Valmorel ski resort is located near Vanoise National Park, in the center of the French Alps in the southeast of the country.

 

As the last of more than 50 purpose-built ski resorts in France , the design of the Valmorel ski resort had the advantage that mistakes made in resort construction over the previous two decades could be taken into account.

As a result, Valmorel was planned to emphasize not only all the advantages of a ski center built for winter sports, but also as a traditional alpine village that tries to meet the needs of skiers and boarders.

It was decided to create attractive villages in a traditional style, wooden buildings with slate roofs and stone facades, rather than concrete boxes of residential buildings.

Having tried this approach, Valmorel immediately won praise from skiers and boarders as well as reviewers when it opened in 1977, and today it continues to gain popularity on the world stage. The new company Club Med has big plans for the development of the resort (so far it has made the most investment in the development), while the company MGM has opened a new 5-star hotel since the end of 2012.

Despite these ambitious projects, the French ski resort of Valmorel is keen to emphasize its strange surroundings. The buildings in the resort cover only 3% of the territory, and the buildings are certified according to the highest standard of environmental management.

There is no car traffic in the resort itself and you can reach any place on foot or on snow on skis and snowboards, which only contributes to the image of a family-oriented resort.

Valmorel’s Grand Domaine ski area is linked by lifts to the neighboring ski resorts of Celier, Doucy-Valmorel and Saint-François-Launchamp, and covers 3,600 hectares with 152 km of cross-country skiing. Work was carried out on these slopes, new lifts were installed, power, speed and comfort of access to the slopes were increased.

Recent additions include ultra-modern gondolas capable of carrying up to ten people in each cabin, and a new six-person chair lift.

Location

Valmorel ski resort is located near Vanoise National Park, in the center of the French Alps in the southeast of the country. The resort is the first major ski resort on the road from Chambéry (one hour’s drive west) or when traveling from the north.

Tracks

Valmorel’s Grand Domaine ski area has a good mix of terrain with a significant 152 km of groomed ski runs. They are well suited both for beginners and those with little ski experience. There are also more challenging areas for advanced skiers and boarders.

Valmorel ski resort has no less than six learning areas, especially useful for beginners, where you can learn to ski well. This is a unique offer in France. Two of them have ski nurseries just for young children, another two are in Malatrai, while others are in the Creve Coeur and Doucy Combelouvière area.

Most of the ski slopes are for intermediate skiers, which is well suited to the main number of vacationers. Among the best offers is a long and high-speed track up to 4 km in length.

Although Valmorel is not very popular with fans of difficult descents, there are also difficult trails. In particular, the reds and blacks are found in the Col du Mottet, as well as on the Massif de la Lauzière. Eight black tracks include 3 km of the difficult Riondet section.

 

 

The branches of local mountain guides will be happy to help you with off-piste skiing. When the weather conditions are good, one of the popular off-piste routes is the long descent down into the Belleville Valley to end up below at Le Menuire in the Three Valleys Ski Area.

You can also sign up for a two- to four-day ski safari in the wider ski region with a mountain guide.

For fans of freestyle and snowboarding in France, Valmorel has several specially designed sectors located on the territory of the ski area. The “Snow Zone” has a bordercross track, a snow park and a freeride zone. There are three snowparks (at Goulet, Prariod and Bodin), bordercross courses (at Arenouillaz and Charmette) and two more snowmobile areas (at Goulet and Riondet).

Where to stay, hotels, chalets

Regardless of the type of accommodation you choose, you will have beautiful views of the mountains and slopes from the window. In addition to the main territory with the comfort level “4 tridents”, there is an exclusive accommodation with increased comfort (“5 tridents” quarter). Its guests have additional privileges: maid service, breakfast in the room, minibar and a separate ski room.

You can also stay in apartments of 2-3-story chalets (which have from 2 to 4 bedrooms). A convenient option for a large company.

CGH Résidences & Spas La Grange aux fées 4-star hotel

The Résidence CGH La Grange aux fées complex is located in Valmorel. An indoor swimming pool and a health and spa center are at guests’ disposal. Free Wi-Fi is available everywhere.

