In the Alps, paths – or pistes – less trodden can seem hard to come by. We may dream of sparkling, uncrowded slopes and wooden hamlets crouched on valley floors, but often the reality of an Alpine holiday means lift queues, bars belting out Eurobeat and soulless, purpose-built high-density hotels. Yet for those willing to look, and venture, a little further, there remain plenty of treasures: unspoilt gems where community, culinary and architectural traditions remain alive and well, and are not only being preserved but prepared for their 21st-century future.
Whether you’re looking to share fondue on the slopes outside Salzburg, hike in splendid isolation, or feast your eyes on baroque treasures in the least expected of settings, these five alternative mountain resorts will open your eyes to all that the Alps still have to offer.
Whether you’re looking to share fondue on the slopes outside Salzburg, hike in splendid isolation, or feast your eyes on baroque treasures in the least expected of settings, these five alternative mountain resorts will open your eyes to all that the Alps still have to offer.
Hotel Lodji | Credit: Justin Paquay
Saint-Martin-de-Belleville, France
Any skier worth their salt will have Les 3 Vallées on their radar. The world’s largest ski area is home to seven famous resorts, Courchevel and Méribel among them, but this traditional Savoyard village of stone and wood farmhouses remains wonderfully unspoilt – compact and agrarian, with narrow cobbled streets and a small church housing an unexpected array of baroque treasures. There’s also a wealth of good restaurants maximising regional produce, such as the slopeside Le Montagnard – family-run, built in a converted stable and where, alongside next-level raclette and burgers, you might find Lake Geneva-caught Arctic char, or a coral lentil risotto. There’s also Le Corbeleys, located at the top of the gondola and a perfect piste stop for a coffee, hot chocolate or local speciality such as Beaufort cheese tart. Keep an eye out around town, too, for artisanal beers made by nearby microbrewery Brâva Vela. Unlike the other Les 3 Vallées hotspots, Saint-Martin-de-Belleville isn’t the place for all-out après, but cosy bistro L’Art B is a good place to kick back, with its regular roster of live bands. Alternatively, the 47-room Hotel Lodji has a daily DJ set in the early evenings and – blending traditional timber bones with plush contemporary Alpine luxury – is also a highly salubrious place to lay your head.
Hotel Albrici
Poschiavo, Switzerland
In Switzerland’s largest and easternmost canton, Graubünden, lies one of the country’s smallest treasures. Perched on a haunch of Switzerland surrounded by Lombardy, the Italianate village of Poschiavo is characterised by beautiful 19th-century palazzi and winding, traffic-free laneways – a fact that recently saw it awarded the 2025 Wakker Prize, for preservation of heritage, community and architecture. The most spectacular way to reach this Alpine gem is aboard the Bernina Express – one of the world’s steepest and tallest railways. Drop your bags at the Hotel Albrici, built as a mayoral palace in 1682 and home to copious antiques, wood panelling and some serious oil paintings. Just outside, on the central Plazza da Cumün, is the Church of San Vittore Mauro, dating from the 13th century, and plenty of other historic buildings, elegantly shuttered and painted in pinks, blues and ochres. As well as ski touring, the 25km-long Valposchiavo is known for its distinctive food culture, with many restaurants committing to the goal of serving "100% Valposchiavo" products on their menus, among them the Albrici’s dining room and the fully organic Bio-Bistrò, also on the main square and with an adjoining café and gelateria.Champoluc, Italy
All eyes may be on the Dolomites, as Cortina d’Ampezzo gears up to host the 2026 Winter Olympics, but over in north-west Italy, the Aosta Valley is a less heralded yet highly rewarding Alpine destination. Rich in Roman and Savoy history, Italy’s smallest region is home to the village of Champoluc, founded by medieval Germanic Walser settlers and today a low-key resort of quiet slopes and sturdy, slate-roofed houses. Offering superlative views of the surrounding pine forests and the glaciers of the Monte Rosa massif, it’s connected to the neighbouring Walser villages of Gressoney-La-Trinité and Gressoney-Saint-Jean, the latter boasting a Savoy castle. In Champoluc, though, the surrounding Monterosa Ski area – with around 180km of pistes – is the star attraction. Reward your exertions with a classic bowl of venison with polenta, or perhaps a Valdostana soup, made with bread and cabbage, at Lo Bistrot, set in the sleek new Au Charmant Petit Lac eco-hotel, before heading upstairs. Alternatively, cosy up in one of Champoluc’s more traditional, atmospheric hotels, such as the family-run Le Rocher.
Saint-Gervais
Saint-Gervais, France
For historic interest, few resorts can rival the four Haute Savoie villages of Saint-Gervais, at the foot of Mont Blanc, with their architectural eye candy spanning baroque to belle époque and right up to the contemporary. The largest and most lively of the four villages is Saint-Gervais itself. Car-free, it is famous for its well-preserved medieval fortified houses and its thermal spa, which opened in 1806 and is now linked to the main town via an impressive new funicular. The whole area has seen an investment in eco-friendly transport links, including a gondola upgrade that means Saint-Gervais is now the only French ski resort providing direct access between major European railway routes and the slopes. You can take a self-guided tour of the Saint-Gervais cultural highlights, but you’ll also want to explore the neighbouring villages: Saint-Nicolas de Véroce, with its ornamental church interior elaborately decorated in blue and gold; the ski-touring/snowshoeing paradise of Le Bettex; and Le Fayet, a good place to pick up the Mont Blanc Tramway. If you base yourself at the quaint, red-shuttered Le Coeur des Neiges boutique hotel, you can duck next door to Le Galeta for dinner, where a day of on-piste or cultural discoveries will justify one of its indulgent fondues, or steak cooked over the open fire.Filzmoos, Austria
Alpine idylls don’t get much better than Filzmoos, a chocolate-box town in the Salzburg region, loved equally for its summer hiking and broad, beginner-friendly ski slopes. Tucked between the Bischofsmütze and Dachstein mountains, it's made even more Hallmark movie-worthy with horse-drawn sleigh rides through town and up the mountain to the Unterhofalm and Oberhofalm huts, where, depending on the season, you might want to settle in fireside with a gluhwein or unleash your inner Heidi exploring the impossibly pretty Alpine pastures. Filzmoos punches above its weight for food: it’s telling that Johanna Maier, Austria’s only female chef to be awarded four Gault-Millau toques and two Michelin stars, and known for her love of local produce, has a cooking school here, where you can also learn to forage for mushrooms, herbs and other mountain bounty. If you like your käsespäetzle (Austria’s take on a macaroni cheese) and kaiserschmarrn (sweet pancakes), there are numerous mountain huts to try, while, in town, Maier’s old stomping ground, the timber-fronted Hubertus Boutiquehotel, has pretty, light-filled rooms and a café with all the cream-filled cakes needed to keep the home fires burning.