Mountain towns, ranked

“The mountaineering capital of the world. It knows it.”

“Car-free, Matterhorn-front, wallet-flattening.”

“Proper village, proper mountains, proper après.”

“Live in the shadow of the Eiger and try not to look up mid-coffee.”

“Steep, sunny, chic — and the freeride world comes here to show off.”

“The adventure capital of the world, and it never lets you forget.”

“Rockies grandeur, inside a national park.”

“Two mountains, a gondola between them, and more terrain than legs allow.”

“The Dolomites' glamorous heart, dressed to impress.”

“Wooden chalets, perfect pistes, and more British accents than Clapham.”

“A medieval town with the scariest downhill on earth above it.”

“High, snow-sure and built for skiing — the views do the charm.”

“A real Savoyard town an hour from Geneva — skis in winter, bikes in summer.”

“A proper city with ski lifts out of the tram.”

“Snow-sure, treeless, sky-high — and a party at 2,300m.”

“Tyrolean charm, a terrifyingly steep piste, and après that starts at 3pm.”

“Ski hard, party harder — the Arlberg does not do things by halves.”

“Off the train, up the funicular, ski to the Aiguille Rouge.”

“Michelin stars, a runway on the slopes, and corduroy you could iron a shirt on.”

“All the Southern Alps, half the crowds, and a very famous tree.”

“Ben Nevis out the window, rain in the forecast.”

“The Lake District's perfect hiking basecamp.”

“Scotland's ski town, when the snow shows up.”

“Eryri's stone-built gateway, waterfalls included.”

“Grassy giants, big skies, and Pen y Fan on your doorstep.”

“A tiny valley with a railway station and the Pennine Way out the door.”