Where to ski and hike in Vanoise and Trois Vallées?

At the heart of a map of Savoie, a large massif occupies all the space between the valleys of Tarentaise (that of Isère) to the north and Maurienne (that of Arc) to the south. This massif is the Vanoise massif. Home to a national park, its perimeter prevents the many ski areas in the region from disturbing the wildlife that resides there.

Access to the Vanoise is via the road that connects Albertville to the Petit Saint Bernard pass. In the middle of the Tarentaise valley, in Moûtiers, a road heads south and enters the massif. It first reaches the small spa town of Brides les Bains, then climbs up towards the charming little village of Bozel. Moûtiers and these two villages are the rear bases of the famous Three Valleys, the largest ski area in the world, whose iconic resorts are Val Thorens, Les Menuires, Saint Martin de Belleville, Méribel and its hamlets, La Tania and Courchevel and its hamlets.

Continuing on the previous road, after Bozel, you reach the wild valley of Pralognan-la-Vanoise after a few bends, at an altitude of around 1400 metres. This village is located in the heart of the massif and is the starting point for the main hikes that cross the Vanoise from one end to the other.

In this region of high mountains, isolated peaks and wide open spaces, there are two souls that complement each other. The wild nature of the Vanoise National Park, and the excitement of the ski resorts linked through the extraordinary Three Valleys ski area.

The Vanoise National Park

Does Vanoise ring a bell? It is the first French national park, created with the aim of preserving the flora and fauna of the high mountains! So, you already know that during your hikes you will discover marmots and ibex (and other animals too). The entrance to the Park is in Pralognan la Vanoise, a village that has kept all its authenticity.

The village is surrounded by high mountains, but very quickly the paths take you to gain height and enjoy a much clearer view. In particular the one that crosses the Lac des Vaches, facing glaciers, and that you can follow to the Vanoise refuge, a real crossroads in the middle of the most beautiful mountains of Savoie.

The Vanoise Park is crossed by very beautiful hiking trails which follow the old paths of the merchants of yesteryear who joined Maurienne from Tarentaise and vice versa.

The Three Valleys, the largest ski area in the world

If you are looking for information about this destination, it may be because you are already enjoying skiing in the largest ski area in the world... the Three Valleys!

South of Moûtiers, in Tarentaise, from the small spa town of Brides les Bains, you have the choice between several world-renowned resorts, linked together by the network of ski lifts.

First, from Brides les Bains, you can reach the Méribel resort by cable car. As is often the case in Savoie, these resorts are made up of several villages or hamlets with very different styles, often depending on the altitude. Thus, Méribel Mottaret looks like a high-altitude resort, although the wooded site and the proximity of Lake Tueda give it a picture-postcard landscape, while Méribel Les Allues is a hamlet made up of very beautiful chalets.

The Méribel Valley is the central valley.

Towards the East, after the charming village of Bozel, you go back up through the forests towards the resort of Courchevel, with its thousand facets. From family hamlets like La Tania or Le Praz, to the very posh Courchevel 1850.

Towards the West, the Belleville valley, more sparse and very exposed to the sun, takes you up towards the chalet village of Saint Martin de Belleville, the modern resort of Les Menuires and finally Val Thorens, the highest resort in Europe at 2300m above sea level.

Méribel, Courchevel, Val Thorens, luxury and skiing

Meribel, Courchevel and the Belleville valley, with Saint Martin of Belleville, Les Menuires et Val Thorens, make up the Three Valleys. We will no longer praise the skiability of the Val Thorens slopes, accessible even from Orelle in Mauritian, or the luxury of Méribel and Courchevel: their reputation has been established for several decades already. However, each of these resorts offers all price ranges for your stays, which ultimately makes them affordable destinations for all budgets, allowing you to ski on the most beautiful ski area in the world. You have to have skied there once in your life to understand that it's true. And in general, you want to go back.

The snow cover is favoured by the abundance of precipitation and the altitude. In Val Tho (Val Thorens, for regulars) you can ski from the end of November to the beginning of May without the risk of running out of snow, in a truly white universe. You quickly forget the artificial nature of the resort, far from the clichés of the small mountain village in front of the beauty of such expanses of snow, as far as the eye can see.

In summer, these resorts offer a variety of sporting activities, and although, due to their sometimes oversized or overly modern architecture, they are not all as charming as real mountain villages, the landscapes that you discover on the ridges between the valleys during walks are breathtaking.

Other smaller, more family-friendly resorts in the heart of Savoie

On the other hand, among the pretty authentic villages, we can of course cite Pralognan, Bozel, Saint Martin de Belleville and Champagny in Vanoise, connected to the ski area of La Plagne which offers all the characteristics of a small mid-mountain village, and is an excellent base for visiting this region. In winter, the Nordic ski area of Champagny le Haut allows you to get away from the hustle and bustle of this extremely touristy region.

Finally, just before the Moûtiers lock and the entrance to the Vanoise, but rather backed by the Lauzière massif, a pretty, very family-friendly mountain resort deserves to be mentioned. This is Valmorel, connected in winter to Saint Francois Longchamp by tracks which cross the Col de la Madeleine, a traditional summer passage route between Tarentaise and Maurienne.

In the heart of the French Alps, in the heart of Savoie, the Vanoise massif region is ideal for all lovers of landscapes, thrills, and discovering the high mountains, whatever the sport practiced.

Activities not to be missed in Vanoise and Trois Vallées

To ski in the 3 Valleys area! A paradise for skiers of all levels.
Skiing in the Val Thorens area, up to 3200m altitude, in the Orelle valley. Due south, away from the noise… magical
Walking around the Tueda Lake, in Méribel Mottaret.
Strolling in the luxury boutiques in Courchevel 1850, and ski along the large chalets at the bottom of the resort.
Discover the great outdoors on cross-country skis at Champagny-le-haut
Observe the marmots around Pralognan la Vanoise, gateway to the Vanoise National Park.
Admire the landscape of more than a thousand peaks from the Cime Caron in Val Thorens accessible by cable car.

The best webcams in Vanoise and Three Valleys

(click on the name of the village)

Val Thorens : the resort centre webcam which allows you to check the snow cover at the foot of the slopes
Les Menuires: the webcam facing south of the resort gives an overview of the snow cover in the hamlet of Reberty and the Pointe de la Masse sector
Meribel Mottaret: very beautiful view of the Méribel valley, with the Mottaret district in the foreground.
Meribel Tueda: a webcam to watch Lake Tueda freeze and thaw!
Courchevel: a view of the ski area above Courchevel 1650
Champagny la Vanoise: the village center webcam
Champagny in Vanoise: the Champagny le Haut webcam, starting point in winter for cross-country skiing trails