Meribel, France by Leo-setä

What is a catered ski holiday in Meribel?

A catered ski holiday will normally mean that everything you need is covered on your holiday. A little bit like an all-inclusive vacation you can expect flights, accommodation and most of the time, food!

Due to Meribel being such a large ski resort, you will find a range of different types of accommodation to suit your needs. From gorgeous little chalets to 5 star hotels. What you choose is completely down to you, but for the full skiing experience it is recommended that you stay in a chalet for at least a few of the nights!

In a catered chalet in Meribel you can enjoy the luxury comforts of wood burning fires and fur rugs to keep your toes warm at night! Staff will prepare meals for you in many catered accommodation packages so you do not have to worry about cooking on your holiday!

Some packages may also include your lift tickets and entry to various entertainment venues located on the resort. It is best to speak with your ski holiday provider to find out exactly what is included in your catered holiday.

Meribel itself is situated at the centre of the Trois Vallees which is the World’s largest ski area. There are several neighbouring small towns and villages nearby that you can explore when taking a break from the slopes. Make sure you grab a bite to eat at one of the local restaurants away from the resort, for a truly French gourmet experience.

If you have time then you simply must visit the Vanoise National Park, which offers a wide range of scenery, wildlife and plants to experience.

Meribel, France by Leo-setä

Skiing in Meribel

Whether you are a complete beginner in terms of skiing, had a few lessons, or are an expert; there is a slope, chute or piste to suit your level of skill.

Altiport is the area you should start with if you have never been skiing before, or are rusty on the slopes! You will find a range of blue trails that will help you get to grips with this fun and intense sport. There are plenty of guides, schools and teachers that can assist you with any questions or queries you may have when it comes to skiing.

Saulire is a mixed use area, meaning that it caters for all types of skiers. There are a few blue and black trails but mainly a lot of reds that are suitable for intermediate skiers.

Tougnète is another mixed area that will give everybody the opportunity to shine. A number of blue, red and black trails, chutes and slopes are available here. As well as on-piste and off-piste terrains that you can try out your moves on!

Mont du Vallon is the area that attracts the most expert and professional skiers. Although intermediate levels are welcome here, you may find the steep runs a bit too advanced for yourself. Mont du Vallon provides one of the most gorgeous backgrounds for skiing, so check it out if you can!

Meribel in France is not only one of the World’s largest ski resorts, it is also one of the most popular. This is due to the amount of different types of skiing opportunities which appeal to beginners and experts alike.

If you are planning a catered ski holiday to Meribel then ensure you take a few days break from the slopes in order to explore the neighbouring towns and villages. There is also plenty of entertainment available in the form of shopping, restaurants and night-life!

Author Bio:
An article by Nathan Griffiths who tries to ski as often as possible and particularly enjoys the slopes of Meribel.

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Cervinia Zermatt, Italy / Joao Maximo

1. Cervinia Zermatt

Located in Italy, Cervinia Zermatt is a great option for those who wish to ski even when the summer sun is in the air.  The slopes are open all year round and they can be utilised by skiers from top to bottom all year round.  This venue is open to other activities as well.  Of course skiing can be completed on the mountain, with unique events being held to entice the consumer to the panoramic views that are gorgeous at any time, but there are other things as well.  Mountain biking is a common activity with races being held in the summer months for those who want to mix up their skiing efforts with another fun extreme sport.

2. Grande Mott Glacier

The Grande Mott Glacier in France offers a great option for those looking for a summer ski getaway.  There are several different options for skiers no matter what time of year it is.  Located in Tignes, the ski resort offers a choice of sixteen lifts and an amazing seven-hundred and fifty foot drop for the vertical enthusiast.  There is also a snow park open year round.  This includes activities like pipes and rails as well as bumps courses and jumping options making it a perfect choice for those who are seeking raw skiing and snowboarding without the frill of some of the higher end resort options.

3. Zermatt

Located in Switzerland, just near the Italian border, a hidden gem in skiing is located.  Zermatt is a beautiful location for summer skiing.  It has a history of great runs and many find it to be a great option for a skiing holiday during the summer months.  There is a lot of beauty in this location as well.  The Matterhorn is the background music to this skiing location making it both a popular and quintessential European skiing beauty.

