Crans is the western village of the resort and the more upmarket of the two, its main commercial artery — the Rue du Prado — lined with a concentrated strip of boutiques, watches shops, and fine-dining restaurants that would not look out of place in Geneva. The village has an urbane, expensive feel: fur coats are not unusual, and the car park outside the casino fills with cars that cost more than most apartments.
The casino — Casino Crans-Montana — is one of the resort's distinctive institutions, offering the usual table games alongside a restaurant and a programme of concerts and events throughout the winter season. The Rue du Prado also has galleries showing Swiss and Alpine artists, and several of the watchmakers here sell items not easily found outside of Switzerland. The ski area access from Crans is via the Crans gondola to the golf courses and mid-mountain, or the longer Ollon chairlift. The setting is less immediately convenient than Montana's access to Cry d'Er, but the village itself is more interesting to walk around.