The best part about ski resorts in the summer? None of that icky snow.Instead, miles and miles of verdant mountains and fields, with a comfortable nip in the fresh mountain air.
Here are some family-friendly examples of ski resorts, which open over the summers to offer the perfect weather, coupled with great activities for all ages. All of them are award-winning properties.
HONSHU, JAPAN
Located on the west coast of Japan’s Honshu Island, Niigata Prefecture gets the island country’s heaviest snowfall. It is covered in snow, and from December to May it transforms into one of the most popular ski destinations in Asia.
From May to October, however, the green season in Niigata Prefecture features lush nature at its best and makes a choice summer destination for outdoor lovers.
Head to Naena Falls, one of the 100 best waterfalls in Japan, and famous for a thunderous sound that echoes in the neighbouring forest, earning it the nickname Earthquake Waterfall. In spring, the snow melts from the mountaintop, causing the volume of water to increase dramatically to create a truly magnificent sight.
About 30 minutes by car from Naena Falls is Lake Imori. The lake is famous for the mirror-like water that, on clear days, perfectly reflects Mount Myoko, soaring at 2,454 meters above sea level.
Niigata Prefecture is also known in Japan for its three white treasures - snow, rice, and sake - and is Japan’s largest producer of sake. In Niigata Prefecture, a visit to a sake brewery is an essential course. Established in 1842, Kiminoi Shuzo has maintained a rich history and produced sake using a traditional brewing method.
During the green season, Lotte Arai Resort operates high-speed zip tours 1,501 metres long and rolling above the Takada Plains, surrounded by Shin-Etsu Mountain. The resort also offers Tree Adventure, Japan’s largest aerial adventure, featuring over 100 obstacles over 33,000 sqm. The facility offers a special experience of flying between trees, hanging onto a rope, and passing obstacles in a wild jungle.
Lotte Arai Resort has added new activities, such as trekking courses that allow visitors to immerse in the beauty of nature and new campground that offers delicious meals of wagyu beef, chicken and sausage. The new green season activities run until early November of this year.
Known for optimal snowfall and dry, powdery snow, dubbed the best in Japan, the resort has won in four divisions of the 2019 Ski Asia Awards, which are reserved for the best ski resorts in Asia: Japan’s Best Ski Resort, Best Powdery Snow, Best Ski Hotel, and Best Snow Sport School.
BANSKO, BULGARIA
Named Bulgaria's Best Ski Resort for the sixth consecutive year by World Ski Awards 2018, Bansko is the most popular and vibrant winter resort in the Balkans. The town is located in the southwestern part of Bulgaria, at the foot of the Pirin Mountains, 1200 metres above sea level.
Bansko presents an increasingly popular, cost-effective alternative to ski resorts in France and Switzerland.
The only ski-in and ski-out hotel in the area, Kempinski Hotel Grand Arena Bansko is located right across from the gondola lift station, which gives access to 75 km of ski runs groomed at high international level, suitable for all skiers from complete beginners to advanced ones.
Voted as the Best Hotel in Bulgaria by World Travel Awards, the luxury hotel is the only international branded winter resort in this part of the Balkans and is open year-round.
From the free Kids Club and an outdoor kids’ pool at the hotel to activities such as mountain picnics, mountain hikes, off-road safaris, rock climbing, Quad tours, canyoning, rafting or day trips, the Bansko area is extremely diverse for all kind of tastes. The Bunderishka Polyana, a small entertainment complex, offers a shooting range, a mini football, mini golf, a human fussball game and a 400-metre water slide, likely the longest one in Europe.
Highlight of the rich summer programme will be the famous international Jazz festival from August 6 to 10, including stars such as the godfather of swing, Ray Gelato, singer and songwriter Malina Moye or legendary Maceo Parker will rock the jazz scene in the town centre.
Bansko Jazzfest has brought together more than one million audience in total.
GRAUBÜNDEN, SWITZERLAND
The GCC is an important part of the long-term growth strategy of the Swiss canton of Graubünden, which has established a new regional base in Dubai.
Flims-Laax, a snow-sure ski resort and summer getaway located in the Graubünden region of eastern Switzerland, has been voted Switzerland’s best ski resort on numerous occasions and is currently the World’s Best Freestyle Resort, according the World Ski Awards.
Gilles Repond, business development manager, Flims-Laax, says: “While Flims-Laax is famous across Europe for its world-class skiing, it also offers a selection of high-end hotels and year-round, family-friendly activities in a beautiful natural environment.”
Visitors to the resort can choose from a wide range of accommodation, including three upscale properties from Design Hotels.
rocksresort, the current holder of the World’s Best Green Ski Hotel crown, features 121 units with up to six bedrooms, plus six restaurants and two bars. A short walk away, Peaks Place features 102 units of up to four bedrooms, as well as a relaxing spa area. The Hide Hotel Flims – the newest of the trio – offers 47 units, an adjacent mall and a Lebanese restaurant for Middle Eastern guests looking for a taste of home.
It is a 90-minute car or train journey from Zurich, also accessible via helicopter for guests who wish to arrive a little sooner.
Flims-Laax boasts a selection of family-friendly activities that are perfect for those looking to spend a little time away from the slopes during the summer months, with perfect temperatures of 20°C to 25°C. From high-octane mountain biking and lake-based watersports to golf, tennis and tranquil nature trails, the resort offers something to suit every taste.
Guests in the mood for some retail therapy can take a 20-minute drive to the nearby Landquart Fashion Outlet, which is open seven days a week. For those looking to venture a little further, the resort is just a three-hour drive from either Munich or Milan.
For families with young adventurers keen to do some exploring of their own, Flims-Laax offers both day care services and the ever-popular summer retreat Junior and Teen Camp Switzerland (JTCamp).