Haute Maurienne in winter

Where is Haute Maurienne?

Where is the Upper Maurienne ? Maurienne is a very long valley – the one at the bottom of which flows the Arc – which extends from the Combe de Savoie (towards Chambéry to put it simply) to the Col de l'Iseran along the border between Savoie and Isère, the Hautes Alpes and finally Italy. The town of Modane just before the Fréjus tunnel is the gateway.

For those who know the region better, it is the southern edge of the massif of the Vanoise. Who says Vanoise, called Natural Park, and indeed the nature is also splendid but there are also magnificent villages to discover here.

Where to start the journey through Haute Maurienne?

The trip to Haute Maurienne starts at modane, where most travelers and trucks leave France to return to Italy. The valley is narrow, with very sunny and treeless slopes on one side, and covered with forests on the other side. In order, we will come across Also, placed on a sunny balcony, then Lanslebourg et Lanslevillard which together form a station better known as Val Cenis, then it clears towards Bessan, a cross-country skiing paradise, and already at an altitude of 1700 meters, and finally we reach the end of the valley, right up there at Bonneval sur Arc, at an altitude of over 1800m, a village made entirely of stone, which allows you to discover the traditional habitat linked to life at altitude as well as the magnificent landscapes from the film Belle et Sébastien.

Aussois: exceptional sunshine

AlpAddict helps you discover Aussois — Aussois, a sunny balcony in Maurienne

Entry point of the Upper Maurienne, just 7 km from modane and its TGV station, Also is peacefully located on a flat area at an altitude of 1500 meters, facing due south, and all 55 km of slopes in its ski area are also exposed to the sun all day long. Enough to enjoy a bright holiday, above the greyness of the plains.

The traditional village is well preserved with small streets and a few shops, a little below the resort which occupies the front of the slopes.

Why go to Also? it's a family resort, easy to access, sunny! All the ingredients for a great winter family vacation.

Val Cenis: Lanslebourg and Lanslevillard, two small, well-preserved villages

The Val Cenis resort — The village of Lanslevillard, one of the villages that make up the Val Cenis resort

About fifteen kilometers further on and after following the road that winds along the Arc, we reach an opening in the valley which houses the station of Val Cenis, named after the nearby pass, Mont Cenis, a former obligatory crossing point to reach Italy before the opening of the Fréjus tunnel.

Two villages in one! Indeed the two villages of Lanslevillard et Lanslebourg are less than two kilometers apart and you can easily walk from one to the other, or take a shuttle. Each of them has its church with a beautiful bell tower, its small center and its snow front for the departures on the slopes.

Here the slopes are rather oriented towards the north, therefore more snowy, but less sunny.

Lanslevillard, in a sunnier valley and home to traditional stone chalets and houses will be our preference! There you will find a very cute little school, at the top of a small hill overlooking the village and the valley, and you can imagine the view that the little schoolchildren enjoy every morning.

The bell tower of Lanslevillard in Haute Maurienne — Lanslevillard one of the villages of the Val Cenis resort

Windows of the school in the village of Lanslevillard — World maps and reflections in the windows of the school in the village of Lanslevillard

Bessans: a cross-country skier’s paradise

AlpAddict invites you to discover Bessans — The stone village of Bessans

Every cross-country skier dreams of this! A flat valley floor, where a small stream meanders, with forests, a stone village with an old church, peace and quiet, and all with lots of snow because Bessan is located at an altitude of 1700m.

In Bessans we discover a very original tradition... have you ever heard of the Devils of Bessans?

Here we are far from pollution, noise and problems.

The landscape is magnificent…you really feel like you’re in the mountains!

But for lovers of solitude and wild corners, there is even better...

It’s cold in Haute Maurienne — Frozen ponds in Haute Maurienne near Bessans

Bonneval sur Arc, the pearl of Haute Maurienne

Walk with AlpAddict in the streets of Bonneville sur Arc — The central street of the village of Bonneville sur Arc in winter

Who has never seen the church of Bonneval sur Arc on a photo representing Savoy, or on a post office calendar? Even if you think you have never seen it, you will certainly recognize the very photogenic bell tower of this village.

Bonneval sur Arc, It is :

A real village, all in stone, without cars...silence, calm and candor in the middle of traditional houses.
Fantastic snow cover from November to the end of April
The opportunity to enjoy the mountains in all their forms: downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, ski touring, snowshoeing
A village at the end of the world on the road to Iseran Pass

Bonneval sur Arc It’s guaranteed to be love at first sight. And what about Belle and Sébastien? See you in a future article…