Verbier, Switzerland

Often dubbed as Europe’s premiere skiing destinations, Verbier does not disappoint. You will be enticed by the flourishing international atmosphere and trendy bars and restaurants in this French-speaking area of Switzerland.  Rub shoulders with old money living the champagne life to family holiday-makers and young European travellers on a budget in the après scene.

Verbier, Switzerland by Leo-setä

The magical snow topped chalets in Verbier village nestle in a sunny bowl is truly a picturesque site. The Swiss destination has an abundance of hostels to luxurious chateaus where celebrities congregate.

Skiers will enjoy the 400km terrain and beginners can practice their carving skills with experienced instructors. Experienced snow ski enthusiasts will be spoilt for choice with the intense black runs and off-piste terrain Verbier offers.

Innsbruck, Austria

This western Austrian city is world renowned for excellent slopes and powder during peak months of December to March. Europeans and international ski aficionados flock to Austria to revel in cross-country skiing, snowboarding and skating.

Innsbruck, Austria by James Cridland

The city has a strong winter sport history and has hosted 4 Winter Olympic Games. Its beginner friendly and also challenging for elite athletes ready for a hair-raising experience.

Snowboarders rejoice with the intense vertical Nordpark. Take the Nordketten cable car from the city centre. This is the gateway to embark on your snow adventure and you will find the majestic vistas mesmerising. This is a cloud-free panorama for an astonishing 350 days a year.

Those who are truly experienced should try Hafelekarrinne. This is one of the steepest runs in Europe and not for the fainthearted!

Innsbruck also features the Nitro Pro Skylinepark where you will be treated to picturesque views of the Innsbruck skyline. Just take the Nordkettenbahn cable car up to winter sport heaven! Hoards of boarders, skiers and elite athletes flock to this park to board and ski in cutting-edge facilities but be prepared for some queues.

Chamonix, France

Chamonix is championed as the most prestigious skiing destination in France with 108km of pistes and five ski resorts. You will discover an array of bistros and restaurants that suit every palate, from gastronomic French cuisine to hearty Italian.

Chamonix, France by Jason Hickey

Take to the slopes of Vallee Blanche and explore the glaciers and crevasses. Chamonix is more than accommodating to beginners. There are five different beginners areas to hone your skills including Le Tour and Les Pianards close to the Chamonix centre.

Chamonix is undoubtedly a winter wonderland and an experience you can’t miss if you plan to Ski Europe.

After a tiring day on the slopes, satiate that appetite with scrumptious wining and dining options and select from restaurants specialising in organic local produce. There is also a great mix of cafes and delis for lunchtime cravings.

Rebecca Parish+ is a fan of exotic travel destinations and quirky adventures.

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Though there are many ski destinations that you can choose from, here are a few of the best among the lot in Europe.

Courchevel, France

Providing you with some great ski spots and breath-taking views, Courchevel ranks among the top skiing spots on the planet. Courchevel also boasts a well-connected lift system and the biggest ski area in the world. You can find many resorts within this valley, offering you great services at decent prices.

Skiing in Courchevel, France by Leo-setä

Val d’Isere, France

Ranging to altitudes of almost 3500 metres, Val d’ Isere provides great skiing opportunities. Some of its snow-capped peaks are something you cannot just afford to miss out on. After indulging in some skiing, you will be warmly welcomed at the various ski-chalets out there, offering a range of luxury facilities like indoor heated pools, sauna and Jacuzzi.

Photo of Val d’Isère, Savoie, France by genevieveromier

Seefeld, Austria

Ever heard of cross-country skiing? You can experience the same at Seefeld. This has been one of the main attractions among tourists here. With neatly laid out well maintained courses and powdery snow, Seefeld is an ideal destination for beginners and expert skiers.

Photo of Seefeld, Austria by Mccallusa

Levi, Lapland

Called as Santa’s home off-season, Levi is sure to be a hit among the kids. Another great skiing destination that offers you great views, Levi’s brightly lit slopes and fine snow enhance your overall skiing experience. There are many resorts out here, which will appeal to the younger crowd and where you can also spend some cosy family time.

