Crans-Montana sits on a high shelf above the Rh么ne valley with panoramic views of the Alpine peaks. Image by Denis Emery
Looking for the perfect early-season ski break" Crans-Montana has it all, from sunny slopes to spectacular views across the Swiss Alps – and an epicure?s delight of a Christmas market as LUX Editor-in-Chief Darius Sanai discovers
Matterhorn; Mont Blanc; Weisshorn; Dent Blanche: for Alpinists these are among the superstar peaks of Europe, rising 4500m or higher above sea level. When you go skiing, you are usually tied to a vista of one or two of these celebrity peaks: think Zermatt and the Matterhorn, or Chamonix and Mont Blanc.
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In this Swiss resort of Crans-Montana, though, you are treated to a panorama of all of them, at once. The resort sits on a high, sunny, tree-lined shelf above the deep Rh么ne valley which runs from Lake Geneva towards central Switzerland. From the top lift station, Plaine Morte, you have in front of you a vista that encompasses the peaks of every ski resort from Saas-Fee, in the east, via Zermatt and Verbier, to Chamonix, in the west. Even the view from the village itself is exceptional, sweeping across the vineyards of the Rh么ne valley far below and over towards Italy. The ski resort is split into two main villages, Crans and Montana.
The view in itself would be a reason to visit this most established of Swiss resorts, but right now there are numerous others. The resort is spli...