Ready for a new season of winter fun in 2022? We list the 10 best ski resorts in Europe for you so that you already know where to go this winter.
Europe is large and has several mountain ranges spread over all corners of the continent. In some of these mountain ranges you have the opportunity to do winter sports. Just think of the Sierra Nevada in Spain, the Pyrenees in France/Spain or the Carpathians in Eastern Europe,… Of course you can also have a lot of snow fun in these places.
But if we are really critical, there is only 1 place where the mountains offer themselves at their best for winter sports enthusiasts. A mountain range that is home to a number of iconic and world-renowned ski areas. It is also home to the highest mountain in Europe… that’s right: the Alps!
The Alps extend over no fewer than 8 countries: France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Monaco, Liechtenstein. 90% of the Alps are located in France, Switzerland, Italy and Austria. It is therefore no coincidence that the 10 best ski areas in Europe are located in these countries.
The Alps are distinguished not only in size but also in height. The mountain range has more than one hundred +4000 meters of peaks, including the iconic Matterhorn and Mont Blanc.
We list the best ski resorts for 2022 for you. The following was taken into account: the size of the ski area, the versatility of the area (beginners, advanced skiers, freeride, etc.), snow security, conviviality and charm of the villages.
Lech Zürs am Arlberg is one of the most internationally renowned winter sports areas. It deserves the number one spot in our list of best ski resorts in Europe!
It belongs to the state of Vorarlberg and has been voted “most beautiful village in Europe” in the past. The beautiful nature experiences here go hand in hand with comfort and an exclusive lifestyle.
The Arlberg is known as the cradle of alpine skiing. Thanks to the connection to Warth-Schröcken, it has also been Austria’s largest ski area since 2016. You will find one of the oldest ski cultures in the world here.
The idyllic village, formed by local residents who have often run their businesses for generations, has all kinds of modern touches. You can also eat well there. The municipality is also known for its various award-winning restaurants.
The five-star Gasthof Post in Lech receives the Dutch royal family every year. Beginners and intermediate skiers are in the right place here.
You can also enjoy après-ski in Lech. However, do not immediately expect the traditional German après-ski hits here.
Connection to Warth-Schröcken
The road between Lech and Warth is not free to reach by car during the winter period. Both ski areas are connected to each other.
How do I get to Lech?
You can only reach Lech in winter via the Flexenpass that runs along Zürs. Due to heavy snowfall, the Flexenpass may be closed due to avalanche danger, but this is rather exceptional.
Tignes and Vald’Isère, formerly known as Espace Killy, are among the best ski resorts in Europe. Advanced winter sports enthusiasts can certainly indulge themselves here. Of course you can also do your thing here as a beginner. However, it might be a shame to come down here knowing how large this area is. It has a huge difference in height and is very snow-sure.
More than 300 kilometers of slopes
In an area of more than 300 kilometers of slopes, even the seasoned snow sportsman can discover something new every day.
Back to the Arlberg, because at the foot of the Arlbergpass lies another pearl in the state of Vorarlberg, the village of Sankt Anton am Arlberg. This area is more something for the experienced winter sports enthusiast. It has a beautiful village with a very pleasant shopping street. When you walk through the shopping street, you immediately notice that the technical sports shops attract a lot of “freeriders”, or in other words off-piste skiers, in the winter.
Freerider or family skier?
There are many slopes around Sankt Anton am Arlberg. The Vallugagrat (2881m) is located on the sunny side of the valley with endless slopes and off-piste routes. On the south side of the village is the secluded and more family oriented area of Rendl.
The après-ski options are more than available in Sankt Anton. The area therefore attracts a younger crowd. Before you ski the last part to the village, you pass the famous Mooserwirt where you can end the day in all conviviality with a “grosses beer” and a “schnapps”.
The Chamonix-Mont Blanc ski area is located at the foot of the French side of Mont Blanc. You are a stone’s throw from Italy and Switzerland. Chamonix Mont-Blanc consists of several smaller sub-areas.
Flegere and Brévent
The areas of Flégère and Brévent can be reached from Chamonix. It has somewhat older cabin lifts but they take you to a beautiful plain below the Aiguilles Rouges. You can ski or snowboard here with a great view of the highest peaks of the Alps. The views alone make it definitely worth snowboarding or skiing here.
Grands Montets
Grands Montets is the most famous area above Chamonix (actually Argentière). This medium-sized area is mainly intended for advanced winter sports enthusiasts because of mainly red and black slopes and has very long descents at high altitudes.
However, the elevators are a bit outdated. At busy times (and on “powder days) long queues can arise at the elevators. There is also a priority system in place whereby the local guides get priority on the lifts. You also have to pay extra to ride the highest lift.