4. Italian Peaks

Another great option for summer skiing in Italy are the Passo Stelvio and Passo Tonale glaciers.  These skiing locations offer summer skiing between June and July. The courses vary and can be limited by the summer weather however they offer great options for those who are looking for a summer ski getaway.

5. Stryn

Stryn is located in Norway and has a limited summer run, but a summer run none the less.  This course is available to skiers from May until July, making it limited but no less useful for those seeking a European ski course.  It is among the most popular in the country when it comes to summer skiing and offers many great events.  Beyond the skiing, there is a community of activities that are held around this location.  Included in this are the great partying adventures. (The activities that take place when the lights go down and the slopes close for the evening.) For this reason, it has grown not only in popularity because of its skiing but for the overall experience that can be had.

Luxury chalets can be found at all of the destinations listed above so if you want to head to a fun filled ski destination this summer, you have a lot of options to choose from.

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Ötztal Valley Resorts have a total of more than 300 km of ski slopes, which lie at an altitude ranging from 1377 to 3340 meters above sea level and thus can boast an elevation of nearly 2,000 metres. The most famous ski resort of Ötztal is exclusive Sölden, which offers about 150 kilometers of ski slopes, spreading partially on two glaciers and three peaks with a height exceeding 3,000 meters above sea level. This makes Sölden really a unique ski resort in Austrian Alps. More than 100 kilometers of slopes has another luxury resort Obergurgl-Hochgurgl. But Ötztal is also suitable for cross-country skiers as you can find here around 185 kilometres of cross-country trails.

Ski pass prices and opening hours
Lifts in the Ötztal runs from 8:30 to 16:30. One-day ski pass costs €45 in the most popular resorts like Sölden and Obergurgl-Hochgurgl, and six-day ski pass costs about €230.

Also an offer of après-ski activities is on a high level in Ötztal. In addition to restaurants, bars, shops, you can try out all sorts of winter sports and the icing on the cake is a luxury aqua park situated in the town Längenfeld.

For further info visit oetztal.com website.

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Photo by skiserradaestrela.com

Ski Serra da Estrela is a small ski resort in Portugal. It is located in the central part of the country in the mountains of Serra da Estrela, at an altitude of 1851 – 1988 metres above sea level. Serra da Estrela is the highest mountain in Portugal’s mainland and does not have any highest summit, but instead of that it is a plateau, known as Torre (Tower), measuring 1,993 meters. However the highest point of Portugal is situated on the island of Pico in the Azores and it is called Mount Pico (2,351 metres). The entire Serra da Estrela mountain range belongs to Parque Natural da Serra da Estrela.

On the highest point of Serra da Estrela is the radar station, the old observatory, and 7 m high monument in order to reach an altitude of 2000 meters. At the top you can also find a store, where you can buy mainly cheese and ham (prosciutto).

Below the mountains, on the east, is a great city of Guarda, on the south is the ski town of Covilha with an information centre of the natural park. The best starting point for hiking is the village of Manteigas situated in the middle of Natural Park.

Ski Serra da Estrela has 9 pistes with a total length of 7.7 km. There is 1 black, 4 red, 2 blue and 2 green slopes. Transportation is provided by 4 lifts and a chair lift with a total carrying capacity of 2000 persons per hour. The ski area of Serra da Estrela has also a snowpark.

The skiing season starts here usually in December and lasts to April. One-day ski-pass in high season costs €25 and €15 off-season. You can also find here a restaurant, 2 bars, ski school and ski rental services. Among favorite after-snow activities are snowshoeing, sledding and snowmobile riding.

For further information about Serra da Estrela ski resort with actual snow conditions visit official website skiserradaestrela.com.

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Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Adam Sporka

The highest peak, where you can get by a cable car, is Palon with its height of 2090 meters. The lowest station of the cable car is at an altitude of 1175 meters and the whole area has such an elevation of about 900 meters. Lone peak Palon offers unforgettable views of the surrounding mountain massifs, such as the Dolomites.

The resort of Monte Bondone boasts 20 kilometers of slopes, mainly red ones, which thanks to modern snow cannons, has always enough snow. The favourite ski slope is certainly Gran Pista, means “large slope”. It is 3.5 kilometres long slope, exceeds elevation of more than 800 meters and is considered the best slope in the region, which is confirmed by several awards. There is a lift called Rocce Rosse, which boasts being the chairlift with the greatest elevation in Europe. Thanks to Rocce Rosse you can be on the top of the slope within 7 minutes. All 6 lifts that are in the resort of Monte Bondone can carry more than 14 000 skiers per hour.