Amenities include a flat-screen TV, a guest corner and a balcony. The fully equipped kitchen is equipped with a dishwasher and an oven. The private bathroom has a shower over the bath and is equipped with a hair dryer.

A fitness center, a massage room, a common lounge and a luggage storage room are at guests’ disposal. Product delivery service is provided.

The Lanchettes cable car station is right next to the complex and the Altispace 1 and Télébourg ski lifts are an 11-minute walk away.

Hôtel du Bourg 3-star hotel

With stone arches and wooden balconies, the Hôtel du Bourg is located in the heart of the Valmorel ski resort, a 5-minute walk from various shops, ski hire, restaurants and cinemas. The distance to the ski slopes is 100 meters. Free Wi-Fi is available in public areas and in some rooms.

All rooms are equipped with a flat-screen TV and a telephone. Each of them has its own bathroom with a bathtub.

A cocktail or an aperitif can be ordered at Pub du Bourg, a bar with a fireplace. A buffet breakfast is served every morning.

Opposite the Hôtel du Bourg is the Piou Piou Kids Club, a kindergarten and a ski school for children aged 18 months to 6 years. Guests can relax in the sauna and order massage sessions in the hotel’s spa salon.

There is a public parking lot next to the hotel.

La maison de Marie 4 star hotel

A detached chalet, La maison de Marie is located in the ski resort of Valmorel, 100 meters from the Roche ski lift. Barbecue equipment and free private parking are at guests’ disposal. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the territory.

The kitchen is equipped with a dishwasher, an oven, a microwave oven, a coffee maker and a kettle. Other amenities include a flat-screen TV. The private bathroom has a bathtub or shower.

The area is popular for skiing and horse riding. Chalet La maison de Marie is 200 meters from the Bois de la Croix and Altispas ski lifts. Active recreation enthusiasts can also go cycling, fishing and canoeing. Chambery-Savoie Airport is 48 km away.

Apartment Cotes 26

Located in Valmorel, a few steps from Altispace 1 Ski Lift and 200 meters from Telebur Ski Lift, Apartment Cotes 26 offers air conditioning. This holiday home is less than 1 km from Bois de la Croix Ski Lift and an 11-minute walk from Cheval Blanc Ski Resort.

Guests have access to a kitchen with an oven and 2 bathrooms.

Popular nearby attractions include Valmorel Ski School, Pierrefort Ski Lift and Tuileries. The nearest airport is Meite Airport, 88 km from Cotes 26 Apartments.

Chalet le Cornet

Located in Valmorel, Chalet Le Cornet features a garden, terrace, free WiFi, and garden views. The windows offer a view of the mountains. The holiday home is located a few steps from the Altispace 2 ski lift and 200 m from the Pierrefort ski lift.

Chalet amenities include 4 bedrooms, a flat-screen TV, a fully equipped kitchen with a dishwasher and a microwave, a washing machine, and 2 bathrooms with a bathtub.

Lovers of active recreation can go hiking in the surroundings.

Popular attractions are located near the chalet, including the Altispace 1, Morel and Prarid ski lifts. The nearest airport is Meitet Airport, 89 km from Chalet Le Cornet.

Attractions

The ski resort of Valmorel has a lot to offer besides skiing and hotels, although most of the alternatives involve outdoor activities. Ice climbing, paragliding, snowmobiling, quad biking and even the newfangled Segway available for hire.

High-speed riding, skiing with a sail, jumping skiers and snowboarders on the big-air jump, this and much more is available at the Valmorel resort. For indoor relaxation, a good option is the spa at the nearby La Léchère hotel.

The main attraction in the region is the Vallées d Aigueblanche ski area, which offers thousands of hectares of gentle scenery hidden by deep snow, perfect for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.

In fact, Valmorel is considered the only place in the world where eight-seater gondolas have been built to access the Belvédère du Bozon, which is 2,000 meters above sea level, from non-mountainous terrain.

