Europe’s most loved ski resorts: Verbier tops Condé Nast Traveler’s 2025 Readers’ Choice list

Switzerland dominates the upper reaches of Condé Nast Traveler’s 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards for European ski resorts, with Verbier, Zermatt and St. Moritz taking the top three spots. The survey, based on reader ratings, places Verbier first with a score of 94.04, ahead of Zermatt on 92.5 and St. Moritz on 92.2.

The top 20 at a glance

The full ranking blends big-name Alpine destinations with a handful of less obvious picks, including Finland’s Levi and Austria’s Innsbruck.

Rank Resort Country Score

1 Verbier Switzerland 94.04

2 Zermatt Switzerland 92.5

3 St. Moritz Switzerland 92.2

4 Courchevel France 90.96

5 Cortina d’Ampezzo Italy 90.34

6 Levi Finland 89.62

7 Crans-Montana Switzerland 89.57

8 Val d’Isère France 89.2

9 Innsbruck Austria 88.32

10 Corvara–Alta Badia Italy 87.12

11 Gstaad Switzerland 87.02

12 Flims Laax Falera Switzerland 86.91

13 Val Gardena Italy 86.64

14 Andermatt Switzerland 85.9

15 Val Thorens France 84.28

16 Cervinia Italy 84.06

17 Lech Austria 83.47

18 Chamonix-Mont Blanc France 83.38

19 Megève France 82.33

20 Kitzbühel Austria 81.2

Switzerland’s clean sweep at the top

Switzerland’s strength is the headline story: it supplies seven of the 20 resorts, including the entire podium. Verbier’s number-one position reflects its enduring appeal as a high-altitude, freeride-forward resort within the 4 Vallées, while Zermatt’s car-free village and Matterhorn setting continue to give it near-universal recognition.

St. Moritz, long synonymous with glamour, winter sport heritage and the Engadin’s high-altitude terrain, completes the Swiss podium. Further down, Crans-Montana, Gstaad, Flims Laax Falera and Andermatt give the country a broad spread across luxury, snow reliability and modern lift infrastructure.

Italy punches above its weight

Italy places five resorts in the top 20—Cortina d’Ampezzo, Corvara–Alta Badia, Val Gardena, Cervinia and, notably, Levi’s Nordic counterpart is absent, making Italy the second-most represented country after Switzerland. Cortina’s fifth-place finish is a strong result for the Dolomites, while Alta Badia and Val Gardena underline the region’s appeal beyond its World Cup pedigree.

Cervinia’s inclusion at 16 reflects its draw as a high-altitude, glacier-linked resort with access to Zermatt across the border, a combination that continues to resonate with readers seeking snow security and scale.

France and Austria: depth over dominance

France contributes five resorts—Courchevel, Val d’Isère, Val Thorens, Chamonix-Mont Blanc and Megève—showing strength across both the Trois Vallées and the wider Savoie and Mont Blanc regions. Courchevel’s fourth place is the highest French ranking, while Val Thorens’ presence at 15 highlights the enduring appeal of Europe’s highest ski resort.

Austria lands three entries: Innsbruck, Lech and Kitzbühel. Innsbruck’s ninth-place finish is particularly striking given it is a city-based ski hub rather than a single-purpose resort, while Lech and Kitzbühel represent the country’s classic luxury and heritage ski towns.

Levi: the Nordic outlier

Finland’s Levi is the only Nordic resort on the list, coming in at number six with a score of 89.62—higher than Val d’Isère, Innsbruck and Corvara. Its placement signals growing reader appetite for Lapland-style skiing: reliable early-season snow, a compact and family-friendly village, and the chance to combine skiing with aurora hunting.

What the ranking tells us

The 2025 Readers’ Choice list is less a pure measure of terrain size or lift capacity and more a snapshot of what sophisticated ski travellers value: atmosphere, service, scenery, snow reliability and a sense of place. Switzerland’s dominance at the top suggests that the combination of high-altitude terrain and polished resort experience still sets the benchmark, while Italy’s strong showing points to the Dolomites’ growing status as a serious alternative to the French and Swiss giants.

For skiers planning the 2026/27 season, the list offers a useful shortlist: Verbier for freeride credibility, Zermatt for scale and scenery, Cortina for Dolomite drama, Levi for something different, and Val Thorens for guaranteed high-altitude snow.