The ski resort of La Rosiere in France is located on the border with Italy, in the very center of the Tarantes valley at an altitude of 1850 m, from where a stunning view of the valley opens. It boasts a variety of slopes and wide spaces for off-piste skiing. Here you can ride on the French and Italian sides in one day. La Rosiere is located in the neighborhood of such famous resorts as Val d’Isère , Tignes and Le Arcand differs from them in a calmer atmosphere and sunny climate. The resort offers excellent conditions for travelers with children and is officially recognized by the French Ministry of Tourism as the best resort for family and children’s vacations. Small guests will find a lot of entertainment here: special ski tracks, an ice rink, a climbing wall, children’s relay races, competitions and much more.
La Rosiere is a true rural paradise on the border of France and Italy, providing access to the San Bernardo Valley. The resort was built on the sunny side from natural materials (stone, wood, slate), which allowed to preserve the majesty of the mountain region and add alpine charm.
Tracks, slopes, lifts
La Rosiere offers a great mix of French and Italian skiing – together with the Italian La Thuile , it forms the only San Bernardo skiing area with more than 160 km of pistes and the option to order pizza for lunch. All tracks here are very picturesque. From above, they are presented as wide, sunny and spacious, going down they become narrower and go into the forest.
The skiing season at this resort, like many others in France, begins in December and ends in April. Additional snowmaking is provided by snow “cannons” installed on the slopes. Several ski equipment rental points are open. La Rosiere has great opportunities for off-piste skiing.
In addition to the usual ski routes, La Rosiere offers its guests grandiose off-piste skiing areas and so-called heli-skiing for trained skiers with professional skills. True, all extreme descents are carried out only accompanied by an experienced guide. The maximum height difference here is more than two and a half thousand meters. A good snow cover, which is provided by several hundred snow guns, allows vacationers to feel completely comfortable, and modern high-speed lifts make moving between skiing areas fast and tireless. For fans of cross-country skiing, there are about five kilometers of flat tracks. Experienced instructors are at the service of beginners, who help to master the skills of skiing in mountain conditions in the shortest possible time. In addition, right during the process you can enjoy the amazing scenery of the French Alps, which rise for many kilometers. A particularly beautiful view opens from the upper stations of the lifts, from where you can see not only the entire Tarantes valley, but also the majestic peaks of the Mont Blanc and Matterhorn mountain ranges. At the same time, there are several good restaurants in the mountains, where you can enjoy tasting local culinary masterpieces, so-called, without taking off your skis.
La Rosiere is the only French ski resort from where you can fly to the Italian massif of Val d’Aoste by helicopter. Experienced extreme skiers are thrown there for heli-skiing and snowboarding on pristine slopes. The resorts of La Rosiere and La Tuile are connected by a lift that will take you from France to Italy in 10-15 minutes. Snowzone (“snow park”, “snowcross” and “bordercross”) has been built on the territory for fans of snowboarding. The resort of La Rosiere is aimed at skiers of different levels of training, there are trails for beginners, and there are also quite steep slopes that are suitable for skiers with a high level of training, but most of the trails on it are for beginners and “a little bit of understanding”. The most interesting unspoiled slopes are around the Petit-Saint-Bernard pass and the Mont-Huillet mountain (3099 m), the difficult slopes of Les Cascades du Ruitor (height of the starting point – 3300 m, drop – 2100 m), Miravidi (3065 and 1800 meters, respectively) and Freduaz (2900 and 1700 m) are also good. It is natural that participants of heli-ski tours must have a good level of training and an appropriate level of technique.
There are also 2 slalom stadiums, 1 springboard, 2 toboggan runs and 12 km of cross-country skiing, 3 modern snow parks and 6 ski schools and 1 specially designated area for learning beginners (the resort is part of the “Little Mountaineers” association, so there is a well-developed recreation infrastructure for children and families). The slopes are served by 37 lifts (17 rope lifts, 17 chairlifts, 1 gondola and 2 funiculars).
