72 Hours in Crans Montana Switzerland

Decisions…decisions.

The best pain au chocolat in the world or incredible skiing in the Swiss Alps?

Mornings spent wandering at the Louvre, and lazy afternoons at Musée d’Orsay or incredible skiing in the Swiss Alps?

This was the decision I faced after a two-year pandemic-imposed European vacation drought that had left me starved for art, culture, and the inimitable crackling sound a fresh baked, buttery Parisian croissant makes when teeth meet paper-thin pastry feuilles!  

Covid-bunker life had deprived me of my yearly art and foodie getaway to Paris, the most spectacular city on earth for dining and les beaux-arts…but it had also kept me from shredding in my beloved Swiss Alps. 

Then, last March, with Covid numbers easing, and travel starting to resemble normal again I finally booked a flight across the pond. My destination – Crans Montana – on the advice of a close Parisian friend who had moved to the posh Swiss ski resort a few years back. Sick and tired of hearing me drone on about being unable to pick between pastries and pistes, he suggested Crans Montana as a place where I could indulge in the best of both worlds. Located in Switzerland’s predominantly French-speaking Valais region, Crans Montana, he pointed out, was the perfect alpine spot to enjoy art, culture, dining, and unbelievable big mountain skiing all at once.

So I booked a room at a chic boutique hotel called Art de Vivre not because of its sumptuous spa, incredible alpine views, or super location (you can walk to the nearby Crans Merbé – Cry d’Er gondola station), but because my Crans Montana buddy told me they sourced their croissants and pain au chocolats from the town’s premier bakery La Mie Favre. 

Having spent the first half of my life in Montreal, Quebec, and an inordinate amount of time in Paris cruising croissanteries, it would be fair to say that I have, over the years, become a French pastry snob of sorts…so believe me when I say the pain au chocolats and croissants from La Mie Favre are some the best ones you’ll ever taste outside of the Île-de-France!

But enough about flaky pastries. 

For the ski junkies out there still reading, Crans Montana is a must-ski location if you’ve never been to this resort before. A high altitude ski area with more than 85 miles of south facing terrain (on a clear day you can see the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc) starting at 5,000ft and going up over 10,000ft…Crans is one of those resorts that gets a ton of sunny days!  A frequent stop on the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup speed circuit, and host of the 1987, and upcoming 2027 ski world championships, Crans Montana is a big mountain full of space to let your skis race, but also has miles and miles of challenging off-piste areas for those who get their kicks ripping down couloirs.

The town itself is a Mecca for artists, as well as lovers of art, with dozens of high end galleries to stroll and shop at. But the coolest aspect of the Crans Montana art scene by far, is the world renowned Vision Art Festival, an open-air art initiative that’s turned blank concrete cable car stations, parking lots, and empty walls into giant, colorful canvases created by some of the world’s most acclaimed urban and street artists. Trust me when I say the entire resort is like a giant art gallery that is best accessed with a pair of skis on your feet!

Okay,  now let’s get back to food.

Over the 72 hours I spent in Crans Montana I clocked some impressive vertical, but I also crushed some incredible meals over the three days I was there! 

Here are some of the daily highlights… restaurants you definitely don’t want to miss when you’re in Crans Montana…

Day 1 – Cabane des Violettes

A breathtaking stone chalet perched high above the clouds, just off the slopes at 7200 ft, Cabane des Violettes, could easily be THE best dining experience of all official Swiss Alpine Club cabins. A fantastic place for a hearty “Montagnard” breakfast, or a chic lunch, I stopped in with some local friends for a coffee and a little post-brekkie sweetie. The melting chocolate cake, as well as the homemade yogurt with pear and caramel, were a perfect mid-morning snack. And fortunately for my ski crew, Michelin star chef Franck Reynaud, in charge of the cabane with mountain guide Pierrot Bagnoud, wouldn’t let us out the door without a taste of some heavenly homemade raspberry schnapps as a little post-sweetie digestif before leaving! 

Day 2 – Restaurant Merbé

On day two, my fave local ski guide and art patron Greg Pages (co-founder of the Vision Art Festival) insisted we have lunch at Crans Montana’s legendary mountain restaurant Merbé, which had just reopened. Relaunched by Jelmer Bignell, the man behind Crans Montana’s hippest après ski bar Zerodix, the newly renovated Merbé is one part super cozy chalet, and an equal part chic mountain dining experience. After a starter of a local perch filet tartare, we had no choice but to have a signature dry aged steak with grilled vegetables. Dessert had a definite Franco-Italian vibe… a scrumptious chocolate, salted caramel and pecan nut tartelette washed down with some Italian flair –  a limoncello for me, and a Génépi for Greg. 

Day 3 – Mosaic Grill & Brasserie

If you identify as a “meatarian” and are hankering for a giant slab of beef after your on-mountain activities in Crans Montana, then Mosaic is a great choice. I never say no to a good steak, and when my Swiss friend and colleague Tom Jermann regaled our ski crew with tales of Tomahawk steak dinners with some of his Who’s Who list of rock’n’roll friends (Tom is co-owner of Los Angeles/Marseille-based T42 Design, and has created some of the rock world’s most iconic album covers and artwork), one of our local buds suggested we hit Mosaic for some red meat and Valaisian vin rouge! Our gargantuan Tomahawk (which is basically a giant ribeye steak) might be one of the butteriest steaks I’ve ever tasted…and that’s before I swished butter all over my cut!

WHEN YOU GO:

As mentioned above, my ski crew and I stayed at the very charming and well-located Art de Vivre Hotel and Spa (www.art-vivre.ch), rented our skis at (www.angelssport.com), and mined all sorts of useful travel tips from Crans Montana’s official website (www.crans-montana.ch) and from Switzerland’s Tourism’s super handy website (www.myswitzerland.com).