Les Saisies may not be a ski resort you are familiar with, but perhaps it ought to be! A large, vibrant village with plenty of après-ski, Les Saisies is easy to reach, has a great snow record and offers stunning views from the local slopes, which are part of the big Espace Diamant ski region.
1 – Stunning Location And Easy To Reach
Situated halfway between the Beaufortain and the Val d’Arly valleys, two magnificent Savoy areas, it offers a spectacular setting with glorious views across to Mont Blanc. There’s an amazing 360° panorama ranging from Alpine meadows to the snow-capped summit of Mont Blanc in Beaufortain, Aravis and the Chartreuse Mountains. In fact the Beaufortain region, with its wonderful scenery, is sometimes called “The French Tyrol”. What’s more, it’s easy to access from the motorway from Albertville to the South and Megève to the North.
2 – Plenty To Ski
Les Saisies has a mid-sized ski area with 70km of terrain but shares the Espace Diamant pass with five other pretty Alpine villages. Altogether there’s 192km of piste and as an added bonus lift ticket prices are 25–35% lower than at many similarly sized ski areas. Les Saisies’ own slopes are ideal for beginners who will find plenty of gentle nursery slopes and long, wide blue runs to progress on, and intermediates will enjoy the easy links to neighbouring Crest-Voland and the runs from the top of Mont Lachet. Advanced skiers will enjoy the black run from the top of Légette, one of five, with its narrow couloirs, or off-piste runs through the trees.
3 – Two Villages For The Price of One
There are actually two typical Beaufortain villages making up Les Saisies. They are Hauteluce and Bisanne 1500. Combined they form a charming French ski resort with timber-clad chalets where visitors can enjoy both the architecture and the traditional way of life. There’s a bustling high street complete with some 40 shops and a big selection of bars, crêperies, grills and restaurants offering delicious Savoyard dishes.
4 – Olympic Cross-Country Ski Heritage
Les Saisies is the top Nordic ski resort in France. Already well-known to the French, it sprang to international prominence during the 1992 Winter Olympic Games at Albertville in the French Alps when it hosted the cross-country ski events. The Olympic area has 80km of marked pistes and extends over a large, sunny plateau at between 1,570m and 1,760m, which guarantees a long season of snow cover.
5 – Best In Snow
Les Saisies benefits from above-average snow conditions. The close proximity of Mont Blanc provides not only superb views but also above-average snow coverage. The French weather centre confirms that since 1982 the average accumulated snowfall is superior to all surrounding mountain ranges!
The French Alps specialist Peak Retreats (0844 576 0170) offers holidays to Les Saisies from £212pp per week, including Eurotunnel crossing with free FlexiPlus upgrade. Peak Retreats recommends the 4★ self-catered residence Le Hameau du Beaufortain which offers convenient doorstep skiing, superb views and indoor heated pool and spa facilities. Seven nights from 31 December 2016 from £383pp based on five sharing a two-bedroom silver apartment including Eurotunnel.
