One of Switzerland’s most exclusive locales, Crans-Montana is famed for its year-round sunshine, which it owes to its position on a south-facing plateau in the Rhone Valley.
The area – 1,500 meters above sea level – has sweeping Alpine vistas stretching from the Matterhorn to Mont Blanc, one of Europe’s highest peaks.
Tourists are drawn to its understated glamor, with high-end shopping and fine dining as well as extensive ski slopes and a lively apres-ski scene.
With a small population of around 15,000, the area is said to have a close-knit community as well as being a low-key place for celebrities to go skiing, golfing and dining.
Crans-Montana also has a lengthy history as an important stop on the professional skiing circuit. The resort was the site of the 1987 FIS World Alpine Skiing Championships, which famously introduced the super-G discipline to the world championships, and is set to host the 2027 world championships in February of next year. Crans-Montana is also a prominent fixture in the annual alpine skiing World Cup for both men and women.
For golf fans, it is the home of the annual Omega European Masters golf tournament on the DP World Tour (formerly known as the European Tour), which famously played host to Michelle Wie becoming the first woman to compete on the men’s European Tour in 2006.
