Winter Ski

The Matterhorn at the end of every run. No cars, year-round skiing on the Klein Matterhorn, and the most famous mountain skyline in the Alps. Zermatt is the emotional peak of Swiss skiing.

The Four Valleys region, 410km of piste, and a commitment to off-piste and freeride skiing that attracts the sport's most serious practitioners. The après-ski is the liveliest in Switzerland.

The cradle of alpinism and the mountain that defines serious skiing: the Vallée Blanche, the off-piste couloirs of the Grands Montets, and a town that smells like performance fleece and ambition.

Consistently rated the world's finest ski resort for terrain quality and après-ski combination. The Espace Killy links with Tignes for 300km of skiing, including some of the highest skiable terrain in Europe.

Four mountains, a Main Street that defines mountain chic, and a cultural calendar (Food & Wine Classic, Jazz Aspen) that makes it a resort for 12 months of the year. The world's most glamorous ski resort.

The largest ski resort in North America: 8,171 acres of terrain, two mountains linked by the Peak 2 Peak gondola (the world's longest), and a base village built specifically to not disappoint.

The most famous powder destination in the world. The Sea of Japan dumps metres of light, dry snow on Hokkaido each winter, and Niseko's tree skiing is unlike anything in Europe or North America.

The queen of the Dolomites ski resorts: pink limestone rock faces framing ski runs, impeccable Italian mountain restaurants, and an off-piste skiing tradition that dates to the pre-war era.

The birthplace of modern skiing technique. The Arlberg ski area's 340km of piste, the legendary Mooserwirt and Krazy Kanguruh après-ski bars, and a mountain culture that takes the sport more seriously than anywhere else.

The heart of the Three Valleys — the world's largest connected ski area (600km). Méribel itself is the best-positioned resort in the whole system and the most consistently popular with British skiers.

The town that gold mining built, that skiing saved, and that Film Festival residents kept alive. Telluride has the most vertical drop in Colorado, the best mountain town atmosphere, and none of Aspen's prices.

Niseko gets the credit but Furano and Tomamu on the Daisetsuzan mountain range deliver comparable powder with half the crowds. The Japanese ski resort experience — karaoke, ramen, onsen — at its most authentic.

The quietest and most expensive resort in Austria: private skiing, small village, extraordinary snow, and a clientele that includes European royalty. The antidote to Niseko's Instagram crowds.

The most developed and well-serviced resort in the Three Valleys. Five linked villages at different altitudes, the highest concentration of five-star mountain hotels in the Alps, and the world's best catered-chalet sector.

The Canadian Rockies' ski triumvirate: Sunshine Village, Norquay, and Lake Louise with the iconic backdrop of the frozen lake and Victoria Glacier. Wildlife encounters on ski runs are routine.

Scandinavia's largest ski area and one of the best ski experiences in northern Europe. The Swedish approach — practical, relaxed, excellent food — makes Åre a genuinely refreshing alternative to Alpine skiing.

Southern hemisphere skiing at its best: Treble Cone, The Remarkables, and Coronet Peak above Queenstown offer July–September powder with summer light. Hiking before skiing. Bungee after.

British Columbia's powder secret: 128 runs on the northern Rockies, 60% classified as expert, and an average snowfall that rivals anywhere in North America. None of Whistler's crowds.

Mont Blanc visible on every run, five-star chalets with Michelin-starred dining, and an approach to mountain life that is about elegance as much as skiing. The resort most associated with French chic.

The most serious mountain in the American West: continuous vertical drop, the tram to the top of Rendezvous Mountain, and terrain that ends careers. The après-ski at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar makes amends.