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Skiing is second nature to the team at The Aficionados, and our Ski Edit is not only about the best boutique hotels, luxury spas and the coolest designer dens in the Alps, it is also a guide to the ski destinations and the slopes of Austria, Switzerland, Norway, Germany and South Tyrol in Italy.
We feature the best ski runs, both on and off-piste, share our tips, include foodie places and those mountain villages geared for a pitstop. Packed with rustic charm and a cool winter vibe, we take you through the best hidden secrets where you can soak up those quaint chocolate box exteriors with a twist. From sleek luxury to edgy urban cool mixed with stylish comfort - with possibly a mandatory antler or two - you can dive from foodie hotspots, pristine slopes to some of the finest views around, should you wish, all on skis.
Skiing gives a sense of freedom, and in today’s modern world, it has the potential be so much more. With our ski hotels, we show you how.
As well as skiing and hiking the Silvretta glacier at 3,000 metres, winter hikes are popular as are snowshoe tours and cross-country skiing. The region has over 74 cable cars and lifts that connect the 297 kilometres of ski slopes, perfectly designed to ensure speedy runs and perfect days on powder.
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Using simplicity, curiosity, and a deep respect for nature, Maloja is now known for its innovative and highly original skiwear and cycling kit.
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Environmentally conscious, 'clean' skis made to last a lifetime and handmade in Chamonix, Rōnin Skis are a winter sports brand for the future, Rōnin – refers to a type of Japanese samurai who has lost his master, becoming a wandering warrior, able to choose their own path, or in this case mountain.
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Lech is best known for its skiing and when you include the other Arlberg resorts of St. Anton, St. Christof, Warth-Schröcken and Stuben, which can be reached by Lech-Zürs, there are 340 km of piste and 190 km of off-piste, accessed by 94 lifts.
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Parked up high in northern Italy, close to the border with Austria, is the 3 Zinnen ski area, part of the Dolomiti Superski destination where ski goes hand-in-hand with epic views that rise up around you in a jagged panorama of the magnificent UNESCO-protected Dolomites.
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This year you find yourself dreaming of something slightly less usual, it’s time to take your holiday down-time underground. Into Bad Gastein’s healing caves.
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Looking for a luxury little guesthouse this winter? Check-in to these wintry favourites for a spot of chill time wrapped in blankets of fresh snow, frosted webs, dewy mornings, hot stoves, cracking fire pits and doorstep nature.
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A small Scottish company crafting redwood-veneered and natural fibre skis, capped in a unique hardwood veneer which gives it a retro-cool yet strikingly modern look.
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Turrell’s latest skyspace is such an iteration, located in Lech, a little skiing town in the Arlberg mountains, Austria. At a height of almost 1800 meters above sea-level, The Skyspace-Lech, a lightroom inside a stone building at the end of a 15-metre tunnel, is set in alpine terrain, and is only accessible by foot or by skiing – so wear your walking shoes and your best raincoat.
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East of Bolzano is the long heralded as Europe's largest alpine plateau in the Dolomites of South Tyrol, the pastures and ski region of Alpe di Siusi, or Seiser Alm in German, spans almost 60km2 has to be in your wander travel bucket-list for winter ski and cross-country sports
Everything in the long-established Ski resort of Zermatt revolves around Switzerland’s icon, the majestic and unmistakable, Matterhorn standing at a hypnotic 4478m.
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Made with precision, intelligence and a thoughtful consciousness, Simon Jacomet is on a mission to refine every detail of the ski-making process, with as little waste as possible.
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In the heart of Austria’s ski domain, and only around 70 kilometres south of Salzburg is a network of villages, mountains and pistes that together form Snow Space Salzburg, part of Austria’s Ski Amadé.
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There is nothing more appealing than curling up after a day out on the slopes with a good page-turning book in hand. We've put together a ski holiday reading list of books for the slopes - inspired by the alps.
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A photography exhibition 'Messner meets Messner' by Lumen opens this winter at the heart of the South Tyrolean Mountains and Dolomites on the top of Mount Kronplatz.
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Truly a highlight for any ski fanatic is the prospect of enjoying the vast area of the Zillertal Superski, where even the name sounds totally epic. Stretching from the Hintertux Glacier (hello skiing all year round) to Hochzillertal/Hochfügen.
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Skiing in Leogang, part of Skicircus Saalbach - Hinterglemm -Leogang - Fieberbrunn as it is officially known is quite the ride, encompassing high mountain passes, over 270kms of thrilling runs, seven snow parks and five toboggan runs.