In addition, within the Vallées d Aigueblanche area there are 40 km of cross-country ski trails that pass through two interconnected Naves Valley plateaus, the first of which is not far from the Grand Nav and is good for training, and the second near the Grand The plan offers several trails for all skill levels.

There are also 15 km of snowshoe trails and northern hiking trails that are good for trekking. A 200-meter toboggan slide, dog sledding, and 50 km of groomed trails maintained daily for winter tourism.

Family vacation

With its pedestrian village safety, convenient infrastructure and easy access, Valmorel ski resort is a good choice for families. As a recognition of its merits in the field of service to family tourists, Valmorel is currently the owner of the French Government’s “Family Plus” certificate, and this contributes to the creation of even more comfortable conditions for families.

For children, there are two Piou Piou Kids’ Clubs, exclusively for children aged 18 months to six years. The chalets where they are located are equipped with all the necessary amenities for children, as well as playgrounds for games in the snow. Children under the age of three can play under the supervision of teachers, while children between the ages of three and six can start learning to ski.

Older children can join classes at a regular ski school.

There are discounts on the cost of day lessons and ski school lessons for families of four or more members. There are also discounts on the lift when one or more adults or two or more children between the ages of five and 17 (under five free).

Shopping

Valmorel does not have a commercial reputation. There are about 25 shops in the resort. Valmorel ski resort, like most resorts, has ski shops, rental shops that provide clothing, skis and equipment and other necessary shops such as mini-supermarkets, bakeries and dry cleaners.

On Wednesday evenings, as in most ski resorts, there is a trade night, and bakers from the Marian Bakery demonstrate traditional forms of bread baking. Alternatively, sample the sumptuous local Beaufort cheese and other regional Savoyard specialties at the Coopérative Laitière in Bourg-Morel.

SPA procedures

To visit La Léchère thermal spa, you need to drive 15 minutes from Valmorel to Vallée du Morel. Although there is also an inpatient treatment center, there is something special about the new spa with its magnificent giant windows. The original spa was recently opened on three levels and includes 15 treatment rooms, an aqua area with four pools, an equipped beach and relaxation areas.

There is also a wellness center with a steam room, saunas, balneotherapy rooms, massage treatments and mud applications. The thermal water rises from a depth of 200 meters from the ground and has a natural temperature of 61 ⁰ C. It helps to warm up well before procedures in the spa center.

Après-ski

Valmorel, like most purpose-built resorts in France, is not a place for noisy nightclubs, but there are a dozen bars. From the original offers: entertainment is held four evenings a week. This includes sledding under floodlights on Mondays, showing ski school lessons on Tuesdays, and RC car racing on Thursdays.

Among the popular bars are Le café de la Gare, Jimbo Lolo, 29 Bourg-Morel and the very popular Le pub du Bourg, a lounge-bar with a fireplace, billiards and games. All of them are open until early morning. Also, après-ski, at the top of La Source, and 3 Bourg-Morel at the base of the slopes, which offers a good drinks menu, including a variety of cocktails.

Restaurants, cafes

There are several dozen restaurants in the ski resort of Valmorel , and there is an increase in the number of options in 4- and 5-star hotels offering gourmet services. But most of the restaurants in Valmorel are simpler and suitable for family vacations. These are the likes of Jimbo Lolo, 29 Bourg-Morel, which is decorated in a South American atmosphere, where you are served tapas from Mexico, and that is until closing at 02.00.

Le Café Alpin, 5 Bourg-Morel at the base of the slopes, does good pizza.

For regional dishes from simple crêpes to full-scale dining, La Flambée is a good choice, while another local favorite, Le Petit Prince and 7 Bourg-Morel, offer elegant cuisine including pierrades (meat cooked on hot stones, delivered to your room).

Another good choice is the restaurant Le Prariond, which offers high-quality cuisine against the backdrop of stunning views of Mont Blanc.

How to get there

Nearest airports: Chambery (CMF); Geneva (GVA)

Distance to the resort: 90 km; 125 km.

Travel time: 60 minutes; 150 minutes.