Photo of Levi, Finland, Lapland by Jann Kuusisaari

Megeve, France

A small yet beautiful town cradled within huge snow-capped peaks, Megeve is another dreamy destination you can visit to try out skiing. With various tournaments being held here every year, Megeve provides around 217 ski slopes for its skiers to enjoy.

Owing to its quiet and natural beauty, Megeve is quite popular among the wealthy crowd. Visited by many businessmen and celebrities, Megeve boasts excellent luxury resorts providing some top class facilities and easy access to the slopes.

Photo of Megeve, France by Leo-setä

Once back after a great session of skiing, you will be happy to wind up at one of these looking forward for another adventure packed day.

How to plan your ski-trip?

So you have chosen your destination. The next step in planning your ski-trip would be choosing the right ski-resort. Ski-resorts take care of all your travel needs providing you services like hotel, accommodation, or even transport at times. So choosing your ski-resorts wisely is very important when planning your trip.

Andy is an expert associated with Burger Davis SIR, an international realty company that offers a range of luxury real estate in France and world wide. A home away from home,Burger-Davis Sotheby’s International Realty provides a range of luxurious ski-resorts to choose from. Burger-Davis provides an exclusive range of ski-chalets where you could be offered royal services like getting a private chef cook for you or even a helicopter transfer.

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Photo by sport-alber.com

Ski rental in St. Anton/Arlberg

St. Anton and the surrounding areas are perfect for a winter holiday. In an area of around 50 km², winter sport fans will find a large variety of cross country runs, slopes, and ski lifts. For all those who do not own winter sport equipment, or who want to try out skiing or snowboarding for the first time, the Ski hire St.Anton and the Ski rental St Anton will be pleased to provide the necessary skiing and snowboarding equipment upon payment of a charge.

Snowboarding in St. Anton

The St. Anton Park is a true paradise for snowboard fans and all those, who want to try snowboarding for the first time. Especially designed for snowboard activities, the area offers a variety of challenges including natural pipes and many other possibilities for corner jumps, spins etc.

St. Anton invites you

If you opt for a winter holiday in Austria you will take many good memories home. Enjoy typical Austrian hospitality, excellent Austrian kitchen and take advantage of everything that the Arlberg Region has to offer you. Sleigh rides in the snow, a tour in a horse drawn coach through the winter landscape, snowboarding, skiing and many other activities ensure a perfect winter holiday for you and the entire family.

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Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Victor Sounds

Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park was founded in 2005 by combining Pallas-Ounastunturi National Park and Ylläs-Aakenus Nature Reserve. It consists of peat bogs, which are surrounded by forests. It is an untouched corner of our planet and is breathtaking to see it with the northern lights (aurora). The local countryside is really beautiful. Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park is also very popular in winter, there are ideal conditions for cross-country skiing. The highest peak in the park is Taivaskero, which reaches an altitude of 807 meters above sea level.

Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park is crossed with a series of marked hiking trails with a total length of 350km. They are suitable both for hiking or cross-country skiing. There are several log huts in the area of the park, where you can rest or even stay for a night. However staying here is not free. The park is home to reindeer.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Victor Sounds

Already mentioned Pallas-Ounastunturi National Park was the first national park in Finland, founded already in 1938. The park was established to protect unique parts of forestless highland areas, which stretch through the forests of Lapland. Finnish national parks are golden treasures of Finland and are waiting for each tourist with open arms.

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Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by jzollich

Geographically Orlické hory are divided into three parts: Deštenská highland, Mladkovská highland a Bukovohorská highland. Orlické hory was declared a protected landscape area in 1969 and includes 19 protected parts. There are several rivers flowing through the mountains such as Olešenka River, Divoká Orlice and Tichá Orlice. The mountains covers a total area of ​​204 km2 and it is a home to rare and protected species of plants and animals.