For beginner skiers, the resort is a real paradise. There are many “blue” and “green” routes for them. More experienced athletes will not be bored either: in La Rosiere there are pistes that descend directly into the villages, they are long and laid out along interesting routes, for example, the 11-kilometer descent of San Bernardo. Experts in French La Rosiere are waiting for 12 “black” tracks of increased difficulty. The most difficult and attractive of them is Franco Berthod with a length of 3.6 km.
Where to stay
CGH Résidences & Spas Le Lodge Hemera 4 star hotel
Located in the center of the village of La Rosiere, Résidence CGH Le Lodge Hemera offers free access to the indoor pool, hot tub and sauna. All apartments have a balcony, and Ekuves Forest is 21 km away.
Each apartment has chalet-style décor and a living room with satellite TV. Bed linen and towels are provided and you can also take a grill racket set and a fondue set. The bathrooms have a hairdryer.
An oven, stove and dishwasher are provided in the kitchen of the apartment. Additional amenities include a fitness facility, and massage services are available for an additional fee.
Private on-site parking is 30 km from Bourg-Saint-Maurice and 19 km from the A28 motorway.
chalet les Clarines 2 star hotel
Chalet les Clarines is located in the town of La Rosiere, in the Rhône-Alpes region. An outdoor swimming pool and a ski storage room are available. It is located 18 km from Bourg-Saint-Maurice. The Lievre BlancSki lift is 500 meters from the hotel. Free Wi-Fi is available.
All rooms have a seating area. Some rooms have a dining area and/or balcony, a kitchenette with a dishwasher and an oven. There is also a microwave, refrigerator and stove and coffee maker. Each room has a private bathroom with a bath or shower. The chalet offers free private parking on site
Bike hire is available at this hotel and the area is popular for skiing and golfing. An array of activities are offered in the area, such as cycling and hiking. Eucherts ski lift is 800 meters from Chalet les clarines. Chambery-Savoie Airport is 76 km away.
Hyatt Centric La Rosiere 4 star hotel
Hyatt Centric La Rosiere is located in the ski resort of La Rosiere, close to the Italian border, and offers accommodation in modern rooms and suites. There is a bar on the top floor with views of the Tarentaise Valley. This hotel has a restaurant, an indoor pool, and a spa center with a wellness pool.
The suite at the Hyatt Centric La Rosiere offers mountain views. All heated carpeted rooms have a work desk. The apartments have a seating area.
On the territory of the hotel you can find a children’s playroom. The spa has 3 hot tubs, a yoga and relaxation room, steam rooms and a sauna. Massage treatments are available for an additional fee. Hyatt Centric La Rosiere can arrange fitness classes upon request.
Private covered parking is available for an additional fee. The Eucherts ski lift is 150 meters from the hotel. Guests can enjoy downhill skiing in La Rosiere. Bourg-Saint-Maurice is 19 km away.
Chalet l’Aiglon
Located in La Rosiere and with La Rosiere Ski School reachable within 700 metres, Chalet l’Aiglon offers a restaurant, non-smoking rooms, free WiFi and a shared lounge. This hotel is close to attractions such as Roches Noires Express Ski Lift, Manessier Ski Lift and Clarines II Ski Lift. Guests can use the hammam and spa.
At the guest house, the rooms are equipped with a wardrobe. Rooms at Hotel Chalet l’Aiglon have a bathroom with a hairdryer and free toiletries.
A buffet breakfast is served every morning at the hotel.
Skiing and cycling are among the activities that guests of the guest house can find nearby.
Popular points of interest near Chalet l’Aiglon include Clarines I Ski Lift, Lièvre Blanc II Ski Lift and Lièvre Blanc I Ski Lift.
