One thing about skiing is you can’t always be sure of the weather, especially with climate change affecting seasonal snowfall. And while glaciers are retreating across the world, not least in Europe and the Alps, there are (still) some great ski resorts with glaciers across Europe.
We’re going to sum up the best European glacier ski resorts by looking at the size of the glacier, the snowsure terrain and whether you can ride during the summer months.
1. Zermatt/Cervinia, Matterhorn Glacier Paradise
I mean, the clue is in the name right? Zermatt is quite possibly Europe’s premier ski resort and is home to not just the longest pisted ski run in the world, but also to the iconic Matterhorn AND a glacier that offers summer skiing. Basically, this is the poster child for European ski resorts and is a must ride for anyone serious about snow sports.
Cervinia on the Italian side offers the same access to incredible snowsure terrain, but for Italian prices – which might make it the better option for some. Fun fact, due to the changing climate, the Matterhorn (or Cervino) is now more in Italy!
Enjoy 200 kms of terrain and year round skiing (albeit not the full area) on the glacier here.
2. Saas-Fee, Switzerland
Another fabulous Swiss glacier, Saas Fee is home to 20 kms of glacial trails on the Mittelallalin glacier. In winter you can ride over 115 kms of stunning snowsure terrain, as well as nearby Saas Grund. The summer season here runs from July until October with a brief off-season between the full winter snow coverage. Saas Fee is usually one of the earliest ski resorts to open in the winter season and the north facing terrain means it holds that snow cover better too.
Nearby Saas Grund and Almagell make up the rest of the options in the beautiful Saastal valley area.
3. Hintertux, Austria
At the base of the Zillertal valley is one of Austria’s most popular glacier resorts and a year round snow playground too. The Hintertux glacier isn’t the largest glacier in Austria, but at 3,250 metres, it is one of the highest and most snowsure – and open 365 days a year, definitely making it one of the best European ski resorts on a glacier.
Hintertux offers around 60 kms of skiable terrain, with about 20 kms of that made up of glacier. Obviously in the summer months the skiable area is much smaller, but in the winter you’ve got a proper winter playground here with tons of fab off-piste to get stuck into.
As part of the Zillertal ski pass, you can also enjoy a trip to Mayrhofen, Zell-am-Zimmer and numerous other ski resorts along the valley.
4. Les Deux Alpes, France
Sitting at 3,600 metres, the Mont de Lans glacier is actually the largest skiable glacier in Europe. Sitting above Les Deux Alpes, with incredible views across the Isere Alps, this is a must ride for fans of glacier skiing. The glacier is also open for an extended period during the summer, with the glacier often closing briefly from the end of September until mid/late October.
Les Deux Alps is also the summer training hub for ski and snowboard professionals, so if you want to get your turns in and rub shoulders with the pros during the summer then head to L2A.
Read our full Les Deux Alpes review.
5. Glacier 3000, Switzerland
Perched above the town of Les Diablarets, and a short hop from primo haunt Gstaad, Glacier 3000 offers around 31kms of skiable terrain during ski season. As part of the broader Les Diablarets/Alpes Vaudoise you have access to over 100 kms of terrain from November until April including the glacier. Unfortunately you won’t find summer skiing here, but you can hike the glacier and enjoy the incredible views from the Peak Walk by Tissot.
As the name suggests, the glacier sits at 3000 metres and offers a vertical drop of around 1400 metres. This includes the infamous tunnel run onto the Black Wall, the world’s steepest groomed black slope – the Pillon-Cabane.
6. Passo Stelvio, Italy
Despite being a small ski area, covering just 9kms of trails, this summer only ski area offers some of the best high altitude glacial summer skiing, In fact the glacier at Passo Stelvio is the largest summer skiing area in the Alps, open from June until November and closed over the winter! One thing to bear in mind is that there is a quite hair-raising mountain drive, with many a hairpin bend taking you from Bormio to the resort itself. Which is one of the reasons why it’s closed in winter.
Passo Stelvio is a popular haunt for pro skiers and snowboarders during the summer months, and if you do make it here for some sunkissed snowsports then you will be up against the best of the best.
7. Stubai, Austria
The largest skiable glacier in Austria, Stubai offers 65 kms of terrain and a season that stretches deep into the early summer months – usually closing in June. Visitors can climb to the Top of the Tyrol and take in the breathtaking views, before carving down around 10 kms non-stop to the base station. With the altitude clocking in at over 3200 metres, this is a great snow sure spot with some incredible terrain to explore on a powder day.
Check out our top to bottom snowboard run at Stubai.
The Stubai valley is also home to a great little ski resort, Schlick 2000, which we enjoyed during our stay in Stubaital.
BONUS: 8. Chamonix/Mer de Glace, France
Perhaps the most famous of the Alpine glaciers, the Mer de Glace, or sea of ice, is an icon of French skiing and part of the Vallée Blanche descent. While it isn’t specifically a ski resort glacier, as such, skiers can ride down onto the Mer de Glace and then take the Montenvers railway down to the town of Chamonix below.
The Mer de Glace gets a bonus mention here as it is an attraction that can be visited while on a skiing holiday, which is pretty much a must see. At 7kms long this is the longest glacier in France – although it has lost 1 km due to melt in the past few years!
If you’re visiting Chamonix and you don’t quite have the stomach for the 23 kms off-piste descent along the Vallée Blanche then you can experience it with a visit. For the full experience, make sure to head up the Aiguille du Midi too!
Glaciers vs climate change
One of the undeniable truths is that glaciers across the Alps and the world are shrinking at an alarming rate. In fact in Switzerland alone the glacier ice shrank by 10% in just two years… It’s also predicted that Austria will have no glacier ice by the end of this century – a crazy and pretty terrifying thought whether you ski or not.
Make sure that if you do visit any glacier ski resorts to be responsible. Try to use an eco-friendly hotel, opt for public transport instead of a private car and make sure to take your rubbish home.
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