Championships of the Small States of Europe coming to Monaco in 2026

Small States of Europe monaco

The Monaco Athletics Federation has announced that the Principality will host the 2026 Championships of the Small States of Europe.

Following the most recent edition, held this past June at Gibraltar’s Lathbury Athletics Stadium, the Monaco Athletics Federation confirmed on 2nd December that Monaco’s Stade Louis II will welcome the 2026 competition.

The date for the next edition of the biennial sports championship has already been set: 30th May 2026.

In addition to athletes from the Principality, 17 other nations will be represented at the European Athletics-supported event, including Andorra, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, Georgia, Gibraltar, Iceland, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Moldova, North Macedonia, Malta, Montenegro and San Marino.

The 2026 edition will also serve as a key step in the preparations for the 2027 Games of the Small States of Europe, an event open to European nations with populations of less than one million citizens, which will also be held in Monaco.

Read related:

Louis-II Stadium set to undergo three-year renovation 

 

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Photo credit: Marvin Bouilly / FMA

Peak performance: prime Alpine property prices continue to climb

Property prices in prime Alpine ski resorts are increasing year-on-year as destinations respond to changing buyer preferences, with demand consistently outstripping supply.

According to Knight Frank’s recently published Alpine Property Report, property prices in the Alps’ most desirable resorts rose by 3% between June 2023 and June 2024.

“Since 2009, Alpine property values have shown strong resilience, with an average annual growth rate of 1.9% over 13 years, accelerating to 4% in the post-pandemic period,” reports Kate Everett-Allen, Knight Frank’s Head of European Residential Research. “In 2024, prices rose by an average of 3%, reflecting how the market has adapted to major challenges, including shifts in the economic and debt landscape as well as climate change concerns.”

In the elegant resort of Courchevel 1850—where Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer is set to open its first mountain hotel, the Palace des Neiges, in 2026—prices soared by an impressive 9% in just 12 months, bringing the average price per square metre to €33,200. The resort remains the most expensive real estate market on the French side of the Alps, ahead of Val d’Isère, which saw a 7% rise in prices over the same period.

In Méribel Village and Méribel, listed separately in the report, prices increased by 3.9% and 3.8%, respectively. Meanwhile, at the base of Mont Blanc, Chamonix experienced a more modest 0.4% price increase.

In just three French resorts identified as prime markets by Knight Frank—Morzine, Les Gets and Megève—prices fell slightly, between –1% and –2%.

Across the border in Switzerland, key resorts such as Crans-Montana, St. Moritz, Gstaad and Verbier all reported price increases ranging from 7% to 2.3%.

Indeed, Swiss ski resorts covered by the real estate consultancy’s 2024 Alpine Property Report outperformed their French counterparts, with an average growth of 3.5% compared to 1.5% in France.

“The Swiss National Bank’s early rate cut in March bolstered buyer sentiment, highlighting Switzerland’s credentials as a stable, tax-friendly destination amid global policy changes,” notes Everett-Allen. “High international demand kept these markets competitive, supported by Switzerland’s unique winter offerings and stable economy.”

The price increases identified in the report reflect buyer sentiments gathered from Knight Frank’s survey of over 730 high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) across 13 countries.

The survey results revealed that while properties in the Swiss Alps are the “top choice for property buyers”, the French Alps are not far behind.

“The French Alps remain a close contender,” explains Everett-Allen, “with buyers drawn to their unique charm and broader range of pricing.”

Read related:

More and more ski property owners are choosing to work from the mountains 

 

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Photo source: Courchevel Tourisme