Crans-Montana

Crans-Montana is an up-market, world class, dual season resort with luxury shops and a stunning golf course. Set on a south facing plateau at 1500m just 2 hours from Geneva, residents enjoy beautiful panoramic views over the Rhone Valley, sun soaked pistes and a professional golf course.

The world's first ever official Alpine ski race, the Kandahar Trophy, was held in Crans in 1911, but the resort continues to move with the times; more lifts, a spa, and luxury hotels are planned thanks to a huge investment by Radovan Vítek, a Czech billionaire real estate developer who is also resident in Crans.

Crans-Montana started as two villages; Crans-sur-Sierre and Montana with a beautiful lake in between. It has since grown into one resort which is equally popular among skiers and non-skiers. With a huge choice of quality restaurants, sophisticated bars, splendid hotels and high-end shopping it is easy to see why. There’s plenty of entertainment on offer, including a casino, ice hockey stadium and even a summer beach on the lake.

Crans-Montana is a rarity in the Alps – it is a truly dual season resort but as it also has a large number of permanent residents it has year-round appeal. The accessibility from Geneva and Sion airports makes this a good choice as a second home. The generous tax deals offered to foreigners by the local commune and the pleasant sunny environment also make this a good choice for those considering making Crans their base for retirement.

Crans-Montana suits all levels of skiers, with a pleasant mix of open and wooded slopes that you would usually expect to find in the Rockies. Serviced by mostly modern, fast lifts, the slopes are bathed in sun as they spread over a broad mountainside accessed from four valley bases.

The scenery is outstanding: the glacier covers an area of ten square kilometres and offers 360-degree panoramas; the views from the slopes in most sectors are also impressive, stretching from the Matterhorn to Mont Blanc; the slopes are scenic too, particularly in the canyon-like area below Les Violettes which is known as the 'Colorado' zone.

Altogether there are 140km of challenging terrain which is most suited to intermediates. The 12km long run down from the glacier at Plaine Morte to Les Barzettes is one of the best. There are beginners' slopes above Montana and Aminona, but the best option for absolute beginners and for children is the 'Snow Island' zone. Located on the gentle fairways of the Golf-Club, the area has ski-tows and a moving carpet during the winter months.

Experts do not have a lot of marked pistes but Crans has one of the most underrated off-piste scenes around. So take a guide and seek them out. There are over 20 restaurants and bars, on the slopes, including the stylish Chetzeron. At the end of the day the après ski starts in Zerodix which has a sunny terrace, resident DJs and a great party atmosphere. Later in the evening, move on to Amadeus, the Pacha nightclub or one of the small cabaret-style clubs.

By far Crans-Montana’s most prominent summer sport is golf and it is home to one of Europe’s most famous courses. Every September Crans hosts the European Masters tournament, which is second only to the British Open for prestige. It certainly has its fans, Greg Norman described it as “by far the most spectacular tournament site in the world” and we recently sold a penthouse apartment to a professional golfer.

There are still plenty of other activities to keep non-golfers busy; including 280km of hiking routes for all abilities up in the mountains or around the lakes and in the lush forests. Crans-Montana also boasts mountain biking, a new equestrian centre, lakeside volleyball and even hot air ballooning.

Crans is one of just a few Alpine resorts which has its own lake, and is certainly the only one which has its own beach and water-skiing and wakeboarding school. For a more sedate lake experience there are pedalos and Stand Up Paddling, while the more adventurous can take to the rivers and try canyoning and rafting. Our favourite activity of late however is simply sitting back and enjoying some beers from Crans' very own micro brewery, which recently sprung up right on the shore of the lake.

There is also plenty of culture available starting with the famous Caprices music festival in April and continuing all summer with Jazz and Classical concerts. Crans hosts fashion and gourmet events and visiting art exhibitions too. As there are so many permanent residents, the active social scene continues right through the year.

There is a huge amount of new investment in the infrastructure of Crans-Montana, and as the resort moves to the next level this has encouraged property developers. Currently we have a very good choice of new property. Many of these developments are extremely high end apartments which are attached to 5* hotels, so therefore benefit from the services and luxurious wellness areas these offer. We currently have hotel serviced developments on the golf course, in the town centre and even on the ski slopes.

We have a good selection of resale apartments dotted all over the resort, some of which have their own spa and wellness facilities.

The resort is mostly characterised by apartments, but there are chalets available around the slopes in the Plan Mayens area near the fabulous Hotel Le Crans, or down in Bluche where you get more for your money.