Underrated Ski Destinations You Haven’t Heard Of

The best ski holidays combine a number of compelling elements. Skiing is a way to spend time doing an enjoyable activity, with amazing fitness benefits. You’ll also be able to soak in incredible scenery, and enjoy sensational facilities, too – provided that you pick the right resort.

The trouble is that many of the most popular resorts are often crowded and expensive, particularly at the height of the season. There’s good news, however: there are many lesser-known resorts that offer an experience that approaches, or even exceeds, that of the biggest names on the continent.

Eastern Europe’s Hidden Value Resorts

If you’re looking for a combination of great value and reliable snow, then the Bulgarian resorts of Bankso, and Borovets are worth considering. Each offers a lively apres-ski scene, and a relatively small footprint that makes actually getting around the resort itself fairly straightforward.

Scandinavian Skiing for Snow Reliability

Travelling further North tends to mean more reliable snow in winter, even at lower altitudes. The Swedish resort of Åre, in Jämtland County, provides access to forty-one lifts across five separate villages. It’s well worth considering if you’re looking for an alternative to the traditional Alpine experience. The terrain here is nicely varied, meaning that you’ll get a great experience whether you’re an experienced skier, or brand new to the pastime. For those looking to venture off-piste, it’s particularly worthwhile.

Quiet Alpine Alternatives to Big-Name Resorts

Of course, picking out an overlooked skiing destination doesn’t always mean travelling to an obscure corner of the continent. Many of France’s most popular resorts cast a shadow over less popular ones, like Val Cenis – but that doesn’t mean that we should discount the advantages of those hidden gems. If you’re looking for a more authentic holiday, with more opportunities to experience the local skiing culture as the natives do, then Val Cenis might be a great option.

Emerging and Developing Ski Destinations

Some of the more interesting options when it comes to skiing are to be found in relatively new parts of the skiing world. The Kolašin Valleys, in Montenegro, are to be found nestled in the Bjelasica Mountains. There, you’ll find an amazing combination of luxury chalets and apartments, at a mere fraction of the price you’d pay elsewhere on the continent.

Naturally, there are downsides to travelling to this part of the world. For one thing, you’ll find that there are fewer British people around, and that the infrastructure and language might pose a problem. If you already have plenty of skiing experience under your belt, however, it might be that you can meet these challenges comfortably – and save a great deal of money as you do so.