Look no further for the big ski adventure!
The Rhône Alpes has also hosted the Winter Olympics three times: Chamonix 1924, Grenoble 1969, Albertville 1992. It is also in 2nd position of France’s most popular regions with tourists: registering over 150 million visitor nights each year.Resorts are divided into 7 large families.
- 46 Grand Domaine resorts giving access to a linked ski area under a single pass.
- 48 attractive villages which have signed up to the charter of Villages de Montagne, traditional villages without modern buildings and offering protected natural spaces.
- 36 resorts offering the latest winter sports, with specialist instructors and safe facilities (snowpark, boardercross…).
- 18 Club resorts that combine contemporary buildings and facilities, the latest ski equipment and easy access to other leisure activities and evening entertainment.
- 21 Nordic resorts with “alternative” ski trails that are maintained on a daily basis.
- 12 “altiforme” resorts offering balneotherapy facilities.
- 24 “famille plus” resorts which are committed to a quality charter aimed at responding to the requirements of both parents and children enjoying a holiday on the slopes.
Glamorous resorts that attract glamorous people.
Megève and Courchevel welcome the top celebrities from the whole world. Notably Tom Cruise who spent a holiday at Megève’s Fermes du Grand Champ. The resort experienced its hour of glory after the War, when all the great Parisian stars decamped from Saint Germain des Prés to bring a touch of glitz to this pretty mountain village that had been launched by the Rothschild family in 1910.
Cross country skiing in Megeve, Rhone Alps
The 1990s brought a new lease of life to the resort following the creation of Les Fermes de Marie. A number of other luxurious hotels came next and Megève has regained its international name and atmosphere whilst managing to retain all of its village charm. The Megève Polo Masters and the Snow Golf Cup have become events not to be missed by the world’s “beautiful” people.
Courchevel, Jewel in the crown of the 3 Valleys
“Courch” , as it is known by regular visitors, is the name for Courchevel 1850 with its lavish 4* hotels. There is a non-stop society life and numerous luxury boutiques. Jewel in the crown of the 3 Valleys, Courchevel is known throughout the whole world because of its strongest asset: its ski area.
Most of the hotels are located on the edge of the slopes, which allows for ski-in/ski-out holidays. The resort inherited its atmosphere of recreation for everyone from Emile Allais, the former world downhill ski champion, who was the resort’s technical director for a number of years.
The sunshine resort : Alpe d’Huez
Alpe d’Huez, a resort in the ski area of the Massif des Grandes Rousses, is the sunniest resort in the northern Alps. It is also here that skiers can tackle Europe’s longest black slope, over 16 km, from the Sarenne glacier at an altitude of 3300 m to the resort at 1500m. All ski fanatics dream of “doing” the Sarenne.
Snowboarding Alpe d'Huez Grandes Rousses, Oisans
Chamonix, world famous
Chamonix is the world’s 3rd most visited site. More than 40 nationalities come to the town each year, seduced by the grandeur of the area and the never-ending sporting options that are available in the Massif du Mont Blanc.
Indeed it is possible to try every type of mountain sport in Chamonix. Mountaineering, obviously, tackling the highest peaks that surround this little town which grows from 6000 residents out of season to 50,000 in the summer and winter.
It is also possible to enjoy top-level skiing in the Vallée Blanche ski area, but the less adventurous and children can have as much fun in the areas down below where skiers can enjoy both off-piste and beginners’ slopes.
The love story between the British and Chamonix has been going on since 1741 when William Windham and Richard Pocock came to record the beauties of the valley. The first hotel was built in Chamonix in 1770, called, of course, the Hôtel d’Angleterre.
A sample of 1000s of Tourist Opportunities in Rhône-Alpes
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