The famous French winter resort Montgenevre is located in the picturesque Kotskyi Alps, on the border between France and Italy. It is part of the famous international ski region Via Lattea, which includes a number of popular Italian resorts. Montgenèvre is considered an ideal place for a family holiday, with few super-difficult tracks for professionals who prefer the steeper slopes of the neighboring areas, but there is a significant number of routes of medium difficulty and tracks for beginners. Excellent conditions are also created for children, where there are both special skating rinks and regular playgrounds. This resort is one of the first in France, it was founded in 1907 and has already celebrated its centenary.
Vacationing at the Montgenevre resort is very popular, firstly, due to its beautiful slopes and well-maintained tracks, and secondly, due to its proximity to neighboring Italian resorts. In addition, by renting a car, you can easily visit the nearby French ski resorts, namely Serre Chevalier and the picturesque La Grave .
On the slopes of Montgenevre, a single “ski pass” is used, which allows you to ski on the entire territory of Via Lattea, including the slopes of Souze d’Oulx, Sansicario, Sestriere, Cesano, Claviere and other areas related to skiing Italy. The entire resort area is served by special buses that regularly transport tourists from one facility to another. In the northern part of Italy, in the valley of Val di Sousa (Via Lattea), there is a railway station Ulx, which is an intermediate on the way connecting such famous cities as Milan, Turin, Paris and Modan. From there you can get to Montgenèvre by regular bus.
Ski resort Montgenevre, France
Tracks, slopes and lifts
The French resort has 65 kilometers of ski tracks of varying degrees of difficulty with a height difference of about 900 meters. All the pistes for professionals are located on the slopes of Les Salvias, although most of them are more of an average level of difficulty, as are almost all the descents of Montgenevre. The trails for beginners are concentrated in the Klaviere area, where novice mountain skiers get the opportunity to hone their skills in comfortable conditions. The several hundreds of kilometers of excellent snow pistes of Via Lattea represent a wide range of possibilities for all fans of alpine skiing, from beginners to professionals. Therefore, tourists who come to ride in Montgenevre, are not limited to this resort, actively using the mountain slopes on the Italian side. Snowboarders also love the resort of Montgenevre, because it is here that beautiful slopes for amateurs and long tracks on various terrains for the most experienced fans of this sport have been created. Fans of flat skiing areas are remembered in Montgenevre, for which the resort has prepared about 30 km of good trails, while 8 km of trails go from the resort itself, starting in the Clary Valley. In general, the total length of descents is about 45 km.
A thick layer of soft, fluffy snow provides skiers with comfortable skiing, and fabulous landscapes that can be seen from almost any height add vivid impressions of recreation at the resort. All Via Lattea skiing areas are equipped with lifts of different capacities, with the help of which you can easily move from the French territory to the Italian one and vice versa.
Speaking of skiing holidays at the resort, it should be noted that the slopes of Montgenevre are located on both sides of the gorge: the picturesque slopes of Les Salvias are more south-facing, starting directly from the village, while the northern slopes called Les Anges and Querlays start on the opposite side of the road (more tracks are located on the northern slopes, and the snow cover is much better here).
If you are a fan of extreme descents, during which the blood runs cold in your veins, then a vacation in Montgenevre is not for you, since there are few difficult trails in this region. Steep and dangerous descents are located in the area of Salvia and Claviere. In addition, most of the difficult descents are marked “black” (although they still correspond to the “red” level). But the lack of really difficult tracks does not mean that in Montgenevrethere are no interesting tracks at all, on the contrary, there are such tracks here, and they start from the upper station of the famous chairlift called Roche d’Aigle, located on the Italian border. But in Sestriere itself there are beautiful steep slopes open for skiing, while if you wish, you can organize off-piste skiing on the following routes – Sizes and Fraiteve (if you decide to do flat skiing, being a beginner skier, we advise you to take an experienced guide with you, which will insure you in unforeseen circumstances). Intermediate skiers who prefer variety will appreciate the slopes and slopes of the Via Latte area. But most of the tracks and descents here are for beginners: yes, comfortable tracks and slopes have excellent snow cover. At the same time, they are located at the foot of the northern district,
Where to stay
A distinctive feature of Montgenevre is that there is no expensive and fashionable housing. Hotels, cozy rural chalets and small apartments are quite simple and cozy. Most of the hotels in the resort have a “two-star” class, there are two hotels (Napoleon and Valerie) whose level corresponds to “three stars”, there are seven hotels in the resort town and the La Ferme d’Augustin apartments are located near the northern slope.
Le Napoléon
Hotel Valérie
Apartment La ferme d’augustin
Résidence Club mmv Le Hameau des Airelles **** 4 star hotel
The Résidence Club **** MMV Le Hameau des Airelles complex is located 500 meters from the Montgenèvre Golf Club, at the foot of the ski slopes. It features the Ô Pure Spa and a heated pool with mountain views. The first visit to the spa center is free. Free Wi-Fi is available in public areas.
The chalet-style apartments feature a terrace or balcony, a kitchenette, a flat-screen TV, a DVD player and a private bathroom with a hairdryer. Bed linen and towels are included in the price of accommodation.
Guests have at their disposal a modern lounge with a fireplace, a hydromassage bath, a hammam, a sauna, a treatment room, a game room, a children’s club and a luggage storage room. Additionally, procedures using Payot cosmetics are offered. One free visit to the spa is included in the price of the stay.
There is a bakery, a mini club and a playground on the territory. Hiking, horseback riding, snowshoeing, as well as snowmobiling, dog sledding, and mountain biking are popular among outdoor enthusiasts. Children can play with inflatable toys, ride a donkey or in a carriage, and in the summer ride on a 450-meter-long toboggan run.
