Serre Chevalier Vallée Briançon is a ski destination like no other: it is the only place in France where a ski resort and a historic mountain town with a population of over 10,000 inhabitants are back to back.
This means that there’s an incredibly wide variety of activities on offer, along with a unique heritage, spectacularly well-preserved landscapes and the best weather conditions.
This ski destination has 250km of pistes and 410 hectares of groomed slopes, the Serre Chevalier Valley is one of the largest ski areas in France. The ski area got its name, more than 80 years ago, from a summit at 2,480m and has since grown to be one of the largest in France.
The Villages
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From Briançon to the top of the Galibier pass, the valley is 30km long and it passes through the three main villages of Saint Chaffrey, La Salle les Alpes and Le Monêtier les Bains, where the natural hot springs are renowned for their healing powers, plus 11 unspoilt hamlets, with their chapels, churches and sundials, until it reaches the base of the Les Ecrins National Park.
The Ski Area
The huge ski area includes a lot of high-altitude, snow-sure terrain above the treeline; in fact, 80% of the pistes are above 2,000m in altitude, which guarantees quality snow all winter long. But there are also lots of beautiful long descents down into the forest. Numerous fun zones have been created on the slopes offering the chance to try different activities like a giant zipwire or mountain karting.
Après
After a busy day on the slopes, that feeling characterised as “La Dolce Vita” in nearby Italy takes over the mountains of Serre Chevalier Vallée Briançon, and skiers can meet over drinks in one of the lounge bars, wine bars or cocktail bars of the valley, then move on to festivities till the wee small hours! There are art shows, theatre, cinemas, bowling and even a casino to visit.
The resort’s superb sunshine record, one of the best in the Alps, helps with that feel-good, relaxed atmosphere of the Southern Alps.
Briançon
Briançon is the highest town in France, and its picturesque architecture and fortifications are UNESCO World Heritage Site listed. Briançon has been a health resort since 1914 and a World Health Organization (WHO) classified “healthy city” since 2010, with a reputation for its pure clean air.
Preserving this pristine environment for future generations is a major priority, and Serre Chevalier Vallée has become the first ski area in the world to produce its own electrical power combining three renewable energy sources on site – hydro, solar and wind – and will cover 30% of its energy needs from on-site green power in 2023, with plans to keep growing this percentage towards 100% in the years ahead.
Getting there
Easy to reach, night trains run between Paris and Briançon every evening, so you can wake up directly at the foot of the slopes. All of the sleeper carriages on this line were totally renovated earlier this year. Turin Airport is only 90 minutes away and connected by fast TGV trains to Oulx, followed by a shuttle bus to Serre Chevalier Vallée Briançon.