Monte Bondone is a friendly resort for families with children, so you can find here sufficient number of ski schools. Brave skiers can look forward to 120 meters long and 5 meters high U-ramp, boarder-cross track and many tricks. Cross-country skiers will appreciate the 35 km long route, which is located in the ski center Viotte. This route is suitable both for classic and skating styles. Among popular sports is also walking around in snowshoes, for which there are several trails prepared.

Ski pass prices and opening hours
The first lift runs at 8:45 in the morning, the last one at 16:45. Adult skier pays in high season €28 for a one-day ski-pass, €75 for a three-days ski-pass and €129 for a six-days ski-pass. Children under 8 years pay half price.

Of course there are rental services, shops, restaurants and bars in the resort. Much wider range of entertainment is ensured by nearby Trento, which can be reached by bus in about half an hour. The resort is situated in the Nature reserve of the Tre Cime del Monte Bondone and is a great travel tip also in summer.

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Photo by kakslauttanen.fi

In a glass igloo village Kakslauttanen you have a unique opportunity to stay in one of 20 glass igloos, or in a snow igloo. You can enjoy a cocktail in a bar “kota” designed in the shape of a traditional Lapp teepee and snow restaurant for 50 to 150 people. Those interested can also accommodate in one of 40 wooden cottages, most luxurious of them are equipped with bath, fireplace and a Finnish sauna.

Northern Lights above the bed

Glass igloos are built from a special insulating glass, which prevents the icy windows, even if outside temperatures drop below -30 °C. While inside maintains a pleasant temperature between 20 and 22 °C. Guests can observe the aurora (northern lights) directly from their warm beds. Each igloo has its own bathroom.

Snow Igloo is suitable for the rugged natures, in which the temperature ranges from -3 to -6°C. Guests, however, get sleeping bags designed for temperatures up to -32 °C, woolen socks and thermal covers.

Photo by kakslauttanen.fi

Village Kakslauttanen is well equipped and prepared for visitors and offers two saunas for about 100 people. Each sauna is equipped with rest rooms, fireplace, showers and toilets. Hardy can go straight from the sauna to the icy cool pond.

If you visit Kakslauttanen in December, you can participate on ice sculpture contest, which is held annually here. The statues then remain in the ice gallery throughout the year.

Glass Igloo Village is usually open from December or January and remains in operation, depending on the weather, until the end of April, but this area is interesting during the whole year, so you can stay in some of nearby hotels.

For further information about this village visit the site kakslauttanen.fi

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Photo by stuben.com

Resort St.Anton-St.Christoph-Stuben offers a total of 115 km of ski slopes, which are located at an altitude ranging from 1304 metres to 2811 meters above sea level. 49 kilometres are ski slopes of blue difficulty, 53 km are of red slopes and 13 kilometers of tracks boasts black level. Additional 100 kilometres are off the groomed slopes.

There are a total of 38 lifts in operation here (5 cabins, 17 chair lifts, 16 poma lifts). They can transport over 58,000 skiers per hour. Of course there is a number of snow parks and a ski schools and you can even use approximately 40 km of cross-country ski trails.

Lifts in St.Anton-St.Christoph-Stuben runs from 8:45am to 4:15pm. Adult daily ski pass costs €45.50, and six-day ski pass costs €219.

An offer of après-ski activities in the village of Stuben can not even compare to the well known and famous St.Anton, the legendary town, which is the main site of an area. But anyway Stuben is still very nice and suitable for all types of skiers and offers really nice skiing in Austrian Alps with great view of the surrounding peaks.

For further information visit an official site of Stuben ski resort.

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Photo by baqueira.es

Baqueira-Beret ski resort offers a total of 104 km of slopes. There are mainly trails for beginners and advanced skiers. There are, however, also black runs for experienced skiers. Transport is managed by 33 lifts: 1 gondola with 9 seats, 20 chairlifts, 5 ski lifts and 7 magic carpets, which are able to transport 57,983 people per hour. Baqueira-Beret resort has also the terrain park for snowboarders and freestyle skiers. There are also several trails for Nordic skiing fans.

