CRANS MONTANA, SWITZERLAND
Skiing Holidays in Crans-Montana, Switzerland
With breathtaking views along the Rhone Valley, the resort of Crans-Montana is a top choice amongst well-heeled skiers with its luxury hotels and gourmet restaurants and hosts the Caprice music festival in April each year. The ski area is an intermediate’s paradise with red runs making up the majority of the piste map.
Resort Statistics
Level | Rating | Runs |
---|---|---|
Beginners | 17 | |
Intermediates | 20 | |
Advanced | 4 | |
Snowboarders | ||
Total Runs | 41 |
- Families
Resort Altitude | 1500m |
Highest Lift | 3000m |
Total Piste | 140km |
Longest Run | 12km |
Directions of Slopes | South |
Total Lifts | 28 |
Gondolas/Cable cars | 6 |
Chairlifts | 6 |
Drag Lifts | 15 |
Snow Parks | 1 |
Skiing in Crans-Montana
With a glacier reaching up to the resort’s high point, Pointe de la Plaine Morte, Crans Montana boasts 140km of pistes as well as the Space Adrenalin snow park and a good choice of off-piste runs for more advanced skiers. Wide pistes on the mountain suit beginners who are ready to move on from the nursery slopes in the resort. The glacier is also the location for one of the cross country trails, and there are 65km of winter walks around the area.
If you tire of the slopes here you can make your way to the top ski resorts in Zermatt, Saas Fee and Verbier by road or rail.
Snow conditions in Crans-Montana
There are some snow making facilities across the pistes in Crans-Montana to add to the natural snowfall for more guaranteed skiing throughout the season.
Apres-ski, restaurants and other activities in Crans-Montana
Crans Montana is a popular resort throughout the year, so there are a wide variety of apres ski activities for non-skiers, ranging from snow golf, horse riding and delightful cleared walks around the golf course and in the forest. Supermarkets are good, and there are plenty of shops and boutiques. There are over 80 restaurants in Crans-Montana, offering many different cuisines, along with bars and nightclubs, and a casino. Children’s facilities are adequate. The Fleur des Champs crèche and kindergarten takes infants from three months, making for a friendly family ski holiday resort.
Split into two resort centres – Crans to the west and Montana the east – the resort has a wide choice of après activities with a good selection of bars and restaurants as well as designer shops. Further east is Aminona, a smaller village surrounded by forest which has a long toboggan run. Enjoy a special meal at Le Montblanc in LeCrans where you can also take in fantastic views of the surrounding mountains, or head to the Michelin-starred L’Ours.
Other activities include:
- Dog sledding
- Toboganning
- Snowshoeing
- Indoor Golf
- Hiking
- Swimming Pool
- Heliski
- Paragliding
- Hot Air Balloon
- Table Tennis
- Chess
- Curling
- Snooker
- Table Football
- Bowling
- Bridge
- Tennis
- Climbing Centre
- Gym and Fitness
- Badminton
Transfer time in Crans-Montana
There are several airports accessible via car or bus transfer the closest being Geneva which is 182 km away.
Ski Hire in Crans Montana
There are normally a number of shops where you can pick up your pre-booked ski or snowboard equipment from. Which shop you go to will depend on where you are staying in Crans Montana. Here is a guide to ski or snowboard hire in Crans Montana:
Ski Hire Type | Adult 6 days | Child 6 days |
---|---|---|
Bronze - Skis and Boots or Snowboard and Boots | £84 | |
Silver - Skis and Boots or Snowboard and Boots | £133 | £107 |
Gold - Skis and Boots or Snowboard and Boots | £164 | |
Platinum - Skis and Boots or Snowboard and Boots | £201 |
You can book your ski hire for your trip to Crans Montana here
Crans Montana Reviews
One of Switzerland's 'Best-Kept Secrets', with the Rhone Valley below. A beautiful area with good high altitude skiing & boarding. Not enough ski-lockers available at peak times. Also surrounded by even higher peaks for skiing, in Zinal and Nendaz. Great 6km. tobaggann run. Some good restaurants, but would benefit from more variety, as most seem to be Italian. Visited for 10 years now and liked it so much bought a property there, to use in summer as well, as it is easy to travel there, with their excellent transport.
SHEILA SELLAR