There are soooooo many reasons to visit Crans-Montana, one of Switzerland’s most visually stunning, and exciting resorts during summer. Hiking, mountain biking, fishing, swimming (they have a beach club!) fine dining, shopping, these are just some of the activities you can enjoy when you visit Crans-Montana when the sun is shining, and snow is a distant memory. But if you’re a golf aficionado and/or a lover of art, this amazing Swiss mountain resort (which is actually two separate towns – Crans and Montana) will absolutely blow your mind.
Having visited Crans-Montana and written about its flourishing art scene before the Covid-19 pandemic, I thought it would be a good idea to return to the majestic, mountainous Valais region of Switzerland, to reacquaint myself with all that it has to offer to golf junkies who also have a passion for the arts. So when I began planning a little golf trip into the Alps with my great friend, and golf mentor Neil Collingswood this summer, I thought adding a splash of art appreciation in the Swiss Alps would do our swings, and souls a bit of good.
Neil, who lives and works on eastern Scotland’s famed “Golf Coast” is not (nor am I) an art expert, but he is a fabulous golfer, and when he’s not crushing drives in North Berwick (his home town), he’s often busy reviewing golf courses in his native Scotland. So, despite Mr. Collingswood’s lack of art expertise, I thought it would be fun to introduce him to Switzerland’s coolest high alpine art scene, and some big mountain ball striking at some of Europe’s highest and most scenic golf courses – so I asked him to join me on a four-stop “Best of the Alps” golf tour through Italy, France, and Switzerland.
All the golf courses we played were located at resorts who are members of the Best of the Alps group, a conglomeration of 10 of Europe’s most prestigious ski and golf mountain destinations. Each one had its own distinct vibe, and we quickly discovered that not all mountain golf courses are the same, and we mean that in a good way! Here then is a quick peek at where we admired art, golfed, dined, and slept in extreme luxury (and I really mean EXTREME LUXURY) when we were in gorgeous Crans-Montana this past August!
ART IN CRANS MONTANA
Before we delve into Crans-Montana’s world class golf scene, let me introduce you to one of the most unique and original art events, and open air museums in the world – the Vision Art Festival, the brainchild of Swiss art curator, ski guide, and all-round rugged mountaineer, Greg Pages – who I once described as the “Theo Van Gogh of the Swiss Alps,” and I still stand by that description as he is a patron of the arts in the truest sense, and has helped launch many unknown painters into the stratosphere of success in the world of modern art!
“I wanted to create a space where art and nature could blend together in harmony, and I love urban art, so I came up with a crazy idea, and invited a bunch of very talented street artists to come to Crans-Montana and express themselves on the boring, bland, blank spaces on the cable car stations, ski lift stations, and parking lots all over our mountain, and town,” Pages told me in late August on an art hike/tour he gave us – which by the way, anyone can book by contacting Pages and the VAF group on their website (more info on that below), and it can be done by foot, e-bike, or even on skis during winter.
This year’s VAF, which took place in July, was a celebration of the festival’s 10th anniversary. Since its inception in 2015, Pages and his band of merry mountain art lovers, have collaborated with more than 100 artists, and helped create more than 150 magnificent murals, some of which are located at almost 9,000 feet above sea level in the open air!
The quality of the artwork born out of this wonderful festival is exquisite. The artists showcasing their works at the Vision Art Festival aren’t simply spray painting tags on brick walls, this is high end talent, creating high altitude masterpieces. One of this year’s masterworks was a large-scale, ridiculously realistic blue and white porcelain tiger mural painted by Nut, whose trademark style is mixing ancient qinghua techniques with modern graffiti art. The further away from this mural you stand, the more real the porcelain looks, almost like a photograph, this is a stunning work of art that you will never forget.
Another incredible piece, way high up the mountain, is a multicolored, hyper-detailed, bird of prey, painted just below a ski lift by Sonny Sundancer. Sundancer, a master at blending realism and abstraction, is known for creating massive wildlife murals advocating for conservation efforts. This unbelievably beguiling mural, sitting on the top of a mountain, in the open air, in harmony with nature, is very moving, and I can’t wait to go back to see it when the snow flies in a completely different setting this winter!
Lastly, one of the things I love most about Crans-Montana is that art is everywhere. If you’re not admiring it, or buying it in one of the town’s multitude of art galleries, you’re probably walking, biking, or skiing past it…and sometimes it’s happening right before your eyes!
On our visit we crossed paths with a VAF legend named Antonyo Marest, one of Spain’s most well known, and successful “urban” artists (he’s actually an architect and designer too) who is known for his gigantic technicolor murals, and product designs using repeated patterns (like flamingos and palm trees), abstract geometrism, and a huge dose of inner Southern Spanish sunshine from his upbringing in Alicante. Marest, as he’s known by the art world, was in Crans-Montana completing a commission for a local gas station, adding another colorful outdoor masterpiece to a town already rich in art. Quite foolishly he caved when I begged him to let me participate in his latest masterpiece, and he let me spray some paint on the wall myself…until I went outside the lines and he cursed me out in his native Spanish, which actually kinda sounded really cool. Thankfully he fixed my blotchy paint job, and we’re still best buds!
