This is one of the oldest and most famous resorts in the world. It is located at an altitude of 1620 m in the southern part of Switzerland near the border with Italy. It is an elite and, as a result, very expensive resort where the hotels look more like palaces. Instead of regular cars, it is even customary here to get around by electric cars or horse-drawn carriages.

For its guests, Zermatt offers 147 km of runs in Switzerland, and another 100 km are on the neighboring Italian side. The vertical drop is 2279 m, and the mountains here are truly very steep. 62 lifts: from chairlifts to cogwheel trains (mini carriages that climb into the mountains by railway).

Ski pass price – from 75 Swiss francs per day.

Night in a hotel – about 300 €.

What to do besides skiing: take a helicopter flight over the Matterhorn peaks, walk on untouched snow, go skating, stop by the Ice Palace, and take a dip in the pool.

How to get there: from Zurich Airport - 3.5 hours by train. About the same by car. But since motor traffic is prohibited in Zermatt itself, by car you can only get to Tasch (5 km from Zermatt), and then continue by train (they run every 20 minutes), travel time - 10 minutes.

Despite its hard-to-pronounce name, this German resort has quite flattering reviews, especially from those who prefer an inexpensive and comfortable vacation. There are runs here not only for professionals, but also for beginners in skiing.

The longest of them is 5 km, and the total length of the runs is 120 km. 46 lifts are used to go up, some even have heated seats, which is especially pleasant in the freezing winter. The ski season lasts from mid-November to the end of April.

Ski pass price – from 79 € for two days.

Night in a hotel – from 50 €. There is also a huge number of private houses and rooms, where the price is determined by agreement with the owners.

What to do besides skiing: visit the theater, bowling alley, casino, local restaurants and bars, and also see with your own eyes the castles of Bavaria's 'fairytale king' Ludwig II – Neuschwanstein and Linderhof.

How to get there: from Innsbruck Airport you can get there by car or bus, but in terms of time it will not take much less than from Munich Airport, even though it is twice as far. High-speed autobahns lead from Munich, so on average the trip will take 1.5 hours. But from Innsbruck you will have to drive through a mountain pass, so you will not be able to speed up much.

This resort is recognized as one of the best places for beginners to ski. There is a school for skiers and snowboarders here, staffed by as many as 250 instructors! Nearby is the small village of El Tarter, which is connected to Soldeu by an entire system of cable cars, making them seem like a single whole.

The total length of the runs is 90 km. Gentle slopes are perfect for beginners, while for those who have already gotten comfortable there are more difficult runs. And for real pros, the off-piste descents from Encampadana peak - its height is almost 2.5 km - will be of interest. The season here opens in December and lasts until March.

Ski pass price – 32-44 € for 1 day.

Night in a hotel – from 40 €. You can also rent a cottage, which will cost about 250 € per week.

What to do besides skiing: go to the Ice Palace in Canillo to dance all night at the disco. During the day, you can take a dip in the pool, visit the gym, as well as the squash and tennis courts. In addition, there is a sauna, solarium, and indoor ice rink there. And not far from Soldeu you can race around on snowmobiles.

How to get there: from Andorra La Vella Airport it is only 10 km, and you can take a taxi. But if you flew to Barcelona, then the easiest way to cover the 220 km from that airport is by scheduled bus.

This is a very prestigious resort that you still have to grow into professionally. The runs here vary, some are very steep, and true pros most often ski off-piste altogether.

The vertical drop is 1511 m, and the longest run is 10 km long. Some descents contain hundreds of turns, which is why the way down can take about an hour.

For snowboarders there is a magnificent fun park where you can hone your technique and jumps - it has all the necessary elements for this: half-pipe, quarter-pipe, wash-board, jumps, and much more. The season lasts from December to May. During this time, the resort hosts many themed events, performances, master classes, and all kinds of shows.

Ski pass price – 29-48 € for 1 day.

Night in a hotel – from 100 €.

What to do besides skiing: go hang gliding, ride in horse-drawn sleighs, stop by St. Anthony Church, then St. James Church, visit the ski museum and restaurants serving Tyrolean cuisine.

How to get there: from the nearest airports in Innsbruck (100 km), Friedrichshafen (130 km), Zurich (200 km), Munich (250 km), and Salzburg (300 km), you can get to Sankt Anton by public transport.

There are a lot of Russians in Tahko, especially from St. Petersburg. Skiing and snowboarding championships are regularly held here. The slopes of this resort are ideal for both professionals and beginners.

The vertical drops in Tahko reach 200 m, and the longest run is 1.2 km. There are 23 runs in total, and more than 65 km are also available for cross-country skiing. The season here starts in mid-November and lasts until the end of April.

Ski pass price – 24-36 € for 1 day.

Night in a hotel – about 100 €.

What to do besides skiing: race snowmobiles, go horseback riding, go fishing, visit the water park, which is 40 km from Tahko.

How to get there: from St. Petersburg you can drive via Vyborg and Brusnichnoye. There is also the option of traveling by train – the nearest railway station to Tahko is located in Siilinjarvi, 40 km from the resort, from where you can book a taxi or take public transport.

Text author - Natalia Teplyakova

Photos - Flickr, jonnyapple11, orangevolvobusdriver4u, Sandro Mancuso, albertw, RuthannOC, Chiva Congelado