Entertainment and active recreation
A special place in the life of the resort is occupied by its entertainment infrastructure. For those who do not mind relaxing after a whole day spent on the snowy slopes of La Rosiere, a health center was built
There, a sauna, a solarium, a Turkish hammam, a massage room, as well as all kinds of SPA procedures are available to visitors. Entrance to the center is paid, and it is open every day except Saturday. As traditional entertainment, the resort offers restaurants, bars, nightclubs, a cinema and a pub. For lovers of outdoor activities, snowshoeing, dog sledding, sledding or ice skating are recommended. Those who do not mind a large amount of financial funds can give them immediately, for a free fall from a height of 4000 meters on a parachute, after climbing there by helicopter. Another attraction at the resort is torchlight skiing, performed by specially trained people about once a week to the delight of numerous guests. Paragliding is also common here, and in general,
Those who want to get more thrills will be offered to fly on a paraglider or a helicopter, or ride with the wind on snowmobiles. In addition, treat yourself to a trip to the local cinema or bowling alley. Children will really like it on the ice rink. And one more thing you can do while in Lais-Rosières is to try snow-kiting – it’s inexpensive and a lot of fun.
Family vacation
The “family” profile of La Rosiere resort has been officially confirmed. It is included in the club of ski resorts “Malenki goryany” – for this, the entire infrastructure for accommodation, sports and leisure activities is designed for parents with children. The resort also received official Famille Plus status, recognized by the French Ministry of Tourism. Its infrastructure is perfectly adapted to children’s entertainment, and professional animators in hotels regularly organize interesting and exciting activities for children. The resort has many gentle slopes, there is a kindergarten for children from one and a half years old. Children from four years old and older can already attend the ski school.
Local cuisine
Sophisticated gourmets find indescribable pleasure in local cuisine. La Rosiere in France is a beautiful and cozy restaurant. Since the resort is located next to the Italian La Thuile, tourists have the opportunity to have breakfast with croissants in France, have lunch in Italy, and have dinner again in France. One of the most austere, but high-quality bars on the mountain is Le Foyer bar. Here they offer delicious pizza, pancakes and sandwiches at reasonable prices. Almost everywhere here you can taste fresh and delicious soups, Savoy dishes and all kinds of spaghetti.
Transport, how to get to the resort
The La Rosiere resort has a well-developed transport infrastructure. From early morning until the very evening, a bus runs between the skiing areas, transporting tourists to various destinations along the resort area. The cities closest to the ski resort with airports are Chambéry, Grenoble, Swiss Geneva and Lyon. Distances range from 120 to 225 kilometers. From any of them you can reach La Rosiere by expressway, bus or car. At the same time, it should be taken into account that the shortest routes lead through the Petit St. Bernard mountain pass, which is usually closed in the winter months, and the Rute de Village tourist route, the possibility of movement on which depends on climatic conditions.
You can also reach the Bourg-Saint-Maurice station by rail, from which La Rosiere is about 12 km along a picturesque mountain serpentine.
Sights of the resort
Among the sights located in the area of the resort and its surroundings, the Redoubt Runye Fort stands out, built by the French in the nineteenth century and which became the property of Germany in 1870. Today, the fortress is almost completely destroyed, but it is still of historical value. At the same time, entry to the interior of the fort is prohibited, due to the high probability of collapse, and therefore tourists are allowed to move only on the outer territory, taking photos of the surviving fragments of the once majestic military fortification.
Conclusion
La Rosiere is a unique world of winter entertainment, interesting for both adults and children. It is not for nothing that it is included in the number of ski complexes “Malenki Goryany”, which have a pronounced children’s direction. A rich selection of hotels with all kinds of entertainment, gentle and wide trails for beginners, a special set of services for children of all ages and discounts on the “ski pass” for the whole family are the signature features of this resort. The season here lasts from mid-December to April. During the Christmas week, numerous festive events are organized, and therefore it is especially fun here on such days. However, La Rosiere can never be boring, since the very principle of operation of this ski resort provides for the maximum number of bright impressions for those who visit it.