On a snow globe of a day, I skied for miles in champagne powder up to my knees, from wide-open bowls down to the village. Hobbling in my boots on cobblestone streets, past wooden chalets with colorful Tyrolean-style window boxes, I took a bar seat to refuel on some spätzle at Pepi’s in Hotel Gasthof Gramshammer. The restaurant was founded in 1964 by an Austrian ski racer.
I could have been in St. Anton am Arlberg, Austria. But then, Vail Ski Resort was designed to feel like the Alps. It’s no wonder so many Europeans ski here.
On my trip to Vail, I learned you don’t judge a resort by its corporate reputation. This Colorado town might be one of America’s most hyped ski areas, but its roots are distinctly European. In 1962, Pete Seibert—a U.S. Army 10th Mountain Division soldier—named Vail’s first run “Riva Ridge” after the Italian slope where, during World War II, he’d taken part in a triumphant surprise attack on skis.
Vail isn’t the only U.S. ski area that feels European. In the 1930s, U.S. ski developers turned to Germans and Austrians fleeing Hitler and hired them to run America’s first ski schools. The students of St. Anton’s “father of modern skiing,” Hannes Schneider, helped transform American mountain towns into world-class resorts through European architecture and recipes.
From Aspen and Vail to Sun Valley and a town in Utah called “Little Switzerland,” Europe’s ski legacy lives on across the United States. You just have to know where to ski—or at least après.
Hotel Jerome was one of the first hotels to open in Aspen.
Courtesy of Hotel Jerome
Aspen, Colorado
On weekends, between training sessions at nearby Camp Hale, the 10th Mountain Division relaxed at Aspen’s Hotel Jerome, which was built during the silver mining boom in 1889. The division’s Austrian ski instructor, Friedl Pfeifer, returned to Aspen in 1947 and teamed up with Walter Paepcke (the founder of Aspen Institute) to open Aspen Skiing Company and its ski school. The first non-European FIS World Championships came to Aspen in 1950, and the rest is history.
Aspen transformed almost overnight from an old mining town into a glitzy, glamorous ski destination, with European instructors and racers flocking to it—along with former 10th Mountain troops, including Harry Poschman, who helped build Aspen’s first ski lift, the longest in the world at the time.
“Hotel Jerome is Aspen’s original luxury hotel and continues to be its social gathering spot,” says Maureen Poschman, Aspen resident and daughter-in-law of Harry Poschman.
Today, Aspen’s streets are filled with shops selling European flare (and fur), like Gorsuch, and hotels drawing on European design, such as the Aspen Institute’s Aspen Meadows Resort, with its Bauhaus-inspired art and architecture.
Where to eat
Austrian-owned French Alpine Bistro - Creperie du Village is dripping with ambience. Owner Karin Derly sourced the Gallic restaurant’s furnishings and art from European flea markets. Would you prefer to mentally transport to Italy? Order tableside cacio e pepe in a rustic chalet at Aosta, named for a region in the Italian Alps. If you fancy fondue, go to Cloud Nine Alpine Bistro‘s cabin.
Where to stay
A visit to Aspen isn’t complete without a stay at the town’s original gathering place, Hotel Jerome. Or opt for curated European minimalism at Mollie Aspen, named after the historic Mollie Gibson silver mine that operated near Aspen until 1918.
Leavenworth, Washington
Get your alpine and festive fix in one place in Leavenworth.
Photo by Mark A Lee/Shutterstock
If it’s alpine architecture you’re after, try Leavenworth, Washington, with its half-timbering, tiny windows, and wooden balconies. Formerly a Great Northern Railway town, Leavenworth transformed in the 1960s, remodeling its buildings in a Bavarian style to attract tourists and save the town from economic decline after the railway was rerouted.
A two-hour drive from Seattle, the town sits in a narrow valley of the Cascade Mountains. In October, visitors come for Oktoberfest’s steinholding—a traditional Bavarian competition to see who can carry a full stein of beer the longest—and when it gets cold, for the forested winter wonderland scenery. Between Thanksgiving and February, the entire town is decked out in thousands of lights and hosts carolers. There’s even a reindeer farm.
Leavenworth is also home to one of the country’s earliest private ski clubs, with a long legacy of competitive ski jumping. Visitors can still ski at this modest town-owned mountain, or head to nearby Stevens Pass, now on Vail Resort’s multi-resort Epic Pass. Or, if you’re up for a drive, take some of the best turns in the Pacific Northwest at Mt. Baker (which holds the world record for the most snow ever accumulated in a single season), Mt. Hood Meadows and Crystal Mountain, where Austrian film director Otto Lang founded a ski school and made some of the first ski movies, including such classics as Ski Flight and Sun Valley Serenade.