The idyllic mountain village of Zermatt is located at the foot of the world-famous Matterhorn mountain. Zermatt has a large and extensive ski area, combined with an unrivaled number of altimeters and of course the spectacular views of the Matterhorn (4478 meters). The Zermatt ski area has many long runs that are quite challenging in some parts.
Therefore, it receives a well deserved spot in our list of best ski resorts in Europe!
Ski to Italy
From the village of Zermatt you have many possibilities to reach every sub-area directly. The infrastructure includes a connection to the Italian ski station Breuil – Cervinia, so that it is possible to ski across the border for a day. Make sure you ski back on time!
Car-free
The village itself is extremely cozy and idyllic. Zermatt is completely car-free. You have to park your car in the lower village of Täsch. Here you can take the train and in fifteen minutes you are in Zermatt. These are parked in the lower Täsch, after which you travel the last part by train. For more information on how to get to Zermatt, take a look here.
Of course, all that beauty comes with a price. Just about everything is significantly more expensive compared to other winter sports areas.
Livigno is located at a relatively high altitude of 1816 meters between 2 national parks: Stelvio and the Engadin. It has a winter season that runs very broadly from November to May. It is therefore known as a very snow-sure area. Mid-winter, Livigno is often a fairytale with snow in the village (but often quite low temperatures).
Sunny but snow sure
Livigno is protected between two high mountain ranges and therefore has a dry and exceptionally sunny climate, but it can get quite cold in winter. Due to this inner-alpine location, this area catches a lot of snow, especially at the beginning and at the end of the season. The valley consists of two sides, the Carosello flank and the Mottolino flank are separated by the village and are therefore not connected by lift.
Tax free
Livigno was a late bloomer among the winter sports areas. Despite this, it has developed into one of the best ski areas in Europe in the meantime. The first ski lift did not appear until 1958 and by 1964 there were only four hotels left. This is because Livigno is in an isolated location. Long ago, this closed location would also have prevented tax collectors from reaching the village in winter. As a result, Livigno would still be tax-free to this day.
Today, the ski area of Livigno with more than 115 kilometers of slopes is big enough to keep you entertained for a week.
Val Thorens is part of the gigantic Les Trois Vallées ski area and is located at 2300 meters altitude. Val Thorens is a famous ski resort and has no shortage of snow but is always busy and not cheap. The ski area is characterized by beautiful wide slopes. Every type of winter sports enthusiast can do his thing here. It is not for nothing that it is one of the best ski areas in Europe.
Ski-in ski-out
Whichever accommodation you stay in, you never have to walk far to the slopes in Val Thorens. Several slopes run right through the village.
The lift network is extremely efficient in terms of the amount of winter sports enthusiasts that can be lifted. However, the area is large enough to handle this crowd.
In Val Thorens you can go out to your heart’s content. From après-ski until the early hours in the many bars and discos in the village. Val Thorens is the French ski village with the most extensive après-ski.
A good family ski destination?
For fun you should not descend to Val Thorens. There is little authentic and consists mainly of high concrete buildings. It can also be very cold in the middle of winter, which is not ideal with children.
From mid-February, the sun is a bit higher and it becomes a lot more pleasant and more suitable for going down to Val Tho with your children. All hotels and apartments are located on or near the slopes, so you don’t have to spend far with your ski equipment. The ski station also has a Family Plus label. Val Thorens is located on the slopes, you don’t have to carry skis and poles, and the ski station also has a Family Plus label.
Few ski areas in the Alps can match the Ötztal Arena in Sölden in terms of versatility. Reason enough to include this area in the list of the best ski resorts in Europe. From glaciers to authentic and extremely large restaurants, FIS competitions and major events, pole dance clubs and vibrant après-ski. Enough peripheral animation to make sure you don’t get bored. And of course you can also ski wonderfully! It is definitely one of the best ski resorts in Europe.
On the glacier
The ski area of Sölden roughly consists of three parts: the Gaislachkogl, the Giggijoch and the glaciers.
The Gaislachkogl is the most challenging part of the ski area. The large gondola takes you quickly to the top of this 3000 meter peak, where you can also enjoy freeriding. On the Giggijoch, which you can reach with another lift from the village, it’s all a bit more relaxed with wide slopes for beginners and a great park. Finally, you have the two glaciers: the Rettenbach and the Tiefenbach Glacier. On the former you will find a tough FIS descent; the second is a wonderfully undulating, ultra-wide glacial plateau.
In principle, skiers and boarders of all levels are in the right place here. It should be noted that many of the valley runs from Sölden are more difficult than average and the crowds on the Gigijoch can deter novice skiers. The quieter slopes of the Gaislachalm at the bottom of the Gaislachkogl are an alternative.
