Crans-Montana

My base of operations in Switzerland was Crans-Montana, a town located halfway up a mountain in the canton of Valais. The easiest way to get there is by taking a funicular, and my apartment building is literally the first building on the right when exiting the top station. The bottom station is in Sierre, and not too far from the main train station. From Sierre I could hop on to the famously well timed Swiss railway network, catching trains to the many destinations I explored across the Swiss Alps. The funicular was part of my normal commute when I wanted to go anywhere else in Switzerland, it was always a great way to start a trip, and to finish one after a long day of exploring.

I loved staying in Crans-Montana. The town is so picturesque with beautiful multistory lodges, quiet streets, and peaceful parks and lakes. In winter time it is a ski resort, in summer the same lift infrastructure provides easy access to incredible hiking trails all throughout the region. The town itself has nearby forests that are beautiful to walk through, especially when I caught glimpses of the wildlife. I often saw tiny birds flying around me, and every now and then a squirrel scurrying from tree to tree. Wherever there is an open space in the town or forest the soaring mountains of the Swiss alps would dominate the view, creating a scene that looked like it was out of a movie. Everyday I would walk past and see that beautiful view. I kept reminding myself it really was real; I never tired of it.

The apartment I stayed in at Crans-Montana was incredible. It was well equipped for a long stay with a full kitchen and a large desk to do work at. But, my favourite element was the view from the balcony. The apartment was situated on the first basement floor of the building but the building itself was situated on a steep slope. So, while I was below ground on one side, on the other side I was two stories above the ground, and that was the side that has the balcony. From that balcony I had a fantastic view of the soaring mountains that were absolutely beautiful. But, what I loved most about this view was that it was always changing. The weather patterns in the area caused a huge diversity of differeing cloud conditions; often they flowed through the valley. From one day to another the view could be completely different, and sometimes, even within the day. The clouds would move so rapidly the scene would transform into something completely new while I watched. I frequently would glance from my computer to look out at the view, and very often, I would rush to my camera to capture the incredible beauty that passed by my window everyday.

I was so fascinated by the ever shifting clouds, on several occasions I had to try and capture it by taking a time-lapse. The below video is a compilation. Their not perfect, as I didn't have a proper trip-pod, but I hope they can share a little bit of the experience I had looking out the window of my apartment.

Staying in Crans-Montana was amazing, it was my gateway to the Alps, and such a nice experience compared to staying in a big city. I can't remember very well how I found this place. It was one of the few more affordable options I could find in Switzerland and I was worried it would be harder staying here because it wasn't a large city. However, I am so glad I did because the town had everything I needed and the benefits of being out in the mountains far outweighed any drawbacks. I spent five weeks here and yet I still wish I had more time to fully explore everything. Even so, that five weeks allowed me to experience what it was like to live in the mountains. I don't know if I would ever get tired of the incredible scenery. Certainly every day I was there I was always awed by the mountains, I felt so blessed to be there and to see it. With Switzerland having such a good train network, it meant staying in a smaller place like this wasn't a draw back. I could still easily access many parts of the country. When I return to Switzerland I would definitely be keen to either stay again in Crans-Montana again or find another similar town to stay in.

Thanks for reading – Edward

Written 1st of March 2026