from Geneva Airport or you can take a train from the airport to Le Chablé and then from Gondola to the center of the resort.
Verbier suits both keen skiers with their amazing and easily accessible off-piste, and more leisurely skiers who enjoy cruising the blues before relaxing in the sunlight for the afternoon. It is the perfect place for Apres-ski enthusiasts, with lively bars and clubs.
One of the biggest attractions of Verbier is the summit of Mont Fort, which is the highest peak of 4 walls. Four cable cars are required to get there from the village of Verbier. After climbing a stone ladder, take in amazing vistas, including Mont Blanc, Dents du Midi, Matterhorn and the Rhone Valley.
Verbier and 4 Valleys Ski Area is the largest ski area in Switzerland, with 410 km of linked pistes, reaching 93 ski locations. The ski area at the summit of Mont Fort starts at 1250 m and is 3330 m. The entire ski area has 35 blue pistes, 39 red pistes, 14 black pistes.
Its vast ski area and diverse terrain attracts skiers and snowboarders from all over the world and offers something for every level of skiers and snowboarders. The Verbier ski area also offers great starting areas at La Chaux, accessible from Medaram via the La Chaux Express combi-mix lift.
Powered by a high-speed wearable quad as well as triple chair, the Lac de Vaux area is perfect for intermediate skiers looking for an easy run. Due to to its northern orientation, this small area is usually blessed with great snow conditions.