The complex is located 14 km from the railway station of Briançon. Guests can use covered parking.
Chalet Le Pot de Miel
This luxury B&B is located in Montgenevre , in the Milky Way ski area, just 1 mile from the Italian border. Guests will have free access to the sauna, hot tub and billiards room. In addition, there is a private bar and a large living room with an open fireplace.
All rooms at Chalet Le Pot de Miel B&B have a flat-screen TV with DVD player, a wardrobe and a south-facing balcony with mountain views. Slippers and a bathrobe are provided in the private bathroom.
The bed and breakfast offers a complimentary buffet breakfast and afternoon tea. Hot drinks are served in the large lounge with a traditional open fireplace. A 3-course dinner including local cuisine is available upon request and for a fee.
Chalet Le Pot de Miel is 30 km from Ecrenom National Park and 14 km from Briançon Train Station. In winter, guests can enjoy direct access to the ski slopes, and in summer – go hiking. Free private parking is available on the territory.
Hôtel Alpis Cottia 2-star hotel
The Alpis Cottia Hotel is located in the Montgenèvre ski resort, just 2 km from Claviere and the border with Italy. It offers a terrace with mountain views, free Wi-Fi and a ski pass sales point.
The rooms at the Alpis Cottia Hotel are decorated in a traditional Alpine style. The windows offer a view of the mountains. The rooms have a telephone, a flat-screen TV, and a bathroom.
A breakfast buffet is served every morning. A variety of drinks can be ordered at the nearby Le Graal Cafe. There are several shops and restaurants nearby.
The hotel has a ski storage room. Briançon Train Station is 12 km away. The hotel is a 20-minute drive from the high-speed train station in the Italian commune of Ulx and a 90-minute drive from Turin Airport. There is a parking lot in front of the hotel with 8 parking spaces, subject to availability.
Anova Hotel & Spa
Located in the ski resort of Vois-lacto, this design spa hotel features an indoor pool, hot tub and sauna. The hotel terrace offers a view of the ski slopes. Just 650 meters from the hotel is the Montgenèvre Golf Club.
The hotel offers rooms with mountain views, equipped with an iPod docking station and an LCD TV. All rooms are stylishly decorated and equipped with a bathroom with a heated towel rail.
In the restaurant of the Anova spa hotel, guests will be offered dishes of traditional and international cuisine. A bar with a fireplace is also available to guests, where you can order drinks to your taste. A continental breakfast is served every morning.
In the hotel’s spa, guests can order massage sessions, visit cosmetology procedures or a hammam. Guests can use free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel.
Guests are provided with a private parking space on the hotel premises. The distance to the Italian border is 1.5 km.
Off skis
The choice of entertainment is not so wide, although the main attributes, including bars and discos, are present here. Among the culinary establishments, it is worth noting Ca del Sol , where pizza is prepared elegantly, as well as restaurants with traditional Italian cuisine, Transalpin and Estable .
After cross-country skiing and walking, you can visit one of 40 bars or quiet restaurants, and in the evening you will find a modern disco, a modern cinema and an outdoor skating rink. If you wish, you can go for breakfast, lunch or dinner in neighboring Italy, which is just a stone’s throw away.
Montgenevre ski resort is designed primarily for couples, probably for this reason there is not so much entertainment here. Every week there is a market in the town where you can buy fresh food and various souvenirs for family and friends. And you can go on an exciting excursion to nearby Briançon, a beautiful and oldest city.
In order to diversify your vacation and take a little time off from skiing on the snowy slopes, it is worth taking a light tour of this small French village and appreciate the sophistication of the local architecture in combination with the traditional way of life of its inhabitants. The main local attraction is Fort du Chaberton , which was built in 1914, at an altitude of more than three thousand meters above sea level.
Not far from Montgenevre , about a 15-minute drive, is the ancient border town of Briançon.
It is a kind of unique historical monument, which has a rich history and a rather romantic location, rising to 1350 meters above sea level. In the Middle Ages, this territory belonged to the Counts of Albon, and the defensive city fortifications were built by the military engineer Sébastien Le Pretre de Vauban in the 17th century, which were later included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Brianson wrote a page of glory in the history of France in 1815, when for three months he restrained the aggressive attacks of his opponents during the Napoleonic Wars. Now, not much more than 10,000 people live here, and the city is a connecting link with several adjacent ski resorts.
A little further behind Briançon, just a 40-minute drive from Montgenèvre, is the picturesque Ecrenom National Park, which adorns the territory of the Western Alps. It was founded in 1973 and is considered the fifth National Park of France. The reserve is full of pine and oak forests, which harmoniously complement the green alpine meadows. About a hundred mountain peaks have a height of more than 300 meters, while there are about 40 glaciers here, which also occupy a significant area. There are 740 kilometers of hiking trails outside the park area, which are equipped with several dozen special shelters. The park is home to such representatives of the animal world as roe deer, alpine marmot and golden eagle. Ekren is popular among tourists, and many guests of ski resorts often come here to appreciate the amazing natural scenery of these places.
Montgenevre is unique in that its attendance almost never drops, and the contingent of people who come to the local ski slopes is always the same. At the same time, repeated visits are a feature of this resort. Beautiful nature, excellent climate, low prices for accommodation in hotels, a huge selection of trails and the possibility of combining with the ski areas of the adjacent Italian regions make Montgenevre one of the most profitable skiing destinations in France.
As you can see, a vacation at the Montgenevre ski resort promises exclusively positive emotions, because this resort has enough advantages, so you should not waste your time, but already think about a wonderful vacation that you will definitely remember for the rest of your life.