Crans Montana VIP services
Crans Montana is a municipality in the district of Sierre in the canton of Valais, Switzerland. On 1 January 2017 the former municipalities of Chermignon, Mollens, Montana and Randogne merged to form the new municipality of Crans-Montana. Crans-Montana is also a ski resort that was created through the fusion of the two centers of Crans and Montana and belonged to six municipalities (Chermignon, Icogne, Lens, Mollens, Montana and Randogne), four of which merged to form the municipality of Crans-Montana.
The resort is located in the heart of the Swiss Alps in the French-speaking part of the canton of Valais. It is located on a plateau above Sierre at an elevation of about 1,500 m (4,920 ft) above sea level, allowing good view over the Valais Alps and Weisshorn in particular. The resort is a fusion of the two centers of Crans and Montana and belongs to 6 municipalities (Chermignon, Icogne, Lens, Mollens, Montana and Randogne).
The skiing area of Crans-Montana is composed of 140 km (87 mi) of pistes, and includes the Plaine Morte Glacier. It is topped by the Pointe de la Plaine Morte at 2,927 m (9,600 ft).
Crans-Montana is famous in alpine ski racing for the 1987 World Championships and is often on the World Cup schedule, usually for women's speed events. It also hosts the only winter mountain pop rock festival, the Caprices Festival, and a professional golf tournament, the European Tour's Omega European Masters, which takes place each September. The resort has also been frequently used for bicycle racing, hosting stage finishes of the Tour de Suisse seven times and of the Tour de Romandie eight times as of 2013. In addition Crans-Montana also hosted the finish of the 20th stage of the 1984 Tour de France, won by Laurent Fignon, who also took the overall race win that year.
Tourism in Crans Montana, Switzerland
Only two hours from Geneva and 90 minutes from Lausanne, Crans-Montana can get crowded on weekends, but the crowds quickly fan out across its 140 kilometers of slopes and wide runs, reached by 27 different lifts. The mountain is best known for its preponderance of intermediate terrain — 70 kilometers of trails are classed for intermediates — and for its variety of beginner slopes and runs; 55 kilometers are rated as easy.
Children get special attention with the covered magic carpet, new for the 2017 season, at the Ski Kindergarten and accessible via the new Montana-Arnouva cable car. Snow Island is a family favorite for snow tubing, with a magic carpet for novice skiers and sledders. The latest addition is Chalet Alaïa, an action sports center opening this winter, with trampolines, indoor ramps, foam pits, bowls, and a large outdoor skate park.
Snow maintenance and grooming are high priorities, and about a third of the slopes and trails have snowmaking. This is especially helpful because Crans-Montana's south-facing slopes get more sunlight than many other Swiss ski resorts. Some trails are lighted for night skiing, and there is a dedicated snow park for boarders.
A number of international snowboard and ski races are held here, including the Audi FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup Ladies, this year on February 21-24. The Winter Golf Cup, February 1-3, welcomes golfers of all levels on a snow-covered course. A Magic Pass combines access to lifts in Crans-Montana with 25 smaller resorts, including Grimentz-Zinal, Villars-Gryon, and St. Luc; the pass is good for the entire season.