The small village of Val d ́ Isere is located in the French Alps on the border with Italy. The mountains rise around the municipality, which not only gives winter sports enthusiasts their money’s worth, but is also often part of the Tour de France in summer.
The municipality of Val d ́Isere
Val d ́ Isere has about 1,700 inhabitants and is located in the middle of the French Alps in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.
The municipality is made up of two districts, Le Fornet and La Daille, and is located at an altitude of 1,850 metres. It includes the two local mountains Solaise and Bellevarde.
Together with the municipality of Tignes, Val d ́ Isere forms the Escape Killy ski area, which was named after the French Olympic champion Jean-Claude Killy.
In the centre of the village is an old baroque church and around it are traditionally built chalets. This traditional construction method has also been used in the new buildings, so that you find yourself in a real mountain village here.
In addition to its large ski area, Val d ́ Isere offers a lively centre with many cafés, boutiques, ski shops, bars and restaurants.
A free bus runs through the village, which takes guests from their apartments or hotels to the slopes and brings them back in the afternoon.
A peculiarity of the municipality is the way in which the ski slopes that are located around it converge. Each slope ends at the edge of the village, so Val d ́ Isere and the surrounding mountains act like a cauldron and people meet again and again on the slopes when they reach the bottom.
The Escape Killy ski area
The entire Escape Killy ski area offers a total of 300 kilometres of slopes and 40 lifts. Of the 300 kilometres of piste, around 150 kilometres are located around the municipality of Val d ́Isere. The ski resort with the Olympic flair is very beginner-friendly, although it is considered one of the best ski resorts in Europe.
The slopes of the ski slopes are located on the two local mountains Solaise and Bellevarde as well as the two districts. Most of the slopes are especially suitable for beginners.
As the municipality is close to the Italian border, the slopes in Fornet and Pissaillas offer a particularly beautiful view of the Haute-Maurienne region. The summit can be easily reached via the Solaise Express, the Le Fornet lift station or the chairlift to the glacier.
The highest point of Val d ́Isere is located on the local mountain Bellevarde at an altitude of 2,850 meters and is the connection to the ski area of Tignes. The triangular mountain Bellevarde offers a descent in each direction. These each have different endpoints, which guarantees a lot of variety! The slope leading east is the most difficult and should therefore only be skied by experienced skiers.
The Santos slope is classified as moderately difficult and is therefore an exception, but it is not always open due to its location. If you dare to descend in a northwesterly direction, you will be rewarded with a view of the Grande Motte glacier, Mont Blanc and Grande Casse.
Basically, the slopes in the upper part are especially suitable for beginners, while the slopes in the lower part become steeper and therefore more difficult.
If you are on skis for the first time or if you want to teach your children to ski, you should orient yourself in the direction of the local mountain Solaise. The Solaise sector is home to many beginner-friendly slopes and most of the ski schools in the region are located there.
Winter sports enthusiasts who prefer to stand on a snowboard rather than on skis can try out over 25 obstacles in the snowboard park, including rails and walls. It doesn’t matter whether you want to discover snowboarding for yourself first or are already experienced, the park is open to both beginners and professionals. If you need a break in between, you can relax with a drink in the relaxation area of the snowboard park.
Val d ́Isere with children
Val d ́Isere is considered to be particularly family-friendly and has been awarded the “Family Plus” label. Children can learn to ski in a playful way in two specially equipped children’s parks and those who prefer to go tobogganing instead of skiing can do so on the specially equipped toboggan run.
The “L’Acticross” toboggan run offers various obstacles, such as a wave run or a tunnel, which have to be overcome.
In addition, children from 18 months can be cared for in the crèche if the parents want to go to the slopes, and children from the age of 3 go to the ski kindergarten.
Away from the slopes
In addition to the slopes, Val d ́Isere offers much more. Guests can go on six hiking trails, extensive hikes or keep fit on bad days in the “Centre Aquasportif” swimming pool.
A special highlight of the village is the natural ice rink in the heart of the community. Here you can race a car or a kart over the frozen track or try out a snowmobile.
There is also a biathlon stadium in the village, which is available to the public. In addition to this stadium, cross-country skiers can look forward to six cross-country ski trails that connect directly to Val d ́Isere and thus guarantee a lot of variety.
