The best places to combine a city break with a ski holiday
Can’t decide whether to go for a city break or ski holiday this winter? Well, there’s nothing to say you can’t do both. Several of the world’s most engaging cities have ski resorts on the doorstep, allowing you to combine sightseeing with the slopes. And these are some of the best options.
Geneva, Switzerland
City
Aside from the glistening blue Lake Geneva, with its ridiculously tall water jet, Geneva’s strong suit is slightly stodgy but full of important organisations – most of which have museums or tours available. Cern is the scientific mother lode, and home to the Large Hadron Collider. The UN Office offers a somewhat dry take on the UN’s functions. It does, however, boast an impressive art collection. And, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum offers a profoundly moving look at the world of humanitarianism and human rights.
Ski
Within a 90-minute drive of Geneva, whether in Switzerland or over the French border, there’s a wealth of riches to choose from. Praz de Lys – Sommand is less than an hour’s drive away, with 23 lifts and 55km of slopes.
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Oslo, Norway
City
Expensive, but enjoyably quirky, Oslo packs far more unusual attractions than most cities of its size. The Vigeland Park is full of hundreds of bizarre sculptures, while the Opera House roof can be walked over. The Nobel Peace Centre provides thought-provoking displays on previous laureates, and the semi-rural Bygdøy Peninsula is home to several fascinating museums about famous ships. Of these, the Fram Museum devotes itself to polar exploration, housing the ship that has been further north and south than any other.
Ski
Come winter, the residents of Oslo can often be found wrestling their skis on board trams and buses – many heading off-piste for Nordic skiing in the surrounding hills. The Oslo Winterpark, with 18 slopes and 11 lifts, offers more conventional Alpine runs, less than 30 minutes from the city centre.
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Vancouver, Canada
City
Vancouver makes a big deal out of its sea to snow credentials, and the best coastal experience is hiring a bike and cycling along the Seawall around the magnificent Stanley Park. Other favourites include the Granville Island markets and the Capilano Suspension Bridge, while the Forbidden Vancouver walking tours explore the darker side of a city that’s otherwise known for its unfailing niceness.
Ski
Grouse Mountain rises up behind the city, with 33 runs, many of which are open at night. But the major resort is Whistler-Blackcomb, around 90 minutes’ drive away. Renowned as a party resort, Whistler also offers snowmobiling, husky-sledding, tubing and snowshoe tours.
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Innsbruck, Austria
City
Innsbruck, sandwiched into a valley, is delightfully compact – particularly in its medieval heart. The Hofburg Imperial Palace does the opulent building thing, but the ridiculously over the top imperial tomb in the neighbouring Hofkirche is the most impressive set piece. Innsbruck’s strength, however, is its proximity to the mountains, and even non-skiers can head up 2,334m-tall Hafelekar from the city centre via futuristic-looking cable cars and funicular.
Ski
The cable cars and funicular will also take you to the small Seegrubbe resort, one of nine around the city that have banded together as Olympia SkiWorld Innsbruck. The star of these is Axamer Lizum, 19km away on the free Ski Bus, which is renowned for its extensive freeriding areas.
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Turin, Italy
City
As well as being home of the food-focused Piedmont region, Turin has a greedy collection of cathedrals, palaces and grand piazzas. The Mole Antonelliana, originally conceived as a synagogue, is the spectacular home of the National Cinema Museum. Other museum offerings include the car-crazy Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile.
Ski
The cross-border Via Lattea ski area has 400km of piste to play in, with five key resorts – including Sestriere and Sauze d’Oulx – being within the Piedmont region. Most of the runs are intermediate, but there’s plenty of variety. It’s about an hour and 20 minutes in the car from Turin to the lifts.
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turismotorino.org
Salt Lake City, USA
City
Now that Delta Air Lines’ direct service from Heathrow to the Utah capital has been made into a year-round thing, a trip can be timed for the ski season. Salt Lake City itself is probably a lot trendier than you think. There’s a craft brewing scene bubbling under the radar, while the Ninth District is becoming a haven of tech workers and cocktail bars. Though, the main attraction is still Temple Square, the Mormon equivalent of the Vatican. The grand buildings include the Tabernacle, home turf for the 360-strong Tabernacle Choir.
Ski
It takes about 45 minutes to get to Park City, home to some of the finest snow on earth, an Olympic bobsled track that rank beginners can have a go on and plenty of quirks, such as the High West ski-in whisky distillery.
