Crans-Montana (Switzerland) ski resort

 

To get to the upscale ski resort of Crans-Montana in the Swiss Alps one starts here in Sierre (population 16,000), located on the valley floor.  If you look up the mountain in this photo you can make out three white buildings (condos) in the far distance--Crans-Montana (population 10,000) is to the left. My first visit to Crans-Montana was 20 years ago and it took more than two hours of cycling up a switchback road to get there.

Two years later I decided to do it again. So, before heading up the mountain I cycle around downtown Sierre looking for patisserie shops and spotted the mural of a mountain peak on the side of a building on a side street (on the right side of the photo).

On closer inspection of the mural I find it marks the entrance to a building housing a funicular that goes up to Crans-Montana! How come I never heard or read about this? This funicular is one of the longest in the world and whisks you two and a half miles up the mountain to Crans-Montana in 12 minutes. The drive up the mountain for a car/bus is 35 minutes. 

So the fact I previously cycled up to Crans-Montana (been there done that) why would I waste several hours getting up there when the funicular can whisk me there in 12 minutes. It's a no brainer. Now when I get up to Crans-Montana I have lots of energy to cycle up mountain roads and check out villages higher up from Crans-Montana. Since my second visit I've been to Crans-Montana multiple times and today is probably my seventh. 

Going up in the funicular we pass miles of vineyards. Switzerland has huge wine growing areas. Why do you never hear of Swiss wines? Primarily it's because they don't export but drink it all. 

This is the view from the funicular's end of the line. Still don't understand why there's not signage telling people about the funicular. 

A water sculpture in Montana. The towns of Montana and Crans are less then a quarter mile apart and at some point merged. 

Main street in Montana.

Kids practicing ice hockey in a rink on the main drag through Montana. Will be playing on real ice very soon. 

Lake in Montana.

This is the Hostellerie du Pas l'Ours, a boutique 5-star hotel in Crans-Montana. It's an absolutely stunning property with a beautiful rustic look inside and out. Dating back to 1912, there are only nine rooms but, has a Michelin 1 star rated restaurant. Associated with Relais & Chateaux.

To the left is the backside of Hostellerie du Pas de l'Ours. To the right is Hotel Etrier, its 4 star sister property with 50 rooms. 

As you know I hate cigarette smoke and as mentioned on numerous occasions Europe (and especially Switzerland) have been slow to ban smoking. I go into Hostellerie du Pas de l'Ours and ask the front desk clerk if smoking is allowed in the rooms. The clerk answers, "no this is a non smoking hotel".  I ask, "can you smoke on the balcony?" He answers, "of course". I tell the clerk, "so I can sit on the balcony or in my room and if the people below or next to me smoke I have to smell their cigarette stench instead of taking in the clean Swiss air?" The clerk had no answer. 

This is one of the main shopping streets in Crans. There's a huge shopping difference between Crans and Montana. Crans has all the luxury clothing and high-end watch and jewelry shops while Montana has zilch.

That's a new Louis Vuitton store. 

More of shopping street in Crans.

Another view of Crans shopping street. It's 9:30 AM and stores aren't open yet

The concrete bench is a piece of art. Sign says to be careful as bench is unstable. 

Crans-Montana has an 18 hole and a 9-hole golf course. For the past 50 years the Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club (founded in 1924) has hosted the European Masters tournament. Can you guess who's the primary sponsor? 

This par 3 has an unusual hazard. A public road and pedestrian walkway cross the hole. See the car? See the three wooden poles? What you can't see is the net strung from pole to pole. When teeing off you have to hit the ball so it goes over the net. I watched a woman tee off (I'm standing where you tee off) and she kept hitting the ball into the netting. After five tries she gave up. 

Teeing off here you have to endure advertising.

Nice view down the fairway. The course has made several rankings of 100 best golf courses.