Modern and safe high-speed lifts, complete absence of queues, magnificent slopes with natural snow cover, well-trained staff, three-digit price tags in hotels and inns. Skiing has never been a pastime for the poor, as one of the episodes of the film "Fantozzi" by the Italian director and actor Paolo Vilagio clearly tells us.
But there are really rich people – those who pay not only for comfort and luxury, but also for silence, security and privacy. Where do they prefer to relax in winter?
Gstaad
Swiss Gstaad is a fairy tale with five stars embodied in a small town lost among the Swiss Alps. In appearance, the town resembles a holiday card or an illustration to a teenage fairy tale about castles, knights and mountain giants: chalets in the national style, crowned with high roofs with snow caps, carved gables and complex windows, narrow streets where it is forbidden to drive a car.
A dozen and a half Monegasque princes and princesses, Liz Taylor, Prince Charles (now Charles III), Michael Jackson and hundreds of world pop and cinema stars knew the local streets: they come here to hang out, communicate and hide from annoying journalists.
And, of course, skiing - then this resort is needed, right? Gstaad today is more than two hundred kilometers of trails, from smooth blue to extreme red and black, the opportunity to ski or skate from the glacier, almost 70 lifts and 7 snow parks for children with entertainment for every taste and color.
In addition, this is the top of the ranking of the most expensive real estate in winter resorts for the 14th year: the cost per square meter here starts from 40-45 thousand euros.
There are several ways to get here.
- For those in a hurry, Saanen Airport is a few kilometers from the city: it is a private air hub, accepting only business jets and helicopters (many local 5-star hotels offer a transfer service through Saanen).
- The Golden Pass train connecting the town with Montreux, Switzerland. This magnificent train with panoramic windows and gold trim is a kind of answer to the Orient Express. The trip takes 1.5-2 hours.
- You can rent a car or take a taxi and get to Gstaad in three hours from Zurich or Geneva airports.
St. Moritz
Another Alpine star, St. Moritz in Switzerland, is considered the world's oldest ski resort - the tradition of coming here in winter to ski or skate originated here in the first half of the XIX century. One thing is clear: the weather here is dry and comfortable, and the number of sunny days a year sometimes reaches 300-310, so St. Moritz has long attracted skiers and lugers.
There are more than three hundred trails for skiing near the city, including a unique freeride track with a literally steep wall, and at least half of the trails are perfectly lit at night, so you can ski even at night (even on a full moon). Additionally, you can climb to the heart of the glacier, hike on virgin, fresh snow on crampons and snowshoes.
Of course, there are multi-star Michelin restaurants! Countless boutiques for all tastes and budgets, massages and spas, mineral waters and a variety of museums... For example, the museum of vintage cars and a similar exhibition right on the ice of the local lake — in winter, it freezes, turning into an ideal exhibition space.
According to the combination of indicators (the quality of the snow cover, the length and variety of trails), the resort is considered the best in the world, and due to the high prices for accommodation and meals, it is also the most expensive. It is a favorite resort of representatives of the House of Windsor, dozens of Arab sheikhs, the great Hitchcock and Dodi Al Fayed, the lover of the tragically deceased Princess Diana.
Engadine Airport is responsible for the delivery of premium tourists: business jets fly here, and each flight turns into a test of pilots' strength and experience - the runway is quite short, and maneuvers are complicated by the fact that the airport, like the resort, is located in a narrow gorge, and navigation devices often malfunction due to unstable communication.
On the other hand, you can come by train from Zermatt – it goes very slowly, allowing passengers to enjoy the views and take many impressive selfies.
Zermatt
A small village in highland Switzerland: the permanent population does not exceed 5 thousand people, so you can get around it in half an hour. However, during the Christmas holidays, the population of the resort increases by 6-8 times, reaching 40-50 thousand people. 12% of the 322 kilometers of local trails are year-round, because they are located high in the mountains.
Local trails are more suitable for experienced skiers due to their steepness: the minimum available level of the trails is blue. But the resort is distinguished by enviable silence and well-being, and the air is so clean that it makes you remember the times before the advent of internal combustion engines (private vehicles are prohibited in the village, and the role of public is played by electric buses or electric cars).
The resort meets all the ideas of an ideal place for recreation and leisure of the nouveau riche: an impressive selection of cafes and restaurants, and the chefs often work with owners of two or three Michelin stars. Former German Chancellor Merkel, actress Paris Hilton like to relax here, one of the two ABBA soloists and Sir Elton John has own house.
You can get here by bus, helicopter or private car (however, you will have to leave it in the park-and-ride 6 km from Zermatt).
Courchevel
Three Valleys is an impressive resort metropolis with more than six hundred kilometers of trails of various heights. In fact, these are several resorts with a single administration, a network of cable cars and a developed public transport system, which is convenient - and a common ski pass.
The local slopes are loved by fans of alpine skiing and snowboarding due to their high quality and perfect condition, as well as an amazing variety - from hospitable greens and blues, where even a beginner will feel confident, to cool reds and risky blacks. Of course, there is a coaching staff, you can hire an individual coach, doctor or instructors.
People usually get here from Geneva, although Courchevel has its own airport for business jets, which can compete with the St. Moritz altiport in terms of difficulty of takeoff, landing and maneuvering.
