Whether you’re a new skier or an experienced shredder, everybody enjoys a nice blue run now and again. Carving out lush turns on a freshly groomed cruiser, pausing to enjoy the alpine views, it doesn’t get much better than that! Heck, if the mountain is fairly quiet, we’ve been known to whiz down the same blue run again and again... and again! There’s a lot of competition for the best blue piste in the Alps – blue pistes with few crowds or perfectly groomed snow or fall-line skiing or magnificent views – but for better or for worse, here are some of our favourites.
The Jausernabfahrt (#2A and B) is, in our opinion, one of the nicest blue pistes at the Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn. The Jausernabfahrt measures 7km and starts at an altitude of 2020m, leading you from the Schattberg all the way back to the valley near Vorderglemm. From the valley, you can take the Schönleitenbahn back up to Saalbach, or opt for the ski bus instead.
The small ski area of Ifen linked to Kleinwalsertal & Oberstdorf is characterised by unique snow dunes formed by the wind. The blue piste #5 on the Gottesacker plateau takes you through this magical landscape and the best part is that hardly any turns are required, leaving you more time to enjoy the scenery. The blue piste #6 will take you all the way down to the valley station.
Blue piste #38 on Sölden-Hochsölden's Tiefenbach Glacier is a lovely wide slope that undulates its way back to the glacier’s gondola valley station. The slope is wide and not too steep, so you can ski it all day and the snow quality should still be decent. Only on very busy days does the slope get some bumps by the end of the day.
View from the Tiefenbach Glacier in Sölden
A must-do when in La Plagne is Le Bozelet. This blue piste runs from the top of the Les Verdons mountain at an altitude of 2500m down towards Champagny and Vanoise. Le Bozelet is a nice long piste with gorgeous views of the Vanoise National Park. Look for it on the piste map under the name piste #11.
The Princess piste at St. Moritz is deserving of its royal moniker! Otherwise known as blue piste #21, it’s located above the town of Celerina, right next to St. Moritz, and offers great skiing and breathtaking views.
Before you set off from the top of the Passo Grostè in the Madonna di Campiglio, take a moment to enjoy the view of the huge rocks to your right. Then take the 5km Graffer piste (#60), which joins up with the Pozza Vecia (blue #66) to deliver you to the valley 3km further.
The Graffer piste at Madonna di Campiglio
Ischgl's Höllkar piste is the perfect piste for cruising peacefully down... or whizzing full speed! You’ll have to get here early in the morning if you want the piste to yourself, as it’s popular and fills up in the afternoon. Thanks to the fast lift, you can sail down the Höllkar again and again and again.
Connoisseurs love Grossarl’s blue run #3a and b, a long blue run that winds its way from the Kreuzkogel (2027m) back down to the Großarl. There are two scenic points along the way where you can stop to take a picture of the breathtaking views: the Natur-Platzl and the Servus-Platzl.
No list of great blue pistes would be complete without mentioning the Moraine in Val Thorens. A wide blue run cut right into the fall line, the Moraine also benefits from a nice new gondola which will whisk you back up to the top in no time.
New gondola at the Moraine in Val Thorens
Kirchberg's Fleckelalm lift is notoriously slow, but it’s worth the wait: at the top, a marvelous long blue piste called Fleck awaits. With a length of about 6km and an altitude drop of almost 1000 vertical metres, Fleck takes you back to the valley in style.
Born and raised in the ski paradise of Vancouver, Canada, I learned to ski before I can remember, balancing precariously on my parents’ skis as they sailed down the hill. I started snowboarding in my teens and am now delighted to be exploring everything Europe’s ski scene has to offer!
