Things To Do in Crans-Montana

The crisp air and the dozens of outdoor diversions here might inspire purchases of sporting equipment rather than kitschy souvenirs. The accessories and paraphernalia you'll need to do anything in the Alps will jump out at you from virtually every local shop. Two of the best, however, are Alex Sports, rue du Prado, in Crans (tel. 027/481-40-61; www.alexsports.ch), and Ski Rinaldo, route de Rawyl, in Montana (tel. 027/481-89-17; www.ski-rinaldo.ch).

Here's how the night scene works in the twin playgrounds of Montana and Crans: Head for a pub both before and after dinner. A suitably rowdy choice with a bit of flair and humor is Amadeus Pub, rue Centrale, in Crans-Montana (tel. 027/481-24-95). After your obligatory pints of beer, which cost around 6F each, head off to any of the resort's discos, preferably after midnight. The best of them is Xellent Club, rue Centrale, in Crans (tel. 027/481-65-96). The cover is around 20F, which includes the first drink, and both mingle -- in ways that can be a lot of fun -- electronic dance music with bouts of folkloric evergreen.