Combine Skiing With Shopping In Barcelona

Anyone planning a skiing trip and looking at their options might consider Spain as their next destination. Excellent snow quality and ample winter sun combined with first class amenities and a wide variety of après ski activities are enticing more people to the Spanish resorts, of which there are over 30 spread around this mountainous country.

Most people don't realize that Barcelona is one of the most popular cities in Spain to visit and, as well as being famous for the nightlife, shopping, architecture and art, can also be combined with a skiing trip. Offering an ideal location to mix city sightseeing with a skiing holiday there are lots of great resorts close by known for their quality slopes and snow. To reach them it can take anywhere between 30 minutes to 4 hours and it's easy enough to catch a bus, train, or even drive there.

Just outside the city in the Catalan and French Pyrenees mountains there are more than 10 resorts to ski at, and Andorra is close enough to get to for a few days on the slopes. The opportunity for low cost flights to airports is better than ever and there are plenty of resorts in the mountains to accommodate all levels of skiiers.

Resorts near to Barcelona are not only known for their great snow, but also for not being too crowded, this means less queues and more time on the pistes for you. The high mountains and low tree line means there are many free ride trails and off piste runs to choose from. And the after ski scene is much quieter than the Alps which is preferable to families, beginners and serious skiers.

Closest to Barcelona are La Molina and La Masella, popular ski-resorts located in the Pyrenean Mountains that take around 2 hours to reach by car or train from the city, week days are fairly quiet and they're both reachable on day trips. The surroundings are beautiful and skiing conditions on the pine-covered slopes of the Vall de Nuria, together the 2 resorts offer more than 100 km of marked runs. La Molina has a big Snowpark easily reached using the Ski-jump chairlift and is perfect for freestyle, jumping and acrobatics. With one of the longest slope styles in the Pyrenees there are varying levels of difficulty and in the area of Torrent Negre an extraordinary 90m long Half-Pipe.

More suited for a weekend stayover is Baqueira-Beret, it's advised to rent an apartment at the biggest and most exclusive resort around as it takes around a 4 hour drive from the city centre. The biggest skiable area in the Catalan Pyrenees it has a reputation for also being the trendiest with premium facilities and first-rate skiing throughout the entire season due to its location in the Valley of Aran.

Travel slightly further afield to Andora and another fantastic skiing area in the Pyrenees, with a cool nightlife scene and crowded with english skiiers. It takes around 2 ½ hours from the airport to teach the area so plan on going for a few days and make the most of the snow.

Many of the resorts have piste opportunities for both downhill and cross-country skiing, there's also a vast selection of other mountain sports available, such as snow shoe walking, paragliding, parasailing, hang gliding, ice-skating, sleigh riding and skidoo trips.

In general the skiing season for resorts near Barcelona is from late November or December to April in the spring depending on snow conditions. An apartment for rent can be booked in the city and then used as a base to travel by train or car to the resort of your choice. A holiday in Spain can offer you all kinds of adventures and skiing is just one of the options you should take advantage of.