The Alps: Luxury Ski Resorts, Chalets & Lakes

Two seasons

The other half of the year

The same travellers, the same hotel names, a few hours north.

Every summer the yachts gather off Saint-Tropez, Capri and Mykonos. Every winter many of the same families are in St. Moritz, Courchevel and Gstaad. The Alps are the other half of the Mediterranean year, and for many they are the first half.

The great hotel houses keep both seasons. Cheval Blanc has a house in Courchevel and on the beach at Saint-Tropez; Airelles keeps Les Airelles in Courchevel and the Château de la Messardière above Saint-Tropez; Four Seasons runs a chalet hotel in Megève and the Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat on the Riviera; Aman has Le Mélézin in Courchevel and Sveti Stefan on the coast of Montenegro.

The distances are short. Geneva is about an hour’s flight from Nice, Lake Como is about an hour by road from Milan, and a private jet from the Riviera reaches any Alpine gateway in under two hours. Many keep a villa on the coast and a chalet in the mountains.

The Alps

Five countries, one standard

From Mont Blanc to the Zugspitze: the finest resorts, hotels, tables and lakes of each country, first class only.

The Matterhorn reflected in a still mountain lake under a deep blue sky

Swiss Alps

Where Alpine luxury began: the grand hotels of St. Moritz and Gstaad, car-free Zermatt below the Matterhorn, the off-piste of Verbier, and Lake Lucerne and Lake Geneva in summer.

Explore the Swiss Alps ›

Yellow and pink flowers along the river in Chamonix, with grand hotels and the glaciers of Mont Blanc beyond

French Alps

The Palace hotels and altiport of Courchevel, the chalets of Méribel and Megève, Val d’Isère’s high snow, and Chamonix below Mont Blanc and the Aiguille du Midi.

Explore the French Alps ›

Villa del Balbianello on its wooded point in the turquoise water of Lake Como

Italian Alps

Cortina, the queen of the Dolomites, the Sella Ronda from Alta Badia, the villa hotels of Lake Como, and the wine estates of South Tyrol.

Explore the Italian Alps ›

Hallstatt, its church spire and wooden houses on the still lake below wooded mountains in autumn

Austrian Alps

Kitzbühel and the Streif, Lech and Zürs and St. Anton on the Arlberg, Salzburg in festival summer, and the quiet lakes below the mountains.

Explore the Austrian Alps ›

Neuschwanstein Castle above the forest and the green fields of the Allgäu

Bavarian Alps

King Ludwig’s castles, Garmisch and the Zugspitze, the highest peak in Germany, Schloss Elmau and the lakeside hotels of the Tegernsee.

Explore the Bavarian Alps ›

The resorts

Seventeen resorts at our standard

Each one, with when to go, the hotel to choose and how to arrive privately.

St. MoritzThe Engadin sun, the frozen lake and the grand hotelsSwiss Alps GstaadWooden chalets, the Palace and a quiet village streetSwiss Alps ZermattA car-free village below the MatterhornSwiss Alps VerbierThe Four Valleys, the off-piste and a summer festivalSwiss Alps Crans-MontanaA sunny plateau high above the Rhône valleySwiss Alps AndermattThe new resort at the crossroads of the Swiss AlpsSwiss Alps Courchevel 1850Palace hotels, starred tables and the altiportFrench Alps MéribelWooden chalets at the heart of the Three ValleysFrench Alps Val d'IsèreHigh, snow-sure skiing to TignesFrench Alps MegèveThe village the Rothschilds made, and its sleighsFrench Alps Chamonix-Mont-BlancMont Blanc and the Aiguille du MidiFrench Alps Cortina d'AmpezzoThe queen of the DolomitesItalian Alps Alta BadiaThe Sella Ronda and starred mountain tablesItalian Alps KitzbühelThe Hahnenkamm, the Streif and a medieval townAustrian Alps Lech and Zürs am ArlbergThe quietest of the great Arlberg villagesAustrian Alps St. Anton am ArlbergWhere the modern ski school beganAustrian Alps Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Schloss ElmauThe Zugspitze and a castle hotel in the mountainsBavarian Alps

A log fire blazing in a deep stone fireplace behind wrought-iron firedogs — The fire lit for a winter evening

When to go

The Alpine year

Months and seasons, never a single date.

Winter, December to April. Christmas, New Year and the February holidays are the height of the season. In January the Hahnenkamm races come to Kitzbühel and polo is played on the frozen lake at St. Moritz; in February White Turf races horses on the same lake. March brings long days and spring snow.

Summer, June to September. The lakes open: Como, Lucerne, Geneva and the Tegernsee. In July and August the music comes to the mountains, with the Verbier Festival, the Gstaad Menuhin Festival, the Salzburg Festival and the Bregenz Festival on Lake Constance, and the Lucerne Festival from August into September.

Between the seasons. May, October and November are quiet; many mountain hotels close, while the lake hotels and the cities stay open.

Arrive privately

Into the mountains by jet and helicopter

Six gateway airports, and the altiports beyond them.

