Anzere, Glacier-Alpes Vaudoises

Although it was built in the 1960s, Anzère (1500m) is a gem. Twenty minutes from Crans-Montana, the delightful chalet village is perched on a sunny mountainside above the right bank of the Rhone. There are magnificent views of the high peaks of the Valais Alps and right across to Mont Blanc. Sion, the capital of the Valais, is 15km away. The main village is a collection of traditional wooden chalets that surround a traffic-free centre.

Anzère, with skiing from 1500 to 2500m, has 40km of runs served by 11 ski lifts. Most of the runs are ideal for intermediates skiers – there are only 3km of easy runs. Expert terrain is also little limited, but there are some good off-piste opportunities. There's heli-skiing, with substantial vertical drops, on the Wildhorn Glacier (3,247m).