Lesser-known mountain resorts for European summer adventure
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If you’re looking for alternative spots for biking, hiking, climbing, surfing and lake fun this summer, away from the popular summer mountain resort destinations of Chamonix, Morzine, Zermatt or Åre, then you’ve come to the right place.
Snow-hunter(-by-winter) Patrick Thorne spends his summers in the mountains seeking out the lesser-known mountain resorts with plenty of opportunity for activity.
Saint-Martin-de-Belleville, France
Why go?
Popular in winter as arguably the most authentic ski-in/out resort in the 3 Valleys, in summer Saint-Martin is promoted jointly with Les Menuires and Val Thorens above, as the Vallée des Belleville. Gondola and chairlifts along with hiking and biking trails connect all three for the best of all worlds.
Families are a big target audience with trampolining, summer sledging, zip lines, three leisure centres and locally made ice cream all here and much more.
The snow may have melted from the 600km of piste in the world’s biggest ski region, but the stat is echoed by adding the Belleville Valley’s 321km of biking together with the 300km of hiking trails. The Passeport Ascensionnel interactive pass unlocks it all with discounts on many activities.
Don’t miss
Summer 2024 highlights include the craft beer festival (26—27 July), soapbox races (30 June/14 July/11 August) and the Festival Musique aux Belleville (27 July); the Peak to Peak and Belleville rise road biking events (6 July and 13 July, respectively), the Val Tho Summit Games (4-6 August) and plenty more…
Ratings
Summer Skiing: 0/10
Trail Running: 9/10
Hiking: 9/10
Mountain Biking: 9/10
Road Biking: 6/10
Mountaineering: 8/10
Rock climbing: 7/10
Watersports: 5/10
Family Fun: 9/10
Stelvio Pass, Italy
Why go?
The second-highest paved pass in the Alps (at 2,757m, just seven metres lower than Val d’Isère’s Col de l’Iseran) is beloved by serious snowsports fans and cyclists alike. Once the pass re-opens in late May each year so does the only summer-only ski area in the Alps. Road cyclists also flock to the intimidating road, with its 75 hairpin turns, which is an iconic stage of the annual Giro d’Italia race.
While most remaining summer ski resorts are now only open for a month or two in later spring, Stelvio still aims to stay open through from mid-spring to late autumn making it popular with race teams for a reliable training base. Trail running is another popular activity in the area.
Don’t miss
In 1953 the Giro d’Italia first crossed the Stelvio Pass. While you need to be a world-class cyclist to compete in the event today, there is a day in late summer (this year, 2024, 31 August) when the Stelvio Bike Day sees the pass again closed to motor vehicles and about 12,000 cyclists tackle it.
Ratings
Summer Skiing: 8/10
Trail Running: 8/10
Hiking: 8/10
Mountain Biking: 6/10
Road Biking: 9/10
Mountaineering: 6/10
Rock climbing: 6/10
Watersports: 2/10
Family Fun: 5/10
Ziller Valley, Austria
Why go?
Just as the Ziller Valley, home to Mayrhofen and a dozen other great ski areas, is a white wonderland in winter, so it’s a green paradise for walkers and riders – of the bike variety – in summer.
The Zillertal Activcard is available in three-day increments giving summer lift access, free entry to the region’s six swimming pools and free travel on most of the region’s public transport among other benefits. So if you set off on one of the 1,400km of hiking trails in the valley and decide you’d rather ride the bus back to your accommodation, you can just hop on a bus.
There are hiking (as well as biking) routes for all abilities from short family strolls to multi-day high-altitude adventures.
Don’t miss
When Zermatt was forced to close its glacier slopes for nearly two months last summer as the sun melted the snow cover, the Hintertux Glacier became the last area still open for skiing and snowboarding year-round. It’s one of the larger summer areas too, with at least 12km, and often 20km, of slopes to enjoy.
Ratings
Summer Skiing: 10/10
Trail Running: 8/10
Hiking: 10/10
Mountain Biking: 9/10
Road Biking: 8/10
Mountaineering: 7/10
Rock climbing: 6/10
Watersports: 7/10
Family Fun: 8/10
Nevis Range, Scotland
Why go?
Located next door to Britain’s highest peak, Ben Nevis, and a few miles from Fort William, Nevis Range is one of the easiest mountain resorts to reach. Whether you drive or take the train (there’s a sleeper option) you’ll pass through some of the most spectacular scenery in Europe as you head north.
Surrounded by mountains, forest, lochs and glens with views out over Scotland’s West Coast that equal or surpass anything you’ll see from any other ski mountain in the world, the region’s tagline, ‘The Outdoor Capital of the UK’, is well-deserved.
All kinds of water sports are possible in rivers, lochs and sea; hiking and hill walking too, with 25 miles of trails in the local Leanachan Forest alone and we’re just getting started.
Don’t miss
Nevis Range is one of the world’s leading downhill biking centres hosting stages of global competitions. The centre has fantastic trails, rents bikes, provides uplift on the UK’s only mountain gondola and offers biking school lessons to those in need of expert guidance.