The main season in Baqueira-Beret Ski Resort lasts from late November to early April. All-day pass in high season costs €42. Of course there is a ski school, ski rental services, accommodation and plenty of restaurants. Very popular activities here include snow-shoeing and dog sled riding.

Photo by baqueira.es

The resort invested 6 million Euro into innovations and boasts 608 snow cannons. If you are just thinking about going to ski to Spain, do not wait and book a room in some of the hotels nearby, as this resort can accommodate “only” 17,647 skiers.

For further information see the official site of Baqueira-Beret ski resort.

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Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Cristian Bortes

Funicular Kaprun – Kitzsteinhorn peak has the highest mast in the world with a height of 120 meters. Kaprun ski resort, which is situated at an altitude of 2000 m can be reached only by cable car from the village below. Once there was also a funicular train, which led through a tunnel in the rock, but it had an accident on 11 November 2000, when the fire occurred inside the tunnel and claimed the lives of 155 people and only 12 survived.

Kaprun ski resort with Kitzsteinhorn glacier is ideal place for winter holidays but offers a wide range of sporting activities even in the summer. The charming town of Kaprun is situated at an altitude of 786 metres above sea level and forms a gate to the National Park Hohe Tauern.

During the winter holidays you can try many fun activities in Kaprun. You can take nice walks around, ice skating, snowshoe hiking, sledding or a horse drawn sleigh ride through the winter wonderland. This charming place offers a wide range of accommodation from comfortable hotels, through apartments and guest houses to chalets.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Cristian Bortes

The big advantage of this resort is that you can ski all year round on Kitzsteinhorn glacier. Glacier at a height of more than 3000 meters is ideal for skiing also in the warm season. A huge number of beautiful slopes for beginners and advanced skiers attract also snowboarders. If you arrive with the cross-country skis, you enjoy a beautiful trail with a total length of 200 km.

Zell am See and Kaprun are the popular resorts in the sports centre of Europa Sportregion. 58 most modern lifts and funiculars will take you to the tops like Kitzsteinhorn (3,203 m) or Schmittenhöhe (1,965 m). There are already 130 km of beautiful slopes waiting for you. It is ideal both for lovers of the fast and also quiet skiing. There are also pleasant, not too difficult slopes, ready for families with children.

Season on the Schmittenhöhe, which is slightly lower than the Kitzsteinhorn glacier, lasts from December to May.

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Transylvania is located in the heart of Romania. Originally it was an autonomous region, which was gradually included under the government of Hungary, the Ottoman Empire or Austro-Hungarian Empire. Fortunately much of its history and cultural heritage still preserved.

The city of Cluj-Napoca is considered as the capital city and cultural and industrial center. Here you can find the famous Orthodox cathedral. Several state and private universities have their headquarters here, including the largest university in Romania – Babes Bolyai University. There are lots of museums in Cluj-Napoca. You can visit the Museum of Art, Museum of Pharmacy and Transylvanian Ethnographic Museum with its impressive exterior exposures.

Another medieval city that attracts visitors to Transylvania is Sighisoara. Especially its part called Upper Town, which is even included on the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its castle tower with astronomical clock, which now serves as a historical museum has even become a symbol and hallmark of the city. From a wooden walkway at the top of the tower you can enjoy a beautiful view of all the houses and roofs in the neighborhood, including the alleged birthplace of Count Dracula. Even Dracula, or Vlad Tepes, whose tyranny served as an inspiration to the famous theme of the novel, were not born here in fact.

Just in a short distance from Sighisoara, in the middle of the Rocky Mountains, you can find a popular ski resort of Poiana Brasov. But thanks to the spectacular peaks the resort worth visiting also during the summer months. Not far from it you can visit the famous “vampire” Bran Castle. Although here you can virtually meet with Dracula at each step, inside the majestic castle he is not even mentioned. The ruins of the “real” castle, inhabited by the dreaded Vlad Tepes, is located elsewhere, not far from here, but they are hardly accessible and would certainly not impress much more as more attractive Bran.

Romantic wooden churches in the northern part of Transylvania are other of the places that were included on the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The narrow, but tall buildings with turrets, complete the true face of the Romanian mountain landscape. It is surprising that this museum of rural life, which belongs to the greatest treasures of Romania is often omitted by many tourists on their trips around Transylvania.

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