The picturesque ski villages have a special place in the heart of skiers. All these tremendous and hospitable villages worldwide are welcoming visitors to their facilities every year, offering them shelter and moments of enjoyment in the mountain peaks’ snowy landscapes.
Ski villages have been identified with the experience of winter holidays and not unjustly. They are the meeting point of people worldwide, all with one common purpose: to enjoy their moments in the snow. So it’s time in this article to find some hidden gems and some more prominent villages from all over the globe.
1. Vail, Colorado
The village was part of the 10th Mountain Division of the US Army training during World War II and today is an attraction for the elite skiers from around the world. It looks like a European village located suddenly in Colorado’s mountains and is full of glittering boutiques, luxury hotels, and atmospheric restaurants. The clock tower in the centre of Vail could not be missing.
2. Alpbach, Austria
The beautiful village in the Austrian Tyrol is a favourite ski destination, ideal for the whole family as it is aimed mainly at beginners or little advanced skiers. Its wooden houses are built around the church while the playgrounds are located in the village’s heart. The good news is that it is an economical destination, even for Austria’s standards.
3. Ischgl, Austria
The town in the Paznaum Valley is a relatively new ski destination. The first lift was installed only in 1963, turning the quiet rural village into one of the Austrian elite’s favourite elite ski resorts. On the border with Switzerland, 64 km from Innsbruck, Ischgl offers intense nightlife, miles of easy slopes, and a system of 41 fast lifts that have been completely upgraded in the last decade.
It is actually part of the Silvretta ski pass. It provides access to three neighbouring slopes: Galtur, where Hemingway skied, the Austrian Kappl, and Samnaum, a Swiss village with a duty-free shop visited by all Ischgl vacationers. The village also has one of the most extensive snowboard slopes in Europe and offers spectacular night sled safaris.
4. Samoens, France
Famous stone artisans lived in the village during the 17th century, and their work is still evident today. Samoens belongs to the country’s national heritage, and only in its surroundings, there is a modern development while you will not find intense nightlife. It is ideal mainly for advanced skiers and not so much for novices.
5. Ellmau, Austria
Despite its large size, Elmau remains a quiet resort with traditional chalets, cosy bars, shops, and a picturesque church. It is part of SkiWelt, the largest ski area in Austria with slopes that reach 280 km in length. It is an ideal destination for beginners and intermediate level skiers for this and can gather many people on weekends and during the high season.
If you are looking for a holiday in picturesque and quiet Elmau, there are many comprehensive vacation packages to choose from. By choosing Erna Low for your complete Elmau vacation package, you won’t have to worry about choosing your accommodation or various additional activities and your access to the resort’s facilities. Because they will simply have taken care of all of your needs so that you can focus only on how to spend your time correctly.
6. Alagna, Italy
Here ski lovers will do neither shopping therapy nor frantic nightlife. In the village of 400 inhabitants, they will only ski. Apart from the 2-3 restaurants and the Caffe Delle Guide, which offers coffee and drink (but also the best pizza in the village), Alagna has nothing to offer but slalom and plenty of snow in its endless slopes.
7. Megeve, France
It is a favourite winter destination of chic and affluent skiers and has a beautiful, medieval car-free centre. In addition to the 325-kilometre slopes that stretch into three different mountains, the village visitors have at their disposal glittering boutiques with clothes, antiques, gifts, and local delicacies. It is ideal for moderate skiers with slopes that offer great views of Mont Blanc.