GOLFING IN CRANS-MONTANA
Every September the golf world casts its gaze on one of the most spectacularly scenic golf courses in the world, the 18-hole Severiano Ballesteros course at Golf Club Crans-sur-Sierre, when the Omega European Masters, a signature DP World Tour event rolls into town. The beauty of this course and the panoramic views of the surrounding Valaisan Alps towering over the Rhone Valley are jaw-droppingly stunning.
I’ve had the great, good fortune of playing the Ballesteros course in the past, but until this summer, I had never tested my golfing skills at Golf Club Crans-sur-Sierre’s other fabulous track, the 9-hole Jack Nicklaus course – and now that I have played it, I can’t wait to tee it up there again!
The roots of golf in Crans-Montana are deep, and go all the way back to 1906 when its first course was built on a beautiful stretch of relatively flat land, at an altitude of about 4500 feet above sea level. Today, both the Ballesteros course, and Nicklaus course have breathtaking panoramic views of the southern Swiss, French and Italian Alps, and on a clear day you can actually see the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc in the distance. Both courses are open to the public, and are definitely golf bucket list worthy.
To play the 18-hole, par 71 Ballesteros course, you need to have a handicap below 36 in free play and 30 in competition, and must have an “Exact Handicap” certificate. Access to the 9-hole, par 35, Nicklaus course also requires an “Exact Handicap” certificate, and like many other golf courses around the world, proper attire is required, so don’t show up in cut-off denim shorts and flip-flops if you want to play.
I absolutely adored the Nicklaus track, not only because I made the golf shot of my life on No. 7 – by far the tightest “eye of a needle” fairway I’ve ever had to thread a ball through – but also because the entire track is surrounded (at a good distance and not really hittable by a wayward ball) by some of THE MOST beautiful Swiss chalets you’ll ever see. But enough of what I thought about the Nicklaus track…what did the Scottish Golf Guru in my life think?
MR. COLLINGSWOOD’S GOLF COURSE REVIEW
“In my home country, Scotland, I can only think of 2 golf courses that start and finish directly in the center of their hometown, namely the West Links of North Berwick, and the famous Old Course of St Andrews. Crans-Montana goes next level with 2 courses that both start and finish alongside the restaurants and bustling boutique shops of central Crans-Montana.
For our recent visit to Crans-Montana, the 18 hole Ballesteros course remained closed in preparation for the Omega European Masters DP World Tour event, but fortunately this provided us with the opportunity to play the 9 hole Nicklaus designed course which lies a short wedge away from its more famous sibling, and what a course.
The course can be played as a quick 9 or looped twice to provide a full 18 hole, par 70 experience. It’s an undulating layout with holes predominately separated by thin tree lines and the overall course framed by glorious Swiss style houses and periodic vistas of mountains over pines. Wherever you are on the course you can forget that you started in the center of Crans-Montana and immerse yourself in the ‘Swiss-ness’ of the surroundings.
Once you tee off you can soon tell you’re playing something created by a golfing great. Tee shots that require accuracy, clever bunkering that demands your attention and greens that are both subtle and testing pave your way. The initial 4 holes zigzag through the trees, dipping and rising gently as you navigate your way past bunkers through to the oft elevated greens. Hole 5 then presents you with a glorious opportunity to “get it right” as the big stick remains in the bag and you calculate the correct club required to layup in front of the “end stop” bunker at the end of the fairway. Once in position, a short wedge is all that is required into the green that sits 90 degrees to the right of the tee shot and over a small body of water. It’s a fun and oh so picturesque hole.
Holes 6, 7 and 8 are a moderate walk away from the rest of the 9 and form a little golden triangle. Hole 6 is a long par 3 played from an elevated tee and is a visually stunning hole as well as a good test of your game. Hole 7 is a perfect risk and reward hole that, at least on paper, appears short-ish and straight-ish. However, tight doesn’t adequately describe the tee shot where tall, dark and daunting pines line the fairway on both sides; and be warned, there’s not a huge amount of room between them! The 285 yards could be attacked for an eagle opportunity but it demands a perfect shot otherwise it’s “see you later” for the first ball. For the mere mortals among us the recommendation would be to divide the 285 into 2 shots and start off with a mid iron for position and then a wedge down to the green. You could still achieve birdie, even after being cautious. Hole 8 is a beautiful picturesque par 3 with stunning views of one of Crans-Montana’s many playground lakes to the right of the green and graceful pines to the rear. From the tee this hole encourages thoughts of “birdie chance” but the subtle breaks on the green might have something else to say about it.