The ‘Big 3’ of Ötztal Arena
Thanks to the glaciers, Sölden is a very snow-sure ski area. It is therefore not for nothing that the first FIS race of the season in the Alps takes place here. They have also done something with that snow certainty for us ‘normal’ winter sports enthusiasts. You can follow the ‘Big 3’ tour which takes you past the three highest peaks of the Ötztal Arena. All three are higher than 3000 meters and nowhere else in Austria is that possible.
How is the après ski in Sölden?
Sölden is the largest village of the Ötztal Arena. The village is Sodom and Gomorrah and Staphorst in one. In this elongated village you will find bustling après-ski, a nightlife (including lap dances), but on the other hand also picturesque houses and beautiful walking paths along the river. Unfortunately, a busy main road runs through the village. Do you want to be quieter and in the middle of the ski area? Then hotel village Hochsölden is recommended with a stay directly on the slopes, high above the valley.
What to do in Solden
Besides skiing and snowboarding, there is plenty to do in Sölden. It may be clear that it takes no effort at all to fill in the evening hours, but what do you do when you wake up the next morning and walking to the elevator is already a bit hard on your legs? Then you go to the Aquadome in Längenfeld. It is only a short drive to enjoy one of the largest wellness facilities in the Alps.
Nearby Ski Resorts
In addition to Sölden, there are other ski areas in the Ötztal. Oetz, Vent and Obergurgl all have their own ski area so you can alternate some ski areas. That does not alter the fact that the Sölden area is by far the largest and best-known, so most people will have a great time here for a week.
The ‘urban’ village of Cortina d’Ampezzo is located in the middle of the scenically very impressive Ampezzo valley. As a ski resort it is not that well known but it has many unique qualities which is why we added it to the list of best ski resorts in Europe.
The chic and fashionable village is located at an altitude of 1224 meters. Next to Cortina are several not too large sub-areas. Tofana is the largest, followed by Faloria and Cinque Torri. Beginners will find the most beautiful slopes on the Pocol (sub-area Tofana), where you will find many easy blue runs. Advanced levels will be better served higher up in Tofana with, among other things, the spectacular Forcella Rossa, a pitch-black descent along the rocks. From the slopes you have beautiful views of the imposing Dolomites. The Faloria part is also particularly suitable for advanced skiers. That is why Cortina d’Ampezzo should not be missing from the list of the best ski resorts in Europe!
Area with enough variety
More than half of the area consists of red and black slopes. Because the slopes lie in a circle around Cortina, you can find excellent snow in almost all weather conditions. There are also several forest descents, both on the Tofana side and at Faloria on the other side of the valley. This means you can also manage well in bad weather, although that is not often the case in this part of the Alps.
Would you like to spend the night in Cortina d’Ampezzo?
And finally, last but certainly not least in our list of best ski resorts in Europe. Verbier is one of the most famous ski villages in the world and is part of the mega area Les 4 Vallées with over 400 kilometers of slopes. Verbier has everything: a large, snow-sure ski area with opportunities for beginners to the absolute cracks, a great nightlife, an authentic village and phenomenal views. These ingredients attract skiers and boarders from all over the world to this place in the Val de Bagnes.
History Verbier
Verbier is built for winter sports. Until 1925 there were no skiers and the meadows were mainly used by farmers with their cows and sheep. The first hotel was built and the first ski lessons were given in 1927. When the first baby was born in Verbier in 1928, the population of the village rose to three. By the end of the Second World War, the population of Verbier was still only 27. The government decided that Verbier was an ideal location for developing tourism. The first elevator was built in 1946. Ten years later, things really got going in Verbier. The famous church with its 40-meter tower that still dominates the village today was built in 1962 and in 1963 the area was one of the first in Europe to offer a lift capacity of more than 10,000 people per hour.
Apres ski
Verbier is not a party village, but nevertheless offers many après-ski possibilities. Lovers of a bustling international ambiance are in the right place, you will hardly find Frans Bauer sing-alongs there.
What else to do in Verbier?
A day of exploring Verbier is highly recommended! Plenty of cozy cafes, terraces and luxury shops. Restaurants are available in all price ranges, including the gourmand. Prefer active? The public sports center has a swimming pool, sauna, solarium. You can also skate, work out, play squash and there is a climbing wall.
Hi, I’m Manou, founder of GPXadventures.com which grew from my passion for outdoor sports and adventure travel. Growing up, I developed a deep love for hiking, skiing, mountain biking, and exploring the great outdoors. I started this website as a way to share my knowledge, insights, and tips with like-minded individuals. My goal is to help others discover the joys of the outdoors and to encourage them to pursue their own adventures in nature.
#Livetheunknown
Hi, I’m Manou, founder of GPXadventures.com. My goal is to help others discover the joys of the outdoors and to encourage them to pursue their own adventures. #Livetheunknown
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