Crans-Montana
A sunny plateau with wide views over the Rhône.
- The village150m above the median of 1,350m across the 55 resorts we cover.
- 1,500m
- Top of the skiing171m above the median of 2,697m across the 55 resorts we cover.
- 2,868m
- Lift-linked from the village6km below the median of 146km across the 24 resorts we have a connected figure for. That is piste you can reach from the village without a bus, not what the pass covers.
- 140km
- SeasonThe standard Alpine season, shared by 42 of the 55 resorts we cover.
- December to April
Is Crans-Montana right for you?
Crans-Montana sits on a south facing shelf high above the Rhône valley, which gives it long hours of sunshine and huge views. The village sits at 1,500m and the skiing tops out at 2,868m, and the season runs December to April. On the piste it is a real strength for improvers moving from blue into red and confident intermediates.
Crans-Montana at a glance
- Ski area
- Crans-Montana
- Best for
- Families with young children · Snow sure · Après
- Fly to
- Geneva or Zurich
- Transfer
- About 2h15 by road from Geneva
- Doorstep skiing
- Limited, use lifts
Who Crans-Montana suits, and who it suits less
Best for
- Families with young children. Snow Island, on the snow covered golf course, has gentle slopes and magic carpets reached on foot, and the Croc'Montagne nursery takes children from 18 months.
- Snow sure. We measure 79 percent of the piste above 1,800 metres, and the skiing runs up to 2,868 metres towards the Plaine Morte glacier.
- Après. Après bars sit at the foot of each of the three gondolas, and the plateau's bars and clubs keep evenings going later than in most Swiss resorts.
- Non skiers. The Ycoor ice centre has outdoor skating and indoor curling, the Lantern Path lights up the forest, and the plateau's shops, cafés and spas fill the rest.
Less good for
- Beginners. Beyond the nursery areas the blue share is small, with three quarters of the pistes graded red, so nervous beginners have little gentle ground to progress onto.
- Couples. Couples after a quiet, traditional village should know this is a busy, smart resort town, and the World Championships fill it from 1 to 14 February 2027.
Skiing from 1,468m to 2,868m, village at 1,500m.
Where these heights are
- Lowest skiing
- 1,468mAminona.
- Village
- 1,500m
- Top of the skiing
- 2,868mOur measurement of the highest marked piste.
- 22km blue26%
- 50km red59%
- 13km black15%
We found no official split by colour for Crans-Montana, so this is our own measurement of the marked runs around it, from the piste map.
No green: Swiss pistes are graded from blue.
- Black piste
- 13km, 15% of the pisteThe tenth biggest share of black of the 55 resorts we cover.
- Ski area
- Crans-Montana, 140kmStandalone, no wider link.
- Cross country
- 20km of trails
Sources
- Village height: crans-montana.ch
- Lowest skiing: public-assets.spotliodata.com
- Cross country: crans-montana.ch
- Ski area: crans-montana.ch
- Top of the skiing: our measurement of the highest marked piste
- Piste by colour and the steep end: our measurement of the OpenStreetMap piste map
The published figures were read on 29 October 2026.
140km, and you can ski all of it.
- 22km blue26%
- 50km red59%
- 13km black15%
- Improvers, blue into redA real strength
- Confident intermediatesA real strength
- Strong skiersThin
The spreadIt scores 0.86 for evenness, where 1 is a perfect three way split between blue, red and black. The largest share is red, at 59%.
Longest pistePiste 19, 4km of black with 843m of vertical.
Crans-Montana is one lift-connected domain, so 140km is what you can ski from Crans-Montana without a bus. The published figure is 140km, and independent measurement agrees.
Our own measurement of the run geometry around Crans-Montana comes to 85km of graded piste, and that is what the profile below is drawn from.
Sources: skiresort.com
Crans-Montana among its Swiss peers
Of these five, Crans-Montana has the joint third highest village, 1,500m. The median across the 55 resorts we cover is 1,350m.
Know the mountain before you go.
The skiing
The terrain is mostly gentle and intermediate, with the Plaine Morte glacier adding a snow sure high point. It is a lovely place to cruise and soak up the sun rather than chase steep lines.
The village and the evenings
The two linked towns have a modern, upmarket feel, with good shops, spas and restaurants. There is plenty to do off the slopes too.
Getting there
Geneva is about two and a half hours away, with a funicular linking the resort to the valley railway.
- Genevaabout 2h15 by road
- Zurichabout 3h20 by road
Guides to skiing in Switzerland
If you like Crans-Montana, try…
- Village
- 1,450 mCrans-Montana 1,500 m
- Measured piste
- 75 kmCrans-Montana 85 km