Where to eat
Fill up on hearty German fare and craft beer at München Haus Bavarian Grill & Beer Garden or Andreas Keller.
Where to stay
Book a room at the Bavarian Lodge or the Haus Hanika, a Swiss chalet with river and mountain views.
Midway’s mountains have enticed alpine skiers since the 1930s.
Photo by MichaelRitucci/Shutterstock
Midway, Utah
The alpine chalets, dairy farms, and “willkommen” (welcome) town sign featuring a girl in a dirndl may seem like they’re from Zermatt, Switzerland, but the town of Midway is actually in Utah. Set in Heber Valley below the picturesque Wasatch Mountains, 50 miles southeast of Salt Lake City, the area attracted Swiss settlers in the 1850s. Known as “Little Switzerland,” Midway has enticed alpine skiers since the 1930s, when the nearby Ecker and Becker hills drew the world’s best ski jumpers. More recently, biathlon and Nordic combined events were held at the nearby Soldier Hollow Nordic Center during the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics—and will be again in 2034 when the games return to Utah.
Today, the town is a gateway to major ski resorts, each with their own European charm. From the top-notch groomers to exclusive guest services, Deer Valley Ski Resort is reminiscent of Austria’s Lech Zürs, while Park City Mountain Resort’s endless skiable terrain and lively Historic Main Street give a nod to Les 3 Vallées in France. (And don’t miss the yodeling and lederhosen at the annual Swiss Days in August.)
Where to eat
Dine on reimagined alpine favorites, such as the porter ale and smoked Gouda fondue, in an Old World, European-style château at Blue Boar Inn and Restaurant. And be sure to try a bowl of the famous turkey chili at the Deer Valley Café.
Where to stay
Head upstairs after dinner to hit the hay in the Blue Boar Inn, which feels like an old hunting lodge, or drive 20 minutes to the newly constructed Grand Hyatt Deer Valley for ski-in and ski-out access. At Canyons Village in Park City, end the day like you’re in France’s Courchevel in the rooftop heated pool at the Pendry or with a spa treatment at Westgate Park City Resort.
For a bit of Old World charm, head to North Conway in New Hampshire.
Photo by Nick Beer/Shutterstock
North Conway, New Hampshire
The ski town of North Conway in New Hampshire’s White Mountains was once home to Hannes Schneider, who arrived in 1939 straight from anti-Nazi house arrest in Germany. An influential financier pulled some strings and Schneider was released to run his new ski school, bringing his revolutionary Arlberg technique, which helps skiers control speed and direction and was developed in Austria’s Arlberg mountains, to the USA.
Schneider’s son, Herbert, cofounder of the Professional Ski Instructors of America organization, later acquired Cranmore Mountain Resort, and Schneider’s grandson opened the Schneider Hof Hotel Garni in St. Anton, Austria, in 2017, bringing the family story full circle.
Today, Schneider’s impact can be felt throughout North Conway. From the New England Ski Museum to the oldest ski shop in the United States (Lahout’s, which opened in 1920). Visiting the region, dubbed “the birthplace of American skiing” is like going on a scavenger hunt of World War II–era European and old-school American ski history. Plus, it’s a short drive to about a dozen ski resorts.
Where to eat
Peach’s promises country café–style daytime dining, with apple cinnamon crepes, breakfast sandwiches, and lobster Benedict on the menu. For après fun, go to Moat Mountain Smokehouse & Brewing Company, a brewpub housed in a 1700s barn.
Where to stay
After hitting the slopes, stay at one of America’s first ski schools, now converted into Eastern Slope Inn Resort. Or opt for Old World Austrian charm at Mittersill Alpine Resort, modeled by Baron Hubert von Pantz after his Austrian castle and ski club. For a contemporary stay with views of Mount Washington and the Presidential Peaks, try the Hotel Indigo North Conway, which opened in December 2025.
The Trapp Family Lodge is still owned and operated by the Austrian family that inspired The Sound of Music.
Photo by Shutterstock
Stowe, Vermont
Early Austrian influences in “the ski capital of the east” date back to 1936. Another of Schneider’s students, Austrian engineer Sepp Ruschp, arrived in Stowe, Vermont, to direct the ski school at Mount Mansfield, now Stowe Mountain Resort—home to the country’s first ski patrol. By the 1950s, climbers and skiers were traveling from all over to the von Trapp Family Lodge and Resort, still owned and operated by the descendants of Maria and Baron Georg von Trapp, whose story inspired The Sound of Music. Over the years, the family has expanded the property with additions like the country’s first-ever cross-country ski center, the von Trapp Brewing Bierhall & Restaurant, and a kaffeehaus.
