In winter, too, some people prefer hype resorts where style and comfort go hand in hand with some of the world's finest ski areas.
Saint-Moritz, where it all began
Just east of Switzerland, this resort is as famous for the celebrities who visit as it is for the polo matches played on its frozen lake. Packed with luxury boutiques and palaces, Saint-Moritz is as exclusive as it gets, with the added charm of old-fashioned winter sports. The story goes that it was here, 150 years ago, that winter sports were born!
SkiSt. Moritz: a vast 350 km ski area and a dry, sunny climate 322 days a year. Fans here swear by the «white carpet», the first run down the freshly prepared slopes: departure at 7.45 a.m.! And because there's so much to do in the region, there's no need to queue at the lifts.
Dolomites, Italian snow
This is perhaps the first reason to go: the sublime scenery. Some mountains seem to spring from the ground, with slopes of unheard-of verticality, ending in... flattened peaks. Other peaks are so rugged they seem artificial. And as soon as the rays of the rising or setting sun graze them, the dolomitic rocks turn purple and pink, before turning purple. A unique phenomenon the Italians call «enrosadira».
Ski It was in the Dolomites that skiing began in Italy. The flagship resort, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Olympic city in 1956, regularly hosts world championships. Experienced skiers can embark on a mythical one-day ski tour around the Sella massif. And unlike France, Italy also allows helicopter drop-offs!
Courchevel, glamour and prestige
Courchevel is one of the most prestigious and glamorous resorts on the planet. Since the post-war years, this magnificent corner of the Tarentaise region (Savoie) has been a magnet for big money and high-flying investors. With its share of crazy projects, such as the altiport. Its astonishingly steep runway, the highest in Europe, is still one of the resort's proudest features, and not only allows you to reach the resort by air, but also to organize helicopter drops to the summits of neighboring countries, or take off in a hot-air balloon.
Ski Les Trois Vallées is the world's largest ski area, with over 600 kilometers of trails and 173 lifts.
«Champagne snow in Aspen
At 19e century, Aspen was born from the discovery of a silver vein. In the 1950s, the little town, now almost a ghost town, was given a new lease of life, and soon became the most glamorous ski resort in North America. Stars flocked to the resort, and it became the Hollywood of the Rockies. But here, as elsewhere people know how to keep a low profile, and often the only evidence that they're there is the private jets parked on the parkway from the small local airport.
SkiThanks to a combination of dry air and high altitude, Colorado offers the best snow in the world! Ultra-fine, rarely sticky champagne snow. Even off-piste skiing is child's play! And there's no risk of running out, since on average a good eight metres of this dream powder falls every year. Other delights: here, you can ski the whole mountain without restriction and always between the fir trees, even at 4000 m!