Orlické hory offers ideal conditions for hiking and biking. During the winter months it is ideal for skiing and cross-country skiing. Among the most popular ski resorts are Deštné v Orlických horách, Říčky v Orlických horách, Zdobnice or Čenkovice. Visitors will be pleased with numerous cultural and historical monuments, which include for example Opočno castle, the baroque castle of Rychnov nad Kněžnou, Doudleby nad Orlicí castle, or Častolovice castle, which is one of the most beautiful Renaissance castles in the Czech Republic. Among the most visited ruins are Potštejn and Litice, Žampach and Lanšperk. It is worth mentioning pilgrimage site of Homol with the Church of the Sorrows of the Virgin Mary, a Baroque staircase, and with two chapels founded in 1692 by Countess Tereza Eleonor of Ugarte.

Other tourist attractions in Orlické hory include several military fortifications that were built at the former Czech-German border in 1936-38 to defend against danger from fascist Germany.

During your holiday trip you get to know and admire the natural beauty of this area. Either you are sport lover or lover of history and sights, or just a tourist looking for comfort and relaxation, then Orlické hory in the Czech Republic are really suitable for you!

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Sella Ronda is rare, about 37 km long ski slopes around the circuit on the Sella massif and the Kronplatz. It offers not only the great skiing but also breathtaking views of the most beautiful parts of the Dolomites, and therefore great opportunities for photography. You can pass the circuit in both directions. Following Orange mark in a clockwise direction (senso orario) – a route is 36.6 km long. Or the second option is to go in the opposite direction (senso antiorario) following green mark. This route is 38.7 km long. Each of these two destinations offer something else. Orange one offers a range of challenging slopes and is therefore suitable for more experienced skiers. Sella Ronda route takes all day to an average skiers, including the breaks for refreshments and relaxation. The circuit can be passed also within 3 hours, thanks to the local Express lifts.

Sella Ronda ski area offers in total 550 km of slopes, for all levels of skiers. There are many opportunities for the curving, freeride, alpine skiing and cross country skiing. Transport is provided by 215 lifts, whose carrying capacity is 240 000 persons per hour. Starting point to the Sella Ronda area are: Campitello and Canazei from Val di Fassa, Arabba, Colsfosco, Corvara and Val Gardena. There are also many amusement parks for children and snowboarders. You can also enjoy night skiing – in Val di Fassa (Pozza di Fassa).

In Sella Ronda there are ski school, nursery school, you can rent or buy ski equipment here. There are lots of accommodation possibilities and refreshments. There is also a range of other activities like skating, tennis, squash, bowling, paragliding, tobogganing, and much more. High season usually lasts from December to April. If you go to the Sella Ronda ski area, you must buy a lift pass Dolomiti SuperSki because special pass only to the Sella Ronda does not exist. SuperSki Dolomiti Ski Pass is wider and offers a total of 1,200 km of slopes.

Sella Ronda ski area is also famous for the race Gardenissima, which is the longest giant slalom in the world. The race was attended to not only professionals but also amateurs.

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The River Elbe rises within the Krkonoše. The range has a number of major ski resorts, and is a popular destination for tourists engaging in downhill and cross-country skiing, hiking, cycling and other activities.

Important towns where you can accommodate and start your hiking or skiing in the Czech Republic side are:

• Špindlerův Mlýn, mountain resort
• Harrachov
• Pec pod Sněžkou, mountain resort
• Janské Lázně

and on Poland side:

• Karpacz, ski resort
• Szklarska Poręba, ski resort
• Kowary

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Šumava National Park is situated at the southwest border of the Czech Republic with Germany and Austria and is located in three different regions – Český Krumlov, Prachatice, and Klatovy.

There are many river springs. The major rivers in the area are the Vltava, Vydra and Křemelná, which create the river Otava at their confluence, then Volyňka, and Blanice. There are eight glacial lakes at about 1000 – 1100 m above sea level. On the Czech side of the Šumava they have an area of 42 ha, their names are Laka, Prášilské, Plešné, Černé, and Čertovo.

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