Where to eat
The Edelweiss Mountain Deli occupies a former one-room schoolhouse built in the 1830s. At the Swiss Fondue by Heinz try the Bündnerfleisch (Swiss-style air-dried beef) and fondue, made with three Swiss cheeses, kirsch, nutmeg, and white wine.
Where to stay
The Innsbruck Inn at Stowe is a charming, Alps-inspired hotel that reopened in 2022 after a major renovation. More luxurious accommodations (and slopeside access) care available at the iconic Lodge at Spruce Peak at Stowe Mountain Resort. You can also go rock climbing, sledding, or swim in the outdoor heated pools; ice skating is on site too. Or move off the mountain and into a European-inspired A-frame cabin at Outbound Stowe.
Sun Valley also has European roots.
Photo by CSNafzger/Shutterstock
Sun Valley, Idaho
In 1935, the Union Pacific Railroad commissioned Austrian ski resort developer Count Felix Schaffgotsch to find a piece of skiable land where “the powder is dry, the sun shines all day, and the harsh winds of winter don’t penetrate,” according to Sun Valley: A Biography. Schaffgotsch responded with Sun Valley, a mining town on the northwest edge of the Rockies, which he claimed “contains more delightful features for a winter sports center than any other place I have seen in the United States, Switzerland, or Austria.” One of the first U.S. destination ski resorts—and the country’s first chairlift—opened in 1936. Sun Valley has remained a prominent ski school, which was under Austrian leadership until 2006.
Sun Valley was another resort run by greats who trained under Schneider in St. Anton, like Sigi Engl (his trail, Sigi’s Bowl, offers gentle, intermediate terrain), Sepp Fröhlich, and Pfeifer.
For generations, Sun Valley and the neighboring town of Ketchum have been favorite hideaways for celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and Tom Hanks and a training ground for Olympic nordic skiers. Outside of Ketchum, take a break from the slopes to warm up in the natural hot springs—long a popular tradition in the Alps.
Where to eat
The inn sits in the heart of the village, close to Konditorei Bakery & Cafe, equally beloved for its après-ski cocktails as it is for its all-day brunch dishes like crispy schnitzel and waffles. For more Austrian-inspired dishes and a live pianist, try the Ram Restaurant & Bar.
Where to stay
Stay in Sun Valley Lodge and ask for Suite 206, where Ernest Hemingway finished his novel For Whom the Bell Tolls. Or check out Old World Sun Valley Inn, which is modeled after an Austrian ski chalet and opened in 1937.
Sonnenalp Vail has a sister property in Germany.
Courtesy of Sonnenalp Vail
Vail, Colorado
Vail combines big powder with old-school Austrian charm, dating back to that climb by Seibert and Eaton up Riva Ridge. It’s impossible to overlook Austrian Olympic skier Pepi Gramshammer’s influence on Vail Ski Resort. After leaving Austria in 1960 to teach skiing at Sun Valley in Idaho, he was lured to Vail the year it opened in 1966 and remained at the heart of the community until his death in 2019. Don’t miss Gramshammer’s former ski shop, Pepi’s Sports, for a wide selection of top gear and luxurious alpine knitwear, and stop by the Colorado Snowsports Museum, in downtown Vail, for the full story of the state’s ski legends.
Where to eat
Throughout Vail, you’ll find German- and Austrian-leaning restaurants like Alpenrose and Almresi, where the staff wears uniforms inspired by South Tyrolean mountaineer Luis Trenker. For a special treat, book Alpenrose’s gondola dining experience, a multicourse raclette and fondue meal inside a gondola shipped to Vail from Austria. At the Hythe, dine at Margie’s Haas, which is named after the woman who fed 10th Mountain Division troops in her own home.
Where to stay
Enjoy authentic Austrian hospitality at the base of some of the best skiing in the country at Hotel Gasthof Gramshammer, which the late Pepi and his wife Sheika founded in 1964. The 37-room inn has a rustic ambiance, with hand-carvings, wooden beams, and European flags out front.
Sonnenalp Hotel and the Swiss Chalet Restaurant are sister properties of a mountain inn of the same name that opened in southern Germany’s Allgäu Alps back in 1919; all are still owned by the Faessler family.
Sleek and chic, the Hythe Vail commemorates the achievements of Seibert through historic photographs and hosts a weekly ancient Swiss cheese–sharing ceremony called a chästeilet. And if you’re looking for classic Tyrolean-inspired charm, stay in Vail Village at the newly renovated Sitzmark Vail.
This article was originally published in 2021 and most recently updated on January 15, 2026, with current information.
