Crans-Montana. Sun & Snow.
Located in the Valais, Switzerland.
Crans-Montana is located in the heart of the Swiss Alps in the canton of Valais, on a plateau above Sierre at an elevation of about 1,500 m, facing the Rhône valley. Crans-Montana is really two villages, their centers a mile apart and their fringes merging. The resort is reached by road or by a funicular railway from the town of Sierre in only 12 minutes.
The modern side of Crans-Montana offers the most extensive alpine shopping for miles around. It also boasts a renowned cultural and congress center; and a wide range of accommodation. As a venue for major sporting events, Crans-Montana draws visitors from all over the world. It is impossible to describe Crans-Montana without mentioning its acclaimed golf courses designed by Severiano Ballesteros and Jack Nicklaus.
Crans is the more upmarket part, with fancy shops, 5-star hotels and an improved pedestrian-friendly center.
The ski slopes stretch from the high plateau at 1500 meters up to the Plaine Morte Glacier at 3000 m. The vertical drop is a respectable 1500 meters.
The ski resort has direct access to 140 kilometers of marked pistes, a third of them have snow cannons which guarantee an excellent ski season, served 27 ski lifts. The ski area is split up into four areas: Adrenaline, Détente, Découverte, y 100% Glisse, each of them suitable for a type of skier. Crans offer one of the longest downhill of the region: The Piste Nationale, a 12-kilometre-long ski run.
The ski resort is famous in alpine ski racing. In 1911 Sir Arnold Lunn invented the “Robert´s of Kandahar Challenge” in Crans-Montana, the first Alpine Skiing downhill in history. In 1987 Crans hosted the World Championships and is one of the venues of the World Cup.
Crans-Montana is also a popular holiday destination for celebrities. English actor Roger Moore has owned a chalet there for many years since moving from Gstaad, Sophia Loren had an apartment overlooking the 8th green of the resort's golf course, Crans-Sur-Sierre. French chef & restaurateur Michel Roux, and golfer Sergio García also have homes there.
