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SKIING? IN CANADA!

When you think about it, it's quite crazy that we spend endlessly long hours in stinky cars driving to European ski resorts, while you can be in Canada in just a few hours of flying, and skiing there is generally much better and not more expensive. So forget Europe; anyone who loves skiing, snowboarding, or anything in between should book a ticket to Canada. And then head to the next ski resorts.

Perhaps the most popular ski resort in Canada. It is located in the Coast Mountains, a two-hour drive from Vancouver, has 252 kilometers of slopes, and is suitable for every skier of any level. Built up from several neighborhoods, it is larger than your little French village, and in the center, Whistler Village, the roads are car-free. Shops, restaurants, cafes, and hotels; everything is here. To give you an idea of how good the slopes are, in another neighborhood called Creekside, the athletes stayed during the 2010 Winter Games, and this is also where the Olympic events take place – and of course, you belong there too.

Another famous ski resort for good reasons. It is located in the middle of the eponymous National Park, a two-hour drive from Calgary, and has 96 kilometers of slopes waiting for you. It is one of the oldest areas of the Rockies, so there are plenty of picturesque views and Instagram-worthy shots to be taken. Oh, and you can shop well here, should the snow become too much for you, and there is an indoor shopping mall where you can find everything from expensive to cheap that your heart desires. By the way, it is also a good base for visiting other areas, including Lake Louise, which can be reached by shuttle bus.

Here it is, Lake Louise, a 45-minute drive from Banff. A little four kilometers outside the village lies Lake Louise, so there you have the name explanation. Above that lake are the glaciers of Victoria, and in winter, the place turns into an ice rink, should you want to catch that winter sport as well. Many people sleep in Banff and drive to Lake Louise to ski, as it is much larger with 134 kilometers, but those who prefer peace and nature should book a hotel in Lake Louise.

This is the largest ski-in/ski-out resort in Canada, which means that the main street is essentially one big slope. Of the 92 kilometers of slopes, 20 are easy, 46 are average, and 20 are difficult. And, it is ideal for off-piste and freestyle winter sports enthusiasts.

For those who find all that white too white, Fernie is your place. The area and the slopes are accompanied by long stretches of green coniferous trees, which always makes for a beautiful picture. What’s also nice: they have a “20-centimeter rule.” If more than 20 centimeters of snow falls, all shops are closed in the morning and/or at noon, so even the working person can enjoy the new snow. See, enthusiasts then.

“Fairy-tale” and “colorful” are words people use to describe Silver Star. 91 kilometers of slopes, of which 57 are easy, 23 are average, and 11 are difficult. In case you were wondering, that colorful aspect comes from a rule that was established requiring each building to have at least three colors when construction of the village began. That law is no longer in effect, but they still adhere to it more or less. The average annual snowfall is 7 meters, so no worries about having to ski down a patch of grass.

This is the ideal place for the fair-weather skiers, as with 2000 hours of sunshine per year, this is one of the sunniest areas in Canada. But perhaps the name already gave that away a bit. In any case, the slopes are beautiful, the village is cozy and car-free, and that sun, oh that sun.