Crans-Montana is blessed with 2 fine courses. Ballesteros may take the accolades due to the DP World tour event but Nicklaus shouldn’t be overlooked and should definitely be part of your golfing itinerary.”
ACCOMMODATION IN CRANS-MONTANA
I’ve stayed at some spectacularly lavish hotels in my journeys as a travel writer – the palatial Carlton in St. Moritz, Switzerland, the opulent Alpin Resort Sacher in Seefeld, Austria, the sumptuous Hotel Pashmina in Val Thorens, France – all unbelievably luxurious, grand hotels I still have dreams about. But I’ve never seen a hotel that is so posh, that I would be happy just to sleep in its parking garage…yes I said parking garage…let me explain.
Driving into the subterranean parking structure of the year-old Six Senses Crans-Montana is like driving into the Bat Cave. Dark elegance is not a term I normally use to describe places where cars are parked, but trust me when I say this is an accurate description. Once you get over the shock that your first contact with this very special hotel looks like a cross between the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art and a Batman movie set, you enter an uber swanky waiting room where hotel staff relieve you your baggage – and all your stress – as they pamper you with refreshments as you wait for the reception team, who then escort you to the next level of the check-in process.
Checking in at Six Senses Crans-Montana is also quite an experience. You are led to a check-in area next to an assortment of plush rooms and lounges (one looks like Bruce Wayne’s library…complete with a collection of fine Scottish Single Malt whiskies in case you want to have a little nip before heading up to your room) and you wait there for a few minutes until the check-in paperwork is done. Once that’s over with (did I say they ply you with refreshments and treats while you wait here too?), a senior member of the check-in staff guides you to your room, and gives you a familiarity tour of your Six Senses living space.
Two things here. Note I said a senior member of staff guides you…and I didn’t say “room” I said living space. Here’s why I said this:
- I’m sure the hotel staff is cognizant of the fact that some guests may faint or possibly have a cardiac episode when they see how chic, swanky, high-tech, and incredibly spacious the place they’ll be calling home for whatever number of days they’ll be there actually is.
- To call any of Six Senses Crans-Montana’s 78 “living spaces” a room would be criminal.
So what did our “living spaces” at Six Senses Crans-Montana look like? On paper our 1-bedroom terrace suites are described like this by the hotel:
“ONE BEDROOM TERRACE SUITES 73 – 87 sq.m. | 785 – 936 sq.ft. Internal 30 – 57 sq.m. | 387 – 613 sq.ft. External Ideal for a family with a child or for those who like extra space, there are also three one-bedroom suites, featuring a living room with a guest powder room, a master bedroom with king or twin beds, a full ensuite bathroom and sauna, and a large terrace.”
Note the part above in the description about “three one bedroom suites…and sauna, and a large terrace,” well, you guessed it. Mr. Collingswood and I each had our own NBA basketball court sized one-bedroom suites, featuring a living room, guest powder room, master with king bed…a full ensuite larger than any bathroom I’ve ever seen anywhere (even HBO’s Succession didn’t have anything this opulent) complete with your own private sauna (HUGE!) and a large, soccer pitch sized outdoor terrace that fit a full dining room size table, a huge round table area, and a king sized outdoor lounging bed…right above the final turn of Crans-Montana’s Chetzeron ski piste (this hotel is also ski-in/ski-out…and within walking distance of town) with jaw dropping views of the Valaisan Alps in the distance.
After check-in, if you’re in the mood for a little physical rejuvenation, you might want to hit the spa. Six Senses Crans-Montana’s wellness area is probably unlike anything you’ve ever seen before (in a good way). The hotel’s magnificent rooftop pool sits next to an outdoor cinema just in case you want to watch a film from your chaise longue before, after or in-between splashing around or swimming laps under the stars. The hotel also has nine treatment rooms for massages and therapy, state-of-the-art fitness facilities, a Finnish sauna, rock sauna, bio salt sauna, a hot tub, a cold plunge pool, a lush “serene” relaxation area, and even a beauty salon if you want to pretty yourself up.
I won’t go on and on about how amazing Six Senses Crans-Montana was, with all of its automated switches for curtains, blinds and shutters, or the massive tub in a bathroom so large it made the tub look tiny, the full set of plates, dishes, glasses and cutlery in the bar hutch in the living room, that made it easy to invite 5 locals friends, and my old pal Antonyo Marest (who was no longer furious with me for nearly ruining his mural…so much so that he even custom inked a golf ball for me!!!!!!) over for a party on our last night. I will never forget my stay at this dream hotel high up in the Swiss Alps – even though it’s kind of ruined all other hotels for me from this point on!