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With a chill in the air as October comes to a slow close we are looking forward to officially entering November and with it, the opening of ski season. For a head start on the celebrations head to joyful Gurgl in Tirol for a start to the 2021-2022 season that goes off with a bang.
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Swiss luxury ski brand ZAI make skis of innovative design, craftsmanship and excellent performance with science underpinning ski design in this high-octane sport.
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Created and built since 1981 by those with a passion for riding, Åre Skidfabrik are Swedish manufacturers of skis and snowboards.
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Producing both slalom, race carvers and all-mountain skis, Timbaer skis come in a range of materials, but each benefit from a bamboo core - giving their skis unique flexibility yet sturdiness.
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Located in the Hohe Tauern National Park in the heart of the Salzburgerland province, Bad Gastein’s ski playground is made up of 200km of groomed pistes scattered over four different mountains, part of the Ski Amadé area, with over 1,000 metres of altitude which offers superb long downhill runs.
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Bordering Germany, Liechtenstein and Switzerland, Austria’s western Vorarlberg region is famous for its incredible skiing prowess, fantastic alpine views and also for holding the oldest and most influential ski club in the world.
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Striving for perfection in the field of tobogganing and skiing, Mach ski are wood, aircraft aluminium, fibreglass and a graphite racing base to create a smooth, fast speed.
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Located in eastern Switzerland’s Engadin Valley within the Graubünden canton, the quality of skiing is extremely high – hence why the Winter Olympics have been hosted here twice.
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Located in one of our favourite regions South Tyrol, in the far reaches of northern Italy, Ahrntal is around 70 kilometres from altitudinous hub Bolzano – the gateway to the UNESCO-protected Dolomites.
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With its soaring mountain ranges, rushing fjords and powerful, majestic forests Norway has the feel of an ancient land about it; the aching beauty of its natural scenery is akin to the stuff of legend, and it isn’t bad for skiing either, did we mention the Norwegians invented the sport…?
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Skiing in South Tyrol means two things: the Merano 2000 Ski Area and the soaring, breath-taking beauty of the Dolomites - a famed UNESCO World Heritage Centre and a favourite part of the Alps for any skier worth his (or her) post-ski-Raclette.
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As The New York Times, The Guardian, and international travel sections begin to fill up with articles about winter getaways, we’re going to throw our recommendation into the mix. Tried and true, Alta Badia, on the border of Austria and Italy, offers unparalleled winter sports, relaxation, and cuisine.
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The Wetterstein Mountains are a mountain group in the northern Limestone Alps that sit bang on the border between southern Germany and western Austria, with the famous landmark peak of Zugspitze.
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At the foot of Mount Titlis in the picturesque Urner Alps and in the heart of Switzerland, is the Obwalden village aptly named Mountain of Angels - Engelberg, just 35km from Lucerne and 90km from Zurich.
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St. Anton is also serious about ski. The entranceway to the Arlberg ski region, which includes St. Anton am Arlberg, St. Christoph, Stuben, Lech, Zürs, Warth and Schröcken, consists of 305 km of marked slopes and 200 km of off-piste trails serviced by 88 state-of-the-art cable cars.
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Flims Laax Falera in Graubünden is a top winter ski resort at the gateway to the Grison Alps. Not only does it benefit from over 224 kilometres of slopes, but it also has an emphasis on great foodie encounters.
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Enjoy the white stuff at the Gitschberg Jochtal Ski and Almen region, where life is geared towards enjoying the best of the mountains. Gourmand meets cool skier probably best describes the kind of person that fits right in here, although families are also drawn to the easy-going lifestyle and good time ski resorts.
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South Tyrol in Northern Italy offers you a panoramic winter wonderland - if Tom Ford did skiing locations, this would be it. Its diverse and impressive landscape makes it the perfect winter getaway; offering hikes, snowboarding and skiing, to let’s face it, some serious spa time in our gorgeous hotels.
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Bijou refuges crafted deep in the countryside or clinging to the wild coastline, these hideaways bring style to their natural location.
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Pitstop here for a bucket-list dispatch which jumps off the treadmill of busy on a journey through the moi realms of wellness, escapism and curation.
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Who was it that said it's better to have millions of people doing sustainability imperfectly, rather than a handful doing it perfectly?
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Capture the essence of the Mediterranean from cool luxuriously crafted boutique hotels and villa retreats to the makers and artisans who populate the region with products of style.
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