Luxury chalets and residences for life at the top

With the ski season in full swing, enthusiasts and aficionados are heading to mountains around the world to enjoy ski resorts, breathtaking views, and a multitude of outdoor activities. From the European Alps to Japan, Canada, the United States, and Eastern Europe, the mountains attract those who want to combine leisure and lifestyle.

While five-star hotels and rental chalets remain popular, more and more buyers are choosing to purchase their own residences in these resorts. Owning a property in the mountains means enjoying direct access to nature and a lifestyle where shared moments take on their full value. As Austin DePree, co-founder of Northworks, points out, these homes become much more than just a place to relax; they are a setting for encounters, memories, and a life fully connected to the surrounding landscape.

The 2026 Winter Olympics are currently taking place in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, which is hosting the competition again after 1956. The Italian resort, often referred to as “the Pearl of the Dolomites,” charms visitors with its elegance and timeless atmosphere, blending alpine chalets and midcentury design. Among the exceptional residences, some built in the 1950s and nestled in vast private parks, offer refined interiors, large panoramic terraces, indoor swimming pools, fitness areas, and heated garages, perfectly suited to mountain living.

Comfort and well-being are at the heart of new constructions: extensive underfloor heating, saunas, cold baths, steam showers, and gyms are now a natural part of prestigious homes.

In France, the resort of Grand-Bornand renowned on the international biathlon circuit and selected to host the discipline’s events during the 2030 Winter Olympic Games perfectly embodies this vision through a contemporary chalet built in 2022. Set on 2,655 sq m of landscaped grounds, it seamlessly blends traditional Alpine architecture with high-end contemporary finishes. The light-filled living area opens onto a south-east facing terrace, offering open views across the surrounding mountain ranges, while four bedrooms, a study, a ski room and an outdoor jacuzzi ensure absolute comfort.

This rare property captures a sophisticated mountain lifestyle, both elegant and in harmony with its natural setting, less than an hour from Geneva and in immediate proximity to Lake Annecy.

In the United States, estates such as Tamarack in Idaho demonstrate how mountains can be a place of total rejuvenation. This contemporary home, perched atop Sugar Loaf Peak, combines refined design with a wine cellar, sauna, and outdoor fireplaces. Beyond comfort, these properties invite an active and balanced lifestyle, where the rhythm of nature and the seasons guide daily life.

Living in a prestigious mountain residence means treating yourself to an environment where relaxation and activity come together, where every day can be spent in the great outdoors, in harmony with the landscape, while retaining the luxury and refinement of an interior designed for comfort and style.