Gargellen

Grooming gets the warmest words: the pistes are immaculately prepared and hold their shape into the late afternoon, simply because there are not enough skiers to chew them up. Queues are effectively absent, since the few lifts comfortably exceed demand. Beginners have room, with blue runs spread across every sector. The altitude makes snow dependable, pass and lodging prices are moderate, and the mountain huts are a pleasure in themselves.

The quiet is also the complaint. The village is calm to the point of dullness: there is essentially no apres-ski, and anyone who wants it heads into the rest of the Montafon. Turning up for dinner without a reservation can leave you with nowhere to eat, as the choice of places is tiny. The real limitation is size - the ski area is very small and has no lift connection to any neighbour, so a full week here is not for everyone.