Geneva is the gateway to the French Alps, Chamonix, Megève and Courchevel, and to Verbier, Gstaad and Crans-Montana. Zurich serves St. Moritz, Andermatt and Lucerne. Milan serves Lake Como and the Dolomites, and the Engadin by road.

Innsbruck and Salzburg are closest for Kitzbühel and the Arlberg; Munich for Garmisch and the Tegernsee. Light aircraft land at the Courchevel altiport, one of the shortest runways in Europe, and helicopters fly on from every gateway to the resorts.

The Mediterranean

And back to the sea

The summer half of the year, on the coasts these travellers know best.

FranceFrench Riviera Holidays & HotelsExplore France MonacoMonaco Holidays: Monte-Carlo Hotels & the Grand PrixExplore Monaco ItalyItaly Holidays: Amalfi Coast & CapriExplore Italy GreeceGreece Holidays: Mykonos & SantoriniExplore Greece SpainSpain Holidays: Mallorca & IbizaExplore Spain CroatiaCroatia Holidays: Dubrovnik & HvarExplore Croatia

All 22 countries and GibraltarThe Mediterranean, round the sea from PortugalSee the destinations

Every list

The Alps, list by list

Hotels, tables, schools, guides and everything in between, first class only.

The Great Alpine ResortsEvery great Alpine resort, with when to go, the one best hotel and restaurant, and how to arrive by private jet and helicopter.Open the list The Five-Star Hotels of the AlpsEvery officially five-star hotel in the Alps and on the great Alpine lakes, country by country and resort by resort.Open the list The Finest Hotels and ChaletsThe Palace hotels, the hotels with MICHELIN Keys or a Forbes Five-Star rating, and the great staffed chalets.Open the list The Finest Restaurants of the AlpsEvery three-MICHELIN-star table of the Alps, the finest two-stars, and the most celebrated restaurants on the mountain.Open the list Private Chefs and CateringThe private chefs and caterers who cook in the great chalets, country by country.Open the list The Alpine Events CalendarThe great Alpine events, month by month, each linked to its official site for this year’s dates.Open the list Summer in the AlpsThe other half of the Alpine year: high peaks, the great lakes, and the music festivals.Open the list Lakes and MarinasLake Como, Lake Geneva, Lake Lucerne and the other great Alpine lakes, with their marinas and private boats.Open the list Getting Around the AlpsHelicopter transfers, altiports, chauffeurs and the great panoramic trains.Open the list Airlines and Car RentalsFirst and business class to the six Alpine gateways, and the finest cars to drive yourself.Open the list Wellness and GolfThe finest spas, wellness retreats and golf courses of the Alps, country by country.Open the list Private Healthcare and Air RescueThe private clinics and the air rescue services behind every great resort.Open the list Living in the AlpsThe agencies, private banks, schools and rules for those who make a home in the Alps.Open the list Luxury Developments and Branded ResidencesBranded residences and prime new developments, resort by resort.Open the list Architects and DesignersThe architects and designers who build and furnish the great chalets.Open the list Shopping, Art and WineThe luxury streets of the resorts, the galleries, and the wines of the Alps.Open the list Museums and MusicThe great museums and the summer music festivals of the Alps.Open the list Clubs and NightlifeThe private clubs, the après-ski and the most celebrated nights out in the great resorts.Open the list Private Access and SportPolo on snow, heli-skiing, mountain guides, driving on ice, and the doors that open by arrangement.Open the list Weddings in the AlpsPalace hotels, mountain chapels and lakeside villas for a wedding, and the planners who make it.Open the list Ski Schools and Private InstructorsThe most respected ski schools and private instructors at the great resorts.Open the list The Hotel SchoolsThe schools in the Alps where the world’s great hotels train their managers.Open the list Concierge, Security, Family and PetsThe concierges, close protection, nannies and pet travel specialists who look after a household in the mountains.Open the list Customs and EtiquetteLanguage, greetings, dress, dining, tipping and useful phrases, country by country.Open the list

Planning

Questions about The Alps

When is the best time to visit The Alps?

Winter runs from December to April, busiest at Christmas, New Year and the February holidays; January and March are quieter, with the same snow. Summer runs from June to September, for the lakes, the high walks and the music festivals of July and August.

Which are the most exclusive ski resorts in The Alps?

St. Moritz, Gstaad and Zermatt in Switzerland; Courchevel 1850 and Megève in France; Cortina d’Ampezzo in Italy; Kitzbühel and Lech in Austria.

How do you fly privately to The Alps?

Geneva serves the French Alps and the western Swiss resorts; Zurich serves St. Moritz, Andermatt and the lakes; Milan serves Lake Como and the Dolomites; Innsbruck, Salzburg and Munich serve Austria and Bavaria. Light aircraft land at Courchevel’s altiport, and helicopters fly on to the resorts.

How far are The Alps from the Mediterranean?

Close. Geneva is about an hour’s flight from Nice, and Lake Como is about an hour by road from Milan.

The Mediterranean Season Letter

Where to be, every season

Four letters a year, one for each season: the Mediterranean from spring to autumn, and Beyond the Mediterranean, into the Alps, in winter. The one best hotel to book, and the events worth crossing a sea for.