Crans-Montana

Crans-Montana occupies a sunlit shelf a kilometre above the Rhône, facing one of the longest mountain panoramas in the Alps — from the Matterhorn across to Mont Blanc. It has been a resort of quiet consequence for over a century: golfers have played the plateau since 1906, the Omega European Masters has made it sacred ground for the game, and Roger Moore chose it as home and stayed for decades. Where other resorts perform altitude, Crans-Montana performs light — long southern exposure, vineyards below, glaciers above. The clientele is international yet unhurried, drawn by a rare alpine proposition: serious skiing and serious golf within the same address book.

From Geneva, the A9 carries you past Montreux and the Château de Chillon into the Valais, vineyards giving way to orchards until the exit at Sierre; from there the road climbs through twenty minutes of well-mannered switchbacks to the plateau — around two hours and a quarter in all. The Mercedes S-Class suits the run perfectly; in midwinter the Range Rover takes the climb without a second thought, chains carried as a matter of course. Your chauffeur watches the Valais weather from dawn and aligns your arrival with the concierge at Guarda Golf or Six Senses. Those who prefer theatre may transfer at Sierre to the funicular, rising straight out of the vines.

Six Senses Crans-Montana has brought new gravity to the plateau; Guarda Golf and LeCrans keep its established graces, the latter's LeMontBlanc restaurant looking clear across the valley. Take sunset at Chetzeron, a former lift station turned hotel at 2,112 metres, when the Valais peaks go violet in order. Come in early September for the Omega European Masters, when the Severiano Ballesteros course is at its devotional best; in February, ski towards the Plaine Morte glacier and find the high plateau almost to yourself. The light leaves slowly here, and so should you.