Ratings
Summer Skiing: 0/10
Trail Running: 7/10
Hiking: 9/10
Mountain Biking: 10/10
Road Biking: 6/10
Mountaineering: 9/10
Rock climbing: 8/10
Watersports: 9/10
Family Fun: 7/10
Sion, Switzerland
Why go?
With the tagline ‘the sunniest town in Switzerland’, the capital of Valais is a great base for exploring the wider region during the summer months. This very small city (population 30,000) has a 7,000-year history to explore, with a fabulous old town to meander around.
It’s also home to Switzerland’s biggest bus station to ease your summer day trips out to nearby mountain resorts like Crans-Montana and Verbier, with as much lift-accessed mountain biking and hiking as they have skiing in winter. Zermatt is about 75 minutes away if you want to summer ski.
Local attractions include golf and equestrian activities, and there are lots of walking and cycling routes on your doorstep too, including one that leads you around the local vineyards.
Don’t miss
If you’ve ever fancied surfing in land-locked Switzerland, now you can at Alaïa Bay, the first wave pool of its kind in continental Europe with the tagline, ‘Surf the best waves in the Alps’. Gear rental, surf school and waves three to six-feet high are all here.
Ratings
Summer Skiing: 5/10
Trail Running: 7/10
Hiking: 9/10
Mountain Biking: 9/10
Road Biking: 6/10
Mountaineering: 6/10
Rock climbing: 5/10
Watersports: 9/10
Family Fun: 7/10
Stryn, Norway
Why go?
When it comes to stunning scenery, Stryn, in the heart of Norway’s fjord country and complete with its own summer ski area, is hard to beat. Ride the Loen Skylift cable car up to the top of Mount Hoven for a bird’s-eye view of the mighty Jostedalsbreen glacier and its surrounding national park.
Back in the valley you could go kayaking on the famous, emerald-green Lovatnet Lake, fed by the glacier’s melt water, or take a soak in the heated Alexandra outdoor pool equipped with numerous built-in massage functions.
Of course, there are plenty of hiking routes and the Loen via ferrata is a fun experience for the whole family and includes the longest via ferrata bridge in Europe.
Don’t miss
Stryn is home to one of three small Norwegian spring-summer-only glacier ski areas with several lifts and terrain suited to all types of skiing.
Cross-country summer skiing is also popular, and one of the world’s most successful ever biathletes, Johannes Thingnes Bø, lives here.
Ratings
Summer Skiing: 8/10
Trail Running: 7/10
Hiking: 9/10
Mountain Biking: 7/10
Road Biking: 8/10
Mountaineering: 8/10
Rock climbing: 7/10
Watersports: 8/10
Family Fun: 6/10
Le Grand Bornand, France
Why go?
This traditional farming village within the stunning Annecy Mountains region has delivered more famous French wintersports stars than any other. Two of its most famous children are GS World Champion Tessa Worley and Reblochon cheese, the key ingredient in tartiflette. The joke is that there are more cows than people here.
A true year-round community with a beautiful old village centre, you can visit at any time of the year.
All levels of sports activity are available, but families are a big part of the offering and La Source is a fun, offbeat outdoor play areas, including a play tree, book beehives and a parent-powered merry-go-round.
For water sports, it doesn’t get much better than Lake Annecy, just 40 minutes away.
Don’t miss
The Cow Art Trail celebrates the significance of these magnificent mammals that are such a key part of life in the Aravis Range. It’s a wonderful exhibit, running through the village with a mixture of permanent and temporary murals and sculptures on the theme of the cow.
Ratings
Summer Skiing: 0/10
Trail Running: 7/10
Hiking: 9/10
Mountain Biking: 6/10
Road Biking: 6/10
Mountaineering: 7/10
Rock climbing: 6/10
Watersports: 9/10
Family Fun: 9/10
Interlaken, Switzerland
Why go?
Situated between two gorgeous lakes, Interlaken holds the key to accessing the Jungfrau region of Grindelwald, Wengen and Mürren above and its myriad of summer activities.
The new Eiger Express and Terminal make it much faster to reach Europe’s highest railway station at the Jungfraujoch, where you can enjoy everything from summer snow tubing to glacier hikes.
Meanwhile, the wider region has an abundance of hiking, biking and running trails as well as activities like zip wires, skydiving, kayaking and bungee jumping all possible.
Local Lake Brienz is known as ‘Switzerland’s turquoise gem’ because of its gorgeous natural colour thanks to glacial melt water. One of the country’s prettiest lakes, you can hike or bike around, paddle across it, or even swim in it.
Don’t miss
Harder Kulm is the local mountain above Interlaken that you can hike up in three hours or hop on the funicular and then hike down. From the top, there are spectacular panoramic views of the town and the lakes surrounding it. But then, with the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau peaks towering above there are always spectacular views wherever you stand.
Ratings
Summer Skiing: 2/10
Trail Running: 8/10
Hiking: 10/10
Mountain Biking: 8/10
Road Biking: 8/10
Mountaineering: 9/10
Rock climbing: 9/10
Watersports: 9/10
Family Fun: 8/10
