Zurs – Austria

Zurs may just be one of the best kept secrets in the world of snowsports. However, this sleepy hamlet won’t suit everyone. The remoteness of the village, one of the world’s first ‘purpose built’ resorts at an altitude of 1700m, and the frequent closure of the only access road (the impressive Flexenpass) mean that there is little to do beyond the confines of your hotel. It is essentially a collection of no more than 25 luxury hotels, where celebrities and the mega-wealthy go to ski.
 
The first lift was built in Zurs (Tsoors) in 1937 and the area regularly achieves 9 metres of snowfall a year (2m more than St Anton). Nowadays it is linked to Lech and offers good skiing for all abilities. Getting to Zurs can be arduous, with transfer times of around 3 hours from Zurich or Munich, but it can certainly be worth the effort, particularly if you have deep pockets and enjoy being pampered.