The 4 Best Ski Resorts in Europe

Skiing is Europe is an amazing experience: taking in the gorgeous scenery, indulging in long lunches with your other half or your friends, spending your mornings bundled up in front of a full fire and sipping a latte, seeing the breathtaking landscapes as you travel in a ski lift, your skis clutched to your side.

The Alps is such a popular spot because of its height and sheer drops. Ski schools and guides are everywhere to teach you the basics so you’ll be gliding down the slopes in no time. Ski season is ripe from November to April in Europe. Check out our sun care tips for outdoor winter activities for all our tips on staying safe in the winter sun!

The 4 Best Ski Resorts in Europe

1. Davos, Switzerland.

Yes, we’re starting things off with the Alps, but the inclusion on this list is warranted. Davos is easily accessed and has great terrain for skiing. A bit of history first: Davos first opened its doors as a health clinic for tuberculosis suffers. It’s now a bustling skiing location set over 300km of slopes. If you’d like to try your hand at other winter activities, there’s also ice hockey, tobogganing, and ice skating.

While popular for skiing, Davos has become a hotspot for snowboarders in recent years, with three schools, cross circuits, and amazing terrain. Davos is also fairly centrally located and can be accessed by a two hour train direct from Zurich.

2. Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.

Or Cortina for short. Cortina is part of the Dolomite Mountains, a gorgeous range in Italy. The views are spectacular and the trails are massive, spanning over 1000 kilometres of interconnected systems. The resort is old-school and delightfully Italian, with plenty of that famous Italian charm.

While the skiing is brilliant, no trip to Italy is complete without eating truly gorgeous food: restaurants like the Rifugio Cappanna Tondi are right on track and serve five star meals. Food and skiing aside, there’s loads to do in Cortina too: check out the Dolomeeting for a unique conference experience, go rock-climbing in the Vertical Park, or take a well-earned break on a laid-back Slow Tour whose itinerary includes coffee breaks, lunch and dinner, aperitifs, and a pampering session. Heaven!

3. Levi, Finland.

Levi is Finland’s largest ski resort. Located in the Arctic Circle, it goes without saying that you’ll need to pack plenty of jumpers. If you time it right, you might catch the Northern Lights. The northerly location means Levi is open till June, which is far later than most of the resorts in Europe.

While not a patch in size on Cortina, Levi has 230km of terrain and 45 trails, which is plenty to keep you occupied. Levi is great for skiing but if you’re in the area, it’s a travesty to only go skiing. Finland is a winter wonderland with snowmobiles, snowboarding, Christmas markets, and Arctic horse races. While it’s too late for the Christmas experience this year, it’s definitely something to consider for Christmas 2015! Your kids will feel like they’ve stepped right into a Christmas film when they spot the reindeer. Yes, reindeer!

4. Saalbach Hinterglemm, Austria.

Saalbach Hinterglemm has the joy of being the resort on this list with the most difficult name to spell—and certainly to pronounce! Tricky name aside, Saalbach Hinterglemm is in the heart of Salzburg, Austria and is absolutely beautiful. With over 200 km of pistes, Saalbach is comfortable and quite lovely, with plenty of activities for the novice to serious skier: the ski & surf is a fun way to catch the snow ‘waves’ while the Speed Run caters to the more experience skier.