With the winter season approaching fast, it’s time to get ready for the Europe slopes which come in all shapes and sizes. If snowboarding is not your number one winter sport, then it’s time to get your ski gear ready and plan on this season’s skiing vacations.
(photo credits: wikipedia.org)
To help you decide where to go, here’s a list of the top three ski resorts in Europe, based on their popularity, quality of slopes and the services they provide.
Sankt Anton am Arlberg – Austria
St Anton is the largest holiday resort in the Arlberg ski area, which includes Lech, Zurs and St Christoph and St Jakob. Here one can find one of the longest intermediate ski slopes in Europe. St Anton is an excellent choice for intermediate and advanced skiers but it might not be the best choice for beginners due to overcrowding. Also, St Anton’s slopes are facing south, and they can easily melt under sunlight, especially in spring, and the skiers often find refuge in the bars this resort has to offer. The north-facing slopes of Lech and Zurs offer reliable snow with less crowd. The best skiing for beginners is in St Christoph or Rendl.
St Anton is also known as one of the best locations for snowboarding in Austria, having a vast terrain of natural obstacles and steep powder fields.
Chamonix – France
When it comes to the longest ski runs in the world, Chamonix is the undisputed winner. It also sports one of the highest cable cars in the world. From the centre of Chamonix at 1035 m, the Aiguille du Midi cablecar carries you to 3842 m into the realm of high moutain peaks, where a unique 360 degree panorama of the Mont-Blanc chain awaits you.
Chamonix offers a multitude of slopes for all levels: long slopes, skiing through the trees, freeride and off-piste, beginners slopes, an infinite number of possibilities for snowriders and mountain lovers alike. Chamonix’s ski areas are open from December to May, subject to snow conditions. It does not offer summer skiing.
Chepelare – Bulgaria
One of Eastern Europe’s best-kept secrets lies within the Bulgarian mountains. Chepelare is located in the Smolyan Province of Southern Bulgaria in the central part of Mount Rhodopes – the mythical birthplace of the Greek god Orpheus. It is also the birthplace of biathlete Ekaterina Dafovska, Bulgaria’s only Winter Olympics gold medal winner (Nagano ’98).
Chepelare is a popular winter resort with one of the longest ski runs in Southeastern Europe. Nearby, the natural rocky phenomenon Wonderful Bridges is a popular sightseeing place for tourists.
Last time I went skying, and I won’t say where as they already have a tourist shortage, I was extremely frustrated with the time spent waiting for the cable car, on average 25 minutes. Add the time needed to reach the top, and you were in for a very bad experience, especially that the skiing itself took only 3 minutes, on a very short and crowded slope. This is why we thought of recommending you some of the longest slopes in the world. Ok, in Europe 🙂
By Olivia GrilHey Folks! I'm Olivia from California, United States. I'm a blogger, travel lover, I can travel anywhere, whether it's a new place or already visited. I love meeting new people, clicking photos of every movement, and documenting my adventure. I also, write about travel, travel movies, the best places to visit, etc. Read my stories.
