Ski and Snow Resorts - Top 10 Most Scenic

Top10 Ok, so there are some winter resorts out there that are, how can we say it politely, a little bit shabby ? However, the one saving grace that even the ugliest of resorts have is that, thanks to the beauty of mountains, the scenery around them is usually pretty good. But we're not interested in pretty good, we want to know which resorts are surrounded by the most spectacular scenery - the sort of views that don't just knock your socks off but send your ski boots flying too.

Anyway, here's our top 10...

1. Zermatt (Switzerland)

If there's a more stunning location for a mountain resort than Zermatt then we've yet to come across it. Just sit back and enjoy the journey up the valley from Brig to the car-free village and get ready for your first glimpse of the Matterhorn, you wont be disappointed. Zermatt sits at the end of the Mattertal valley and is surrounded by 4000m peaks and glaciers, although naturally it's the Matterhorn that grabs your attention for most of the time. Oh yes, and the skiing's not bad either.

2. Grindlewald (Switzerland)

It's a tricky thing having to hand this resort second place in the scenery stakes, and it was a close run thing with Zermatt. Grindelwald sits on the side of a valley at a height of 1034m with an alpine backdrop that is the envy of the world - the Eiger, Monch, Jungfrau and Wetterhorn. To be honest pictures don't do the location of Grindelwald justice, you have to go there to witness the sheer scale of the Eiger looming over you. Dont be too dissapointed if there's a cloud, seeing the top of the North Face appearing high above you sometimes feels more dramatic than on a cloudless day when the whole wall is in view. Most of the skiing takes place on the slopes facing the Eiger, such as First, so the view from the pistes is as good as that down in the town.

3. Wengen (Switzerland)

Nestling high up on a ledge above the Lauterbrunnen Valley, Wengen is another glorious traffic free village which is only reachable by a cogwheel railway. Dominating the skyline above Wengen are the snowy masses of the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau whilst the scenery in another direction is pretty impressive too, with waterfalls dropping from the hanging valleys of Murren and the peak of the Schilthorn on the other side of the Lauterbrunnen valley. The sheers cliffs rising up from the village to the cable car station at Mannlichen are pretty impressive too.

4. Selva Val Gardena (Italy)

There are 3 resorts in the Gardena valley: Selva, Ortisei and Santa Crestina, and to be honest there's nothing to choose between them in terms of the stunning scenery on offer. Located in the Dolomites on the eastern side of the Alps, the village is sat amongst the Sassolungo, Puez and Sella Group of montains, with the Sassolungo (also known as the Langkofel) standing out in particular with it's almost knife-like appearance. Val Gardena is like a showcase for everything the Dolomites has to offer - huge faces of jagged rocks sat on top vast expanses of alpine meadows, with the peaks changing colour constantly throughout the day, often giving off spectacular shades of pink and red. For those heading there in the winter months you wont be disappointed either - the valley is part of the vast Dolomiti Superski area, with an incredible 1200 km of pistes on offer !

5. Zell am See (Austria)

The Austrian resort of Zell Am See is beatutifully located next to the Zeller See (that's lake to non-German speaking folk). The town's nearest peak is the Schmittenhohe, pleasant enough to look at but hardly awe-inspiring at only just above 2000m. However, the various pistes and restaurants on the slopes have fantastic views of some of the surrounding mountains, such as the Kitzsteinhorn above neighbouring Kaprun and Grossglockner, Austria's highest peak. And the vast majority of the slopes all look down on the lake, iced over for the majority of the winter, but home to boats and swimmers in the summer. The town itself has a great feel to it in both winter and summer. If you're visiting in summer and want even more scenery, take a trip out onto the famous Grossglockner High Alpine Road, one of the most panoramic drives in Europe. If you're there in winter, just head for the slopes.

6. Saas Fee (Switzerland)

It's not hard to see why Saas Fee is nicknamed 'The Pearl of the Alps'. Whilst it's often overlooked in favour of near neighbour Zermatt, Saas Fee is a spectacular destination in it's own right, with thirteen 4000m+ peaks surrounding it, including the Allalinhorn and Dom, Switzerland's second highest mountain at 4545m. The village is situated high up in the Saastal Valley at an alititude of 1800m and has a fantastic view of the Fee Gletcher (glacier), which really dominates the far end of the valley and almost appears to be tumbling down into it. It goes without saying that it's a top ski and snowboarding resort, also offering summer skiing up at Mittelallalin, but for non-skiers who want to takin in a good view of the scenery, take the world's highest underground funicular, the Metro Alpin, up to the Mittelallalin Restaurant, the highest revolving restaurant in the world, at 3456m. Just keep your finger's crossed that it's a clear day. You can get to the village by road, but if you're travelling by car you need to park just outside the village as it's been traffic free since the road was built in the 50's.

Map of the Top 10 Most Scenic Resorts

The map highlights the top 10 locations. Click on the + icon on the map to zoom in. Or hit the - icon to see where they are in relation to the rest of Europe.

Keywords : most scenic ski resorts in europe : the world's most breathtaking scenery : most picturesque alpine resorts, villages and towns