Four Mountains and a Silver-Era Town
Aspen is a mountain town in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, known for four ski areas, a refined cultural life and the red-brick streets of its Victorian centre. Founded in the 1880s as a silver-mining camp, it reinvented itself in the twentieth century as a ski resort and a gathering place for artists and thinkers. Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk and Snowmass each offer a different character, from steep, expert terrain to gentle learner slopes, so one pass serves every kind of skier and boarder.
The town itself is compact and walkable, with galleries, boutiques and restaurants beneath the peaks. The Hotel Jerome, opened in 1889, is the historic anchor, and the Aspen Art Museum and Wheeler Opera House carry the cultural story. Winter X Games, held at nearby Buttermilk in many recent years, add sporting spectacle. For a tourist board, Aspen's mix of mountain adventure and sophistication is a rare asset.
Maroon Bells, Music and Summer Mountains
Summer is no afterthought. The Maroon Bells, twin peaks reflected in Maroon Lake, are among the most photographed mountains in Colorado, with trails running onward into high alpine meadows. The Aspen Music Festival and School fills the summer with concerts in the Benedict Music Tent, the Aspen Institute hosts ideas festivals, and the Food and Wine Classic in June brings chefs and winemakers to town. Cycling, rafting on the Roaring Fork and Independence Pass drives complete the season.
Autumn brings the aspens' golden foliage, usually peaking in late September, and the valley glows. Neighbouring resorts invite combination trips: Vail, Beaver Creek and Telluride each give a different mountain flavour, and Denver makes a lively city start or finish. Within the wider Rockies and across to Utah, a ski-led itinerary can span states. A hotel group can anchor the story with slope-side and town-centre stays.
Read the full Aspen guide on Visit Travel Group, or see VisitAspen.co.uk on Visit Travel Group.