Hike for the 100th anniversary in Crans-Montana

Crans-Montana celebrated its 100th birthday in 1993 with a lovely gift for all its guests: the “Promenade du 100ème” hike. On this timeless trail, visitors are introduced to the glamorous history of the resort through informative signs.

Crans-Montana is situated on a large sunny high plateau at 1500 m above sea level and has always enchanted its visitors with breathtaking views of snow-covered peaks from the Matterhorn to Mont Blanc. Today, the resort convinces guests from all over the world with generous summer and winter facilities, gourmet restaurants, tempting shopping opportunities, five swimming pools, an extensive network of hiking trails, and the label “Family Destination.”

The path starts at the greens of the Crans-sur-Sierre golf club, home of the Omega European Masters and undoubtedly the most spectacular venue on the entire European tour.

The route then leads eastward to the historical center of the town. Overlooking the sparkling water of the Etang du Grenon, the “Bella Lui” is a jewel of modern architecture: built in 1930 as a luxury sanatorium, it was recently converted into a youth hostel.

The hike continues into the charming Ycoor Park. This was a favorite place of the New Zealand writer Katherine Mansfield, who spent several months in Crans-Montana between 1921 and 1922 and wrote some of her most famous stories here. The hill on the right, the “Colline du Parc,” marks the site of the first hotel of the resort.

Further east, the path passes the piste end, where great sports history was already made: at the 1987 ski world championships, the Swiss national ski team achieved the best medal haul of all time, namely 8 out of 10 gold medals. From there, the hike continues through fragrant pine forests and alpine meadows towards Aminona.

Highlights of the hike:  

• Varied: parks, forests, lakes, shopping, architecture, and history
• Two world-famous sports competition venues for ski and golf
• Stylish alpine town or authentic mountain village? This hike combines both.