DINING IN CRANS-MONTANA
There is no end to fine dining and excellent restaurant choices in Crans-Montana, whether you want to reach for the stars at Chef Franck Reynaud’s Michelin-rated Restaurant L’Ours at the Hostellerie du Pas de L’Ours, or a yummy pizza at Le Michelangelo. Here’s where we dined during our visit…
WILD CABIN – SIX SENSES CRANS-MONTANA
Helmed by Tuscan-born chef Marco Garfagnini, Wild Cabin at Six Senses Crans-Montana where we stayed is a fabulous restaurant that prides itself on only using locally sourced seasonal ingredients, and putting its own stamp, or twist on classic Swiss dishes.
On our first night at Six Senses we decided to dine at Wild Cabin. Our dinner started with a delectable Focaccia infused with olive oil, the perfect nibbly to kick a wonderful dining experience. Next up a super original amuse bouche from the Chef, Arancini with saffron, and a little dollop of tartar on top – a zesty, savory, absolutely magical baby rice ball with whispers of truffles and cheese!
For starters I ordered a scrumptious beetroot and peach salad that tasted like an explosion of summer in my mouth. Neil selected a very fragrant Burrata dish, made with tomatoes and pomegranate salad that I was extremely jealous of.
For mains, Neil opted for Gnocchi served in a creamy Sérac cheese (like Ricotta) straight off local moo cows, and I went for a heavenly Cavatelli Bolognese, made with homemade shell pasta. Being famished, and a big fan of any Italian recipe that includes the word “Bolognese” – I was not disappointed – and in fact Wild Cabin’s take on this classic Italian dish may be the best Bolognese I’ve ever had outside the country that looks like a big boot!
Breakfast at Wild Cabin is also an unforgettable gastronomic experience that is not to be missed! The endless selection of baked goods available at the breakfast buffet are a sweet tooth’s dream, but the star of the menu is Wild Cabin’s “Egg Burger” as it seems like we saw it on every table – including our own! Served on a shiny, freshly baked brioche, this is the mother of all gourmet breakfast sandwiches, with scrambled eggs, bacon, caramelized onions, Raclette cheese and truffle mayonnaise! TO. DIE. FOR.
MAYEN DE LA CURE
If you can tear your gaze away from the 18 peaks (all over 13,000 feet) on the horizon from Mayen de la Cure’s spectacular panoramic outdoor terrasse, and focus on this wonderful restaurant’s menu for a second, you’ll be in for a real treat! A very short drive from Crans-Montana, in the scenic, little mountain village of Aminona-sur-Sierre, Mayen de la Cure serves its clientele a wide assortment of French, Italian and traditional Valaisan dishes made from delicious locally sourced ingredients.
We were lucky enough to visit Mayen de la Cure on a gorgeous sunny afternoon, after taking in the 20th Fiat 500 and Vespa International Meeting in Crans Montana, which got me in the mood for Italian food. Fortunately for me, Mayen de la Cure had a “Parmigiana au fromage de nos alpages” made with alpine cheese sourced from neighboring farmers. It was molto delizioso!
LE MAYEN
If you’re in the mood for traditional Swiss, and more specifically Valaisan cuisine in the form of cheese Raclette and fondues, Le Mayen is THE PLACE to hit when you’re in Crans-Montana. The selection of classic, potato-based “Rösti” entrees at Le Mayen is unreal (there are seven variations, including a vegetarian option). I chose a very exotic version, a Thai Rösti with chicken, coconut milk, green curry and Thai style veggies…which was very tasty indeed! Oh, and one other thing, the portions at Le Mayen are gigantic, so if you’re not ravenous, best order a couple of salads to start and share a main!
MORE INFO ON CRANS MONTANA:
Crans-Montana is part of the prestigious Best of the Alps group of luxury European ski & golf resorts. To find out more about Crans Montana go to: www.bestofthealps.com or www.crans-montana.ch/en.
For More info on Vision Art Festival, and all the incredible works of art they’ve helped create, or to book your own art hike, visit https://visionartfestival.com.
Golf Club Crans-sur-Sierre is open to the general public from mid-May to early November. Green fees range from Euros to Euros for 18 holes of play. For more info go to: https://www.golfcrans.ch/fr
In terms of accommodation, Crans-Montana has a wide assortment of hotels for every budget. We stayed at the hyper-luxurious Six Senses Hotel during our stay. For more info on this absolutely magnificent hotel, click here.
Getting to Crans-Montana: Crans-Montana is easily accessible via bus, train, car and is only about two hours away from Geneva Airport. We went by train, and purchased Travel Switzerland’s all-in-one Swiss Travel Pass which lets you use trains, buses, boats with one ticket for 3, 4, 6, 8 or 15 days. This pass will also get you into over 500 museums in Switzerland for free, as well as get you discounts on other travel-related excursions in Switzerland. For more information on the Swiss Travel Pass, click here.
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