Crans Montana is a ski resort in western Switzerland, in the heart of the Swiss Alps in the Valais. town in Canton Valais, Switzerland. Although everyone knows the name Crans Montana, the area is actually made up of three communes - Crans, Montana and Aminona. The British introduced skiing to the area and it is now famous for its winter sports, but Crans Montana is also a great place in summer, situated as it is on a sunny south-facing plateau. In September the resort is host to the European golf champioships, with courses designed by Severiano Ballesteros and Jack Nicklaus.
Crans-Montana is famous in alpine ski racing for the 1987 World Championships and is often on the World Cup schedule, usually for women's speed events. It also hosts an important freestyle event called Crans Montana Champs Open where the world's best freestyle skiers compete. In addition, the town hosts many golf tournaments, most notably the Omega European Masters, (an event from the European Tour) which takes place each September.
TRAVEL SIGHTS
The view of the mountains on the other side of the valley is spectacular. On a clear day you can see the Matterhorn and other peaks in the southern Alps.
Take a trip on the funicular. Sierre (at the bottom) has good shopping and a nice historic centre. In the resort you can be sporty (golf, hiking, swimming, crazy golf) or you can get a coffee, sit at a table in one the pavement cafés and watch the glitterati go by. There is some serious money here - who knows, you might see Roger Moore!
HOW TO REACH
Crans Montana can easily reached by car and by train. The A9 motorway down the Rhône valley has exits in Sion and in Sierre that take you up the mountain. If you come by train there is a funicular railway that will take you from Sierre - it's a bit quicker than the 4 hours the journey used to take by donkey before the line was built!
