Experience a Magical Adventure in the Heart of The Giants
We skiers love our snow, but we love sunshine too, and one ski area offers the best of both worlds!
Serre Chevalier Briançon, located at the gateway to the Écrins National Park in the Southern French Alps, has one of the biggest ski areas in Europe. There’s an incredible 250km of slopes spread over 410 hectares of terrain and it’s bathed in sunshine for an average of 300 days per year. Yet, thanks to its location, with high mountains with peaks over 3,000m, it also has a great snowfall record with excellent snow cover all season long.
But there’s much more beyond the great snow and sunshine that differentiates Serre Chevalier Briançon from many of the other big ski regions. It’s a valley with a rich history, complete with three main resort bases (Le Monêtier-les-Bains, Villeneuve, Chantemerle) and Europe’s highest town, Briançon, whose fortifications are recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site. There are culinary and local traditions here handed down from generation to generation and natural hot springs that made the valley famous long before skiing was dreamed of. Altogether this is one of the biggest and best ski areas and the most authentic valleys in the French Alps.
The Ski Slopes
Serre Chevalier’s ski area is the largest in the Southern Alps and one of the most snow-sure, with 80% of the slopes located at more than 2,000m for optimal snow cover. The highest lifts reach 2,800m, opening up vertical descents of up to 1,600m.
There are 80 runs (13 black, 28 red, 25 blue and 14 green), so something for everyone, and they’re served by 59 lifts including the iconic “Serre Chevalier” cable car. There are also 44km of cross-country trails in the valley.
Apart from conventional ski runs you’ll find great snow parks for freestylers, fun zones and nature zones too, as well as protected areas for skiing with children and discovery areas for those learning their turns.
Ski touring is for everyone in Serre Chevalier too, not just the super-fit elite! The resort has five permanent marked itineraries of different levels, starting at the foot of the ski area runs. The ascent is through the peaceful and beautiful larch forest which dominates the region, while the downhill run is on the ski slopes of the ski area or via off-piste routes.
It’s important to note that Serre Chevalier has worked to provide better and better facilities for its skiers and is now one of the leading destinations in the Alps.
There are also 45km of cross-country trails in the valley.
Lots To Do Off The Slopes Too
© Serre Chevalier Vallée
There’s a huge range of non-skiing activities to enjoy in Serre Chevalier Briançon. On the snow, you can try activities like snow-kiting (a bit like kite surfing on snow!), snowshoeing, dog sledding, ski joering (being towed behind a pony on your skis) and fat-biking over snow. Mountain karting on a three-wheeled non-motorised hot rod is another exciting activity, as is the Deval’Bob sled which follows a 4km circuit through the larch forest.
It’s also possible to take a backstage tour of the ski resort to get a fascinating insight into how everything works with a mountain professional.
© alpesphotographies
You can also sail over the mountains on the resort’s giant zip line or by going paragliding. Speedflying, which adds even more excitement to the sport, flying closer to the ground and playing with the landform, is also available to try with an experienced instructor if you dare!
Off the slopes, activities to enjoy include escape games and an ice skating rink. A new indoor climbing centre, Bloc 027, has opened in the old army quarters in Briançon this autumn with 630m2 of climbing surfaces for all abilities from beginner to expert. This joins an existing ice climbing facility in the centre of the town.
The Grands Bains du Monêtier, famous for thousands of years but now in a thoroughly modern version, is a fabulous spa facility making use of the region’s naturally hot water that bubbles up full of health-giving minerals at a temperature of 44° C. The 4,500m2 spa centre features indoor and outdoor pools with views of the mountains.
Thanks to its valley layout and the presence of Europe’s highest town, Briançon (which is directly linked to the ski area via lifts arriving in the town centre), you can access all these things wherever you choose to stay in the valley.
© alpesphotographies
One unusual attraction are Serre Chevalier’s Sugar Cabins, the first of which appeared in 2021 in the Prorel sector. A French take on the Canadian sugar shacks, they allow anyone to make sugar lollies in the snow using local honey or caramel or to enjoy a hot drink in a fun, eco-friendly family break. A second Sugar Cabin will open in the Villeneuve sector, just below the top station of the new Pontillas gondola this winter.
Briançon is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its ancient city walls and atmospheric centre. Along with its own theatre and casino, there are lots of buildings with a long heritage to explore, as well as excellent shopping and dining. It’s a whole added dimension to your usual ski holiday!
And on top of all this, there’s a full season of world-class events organised in the valley throughout the ski season, and you can sign up for unique experiences such as a fondue and igloo or a visit to local farms where organic unpasteurised milk, cheese and yoghurt are produced.
Planning for The Future
© Thibaut Blais.
Despite its long history, while other ski areas talk about their fight against climate change while expanding their snowmaking systems, Serre Chevalier is taking strong actions and planning for the future. The resort has rapidly increased its use of green power, which it generates on-site through wind, solar and hydro projects, now making up 30% of the energy used. At the same time, they are cutting down on the energy issued for snowmaking, down 20% in the last two years.
While most resorts are continuing in a battle they can’t win by adding more snowmaking that won’t work as it gets warmer, Serre Chevalier has instead taken actions which this year include the new €26m Pontillas gondola, which lifts beginner skiers and boarders to a new learning area higher on the mountain and provides a ride down lower slopes at the end of the season for everyone else, meaning still less snowmaking is required. Serre Chevalier still gets plenty of natural snowfall as it is.
The nearest airports are Turin (115km) and Grenoble (158km).
To discover more please visit: serre-chevalier.com/en
To book your accommodation please visit: booking.serre-chevalier.com/
Main Image © Thibaut Blais
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