The best ski resorts in the world

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

Everyone has different ideas about an ideal winter vacation - someone would prefer to go to hot countries, bask in the sun and swim in the sea. Someone, on the contrary, decides to go higher to the mountains, to fluffy snow and frosty, fresh air. The style of rest is also different for everyone - someone loves peace and serenity, and someone cannot live without active pastime.

We have collected the best ski resorts in the world where winter sports fans can conquer the snowy slopes this winter.

Cortina, Italy

Cortina d'Ampezzo (Cortina d'Ampezzo) is an Italian ski resort in the Dolomites, with a rich sports history and aristocratic spirit. It was here that the 1956 Winter Olympics, all kinds of championships and other competitions were held. Now this place is famous not only for its slopes, so beloved by fans of alpine skiing, but also for its club life. Recently, people mainly come here not so much to ride as to “burn through” life. An indirect confirmation of this is the fact that two out of three tourists who come to Cortina do not even get up on skis. Like Zermatt in Switzerland, the city's life is centered around small but extremely pretty streets.

For professionals, trails from the summits of Forcella Saunies (2930 m) and Ra Valles (2470 m) are suitable. On the slopes of Tofana (Tofana, 3243 m), there are short trails for intermediate skiers and always good snow cover. Also, "middle peasants" should pay attention to the slopes of Pomedes (2345 m). For beginners, it is better to try their hand at the slopes of Socrepes.

It will cost 70,000 rubles to celebrate the New Year in Cortina and return to Moscow before Christmas. per person.

Chamonix, France

Chamonix (Chamonix), the oldest (more than 200 years old), the largest (population - more than 10 thousand) and the most famous resort in the French Alps is located at the foot of the highest peak of the Alps - Mont Blanc.

The first Winter Olympics were held here in 1924. Today the popular ski resort claims to be one of the most famous ski areas in the world, and so far it has been doing well. Chamonix is located at the foot of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps, on the border of Italy and France, and the second largest in Europe.

All Chamonix ski slopes are alpine, 90% of them are at an altitude of more than 2000 m.

Tours to the ski resort of Chamonix in France are popular not only because of the glorious history of this place. Today, more than 100 tracks are equipped here, and the ski area is huge - from 1035 to 3843 meters. Although what really boggles the mind is the White Valley. This is the longest ski slope with a length of 22 kilometers!

All ski slopes in Chamonix are alpine, 90% of them are at an altitude of more than 2000 m. Nevertheless, the ski areas in the resort are conventionally divided into "high" and "low".

In the ski area Les Houches, there are many fairly simple, wide, "comfortable" pistes, ideal for beginners. The ski areas Les Pelerins and Les Chosalets are very simple trails for beginners and children. Le Pelerines has toboggan runs and the area lies between Les Bossons and Chamonix. Le Chausalet is located at the entrance to Argentières, 500 meters from the ski lift to Lognan. The length of the slopes is 500 m.

In the regions of Aiguille du Midi and La Vallee Blanche, one of the highest Chamonix lifts in the world - Plan de l'Aiguille (2308 m) - Aiguille - de midi. In the White Valley, a 20-kilometer track with an elevation difference of 2770 m is equipped.

New Year and Christmas in the Chamonix Valley will cost 200,000 rubles. for two.

Zermatt, Switzerland

Fashionable Zermatt (Zermatt) is located at the foot of the famous Matterhorn peak (4478 m). It is one of the ten best alpine resorts in terms of piste and snow quality. This is a very expensive, but very popular resort - in the high season you can wait half an hour for the lift, although the concept of “off-season” is very vague for Zermatt. This is a great place for "advanced" and expert skiing, but beginners will find it difficult here.

Professionals will be seduced by the challenging, untouched trails that start at the upper stations and the longest and most challenging black slopes in the Triftja region below Stockhorn. The Schwarzsee (2583 m) has interesting steep slopes.

More experienced skiers will love the slopes on the slopes of Gornergrat and Hohtali (Hohtalli, 3286 m). In Sunnega there is an excellent five-kilometer slope of Kumme, in Klein Matterhorn there are “red” slopes of sufficient difficulty. For less experienced skiers, there are blue slopes in Sunegga and Riffelberg. For those who have just started downhill skiing, it will not be easy in Zermatt: there are no tracks for an initial level of skiing here, and the "blue" tracks are very difficult and dangerous.

To spend winter holidays in Zermatt with flight and accommodation will cost 100,000 rubles per person.

Aspen, Colorado, USA

If in America there is a question about a ski vacation, then the answer is always the same - Aspen!

Aspen (Aspen) is the most famous and perhaps the most expensive ski resort in the United States. If in America there is a question about a ski vacation, then the answer is always the same - Aspen! Aspen combines four isolated ski areas - Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk and Aspen Snowmass.

The Aspen Mountain ski area includes the city of Aspen: the lower station of the Silver Queen gondola is right in its center. Mount Ajax rises above the city - a skiing area for the "pros". There are difficult, steep slopes, bumps and forest skiing. There are also well-prepared slopes for intermediate skiers. Beginners have nothing to do here: this is the only ski area in America where there are no "green" slopes.

But Buttermilk with its calm, wide slopes is quite a “ride” for neophytes and family skiing. Snowboarders there will love the superpipe and the world's longest fan park, 2 miles long (by the way, Buttermilk hosted the 2002-2004 Extreme Winter Games). Fun detail: the tracks for intermediate skiers are shown in black on the local map, but this only means that they are the most difficult in the area.

7 days of active rest in Aspen, excluding air tickets, will cost 80,000 rubles for two.

Rest in a ski resort is not always expensive. Next time we will tell you about where to go skiing and breathe in the mountain air for a reasonable price.