+44 (0) 1635 37774RESORT LATEST
Unfamiliar with the Trois
Vallees? Here's a short video introduction about the resort of Courchevel
- view video
New
piste at Verdons. Improvements to Les Arolles piste. Plantrey Snow Park
moved to the Dunes & Canyons zone on Verdons.
For info on these and other resort developments - read
more
Get to know all the
stations and ski levels of the Trois Vallees with our detailed guide
- learn more
The resort
has assembled a variety of piste and station entertainment for all
resort levels - check it here
Inconsistent piste
colour grading debate, do you see red? - what's
it about
Find out more about our
resort and mountain location with Google satellite & terrain maps
- here
Contact numbers
in resort - here
The history of Les Trois Vallees
Les Trois Vallees
All pics courtesy of Courchevel Tourism www.courchevel.com
So you think you know the largest ski area in the world?
That you know the three valleys by heart? Over the seasons you have become
a faithful visitor to the resorts that have held the title of largest interconnected
ski area in the world for more than thirty years.
Nevertheless the Saint-Bon, Allues and Belleville valleys that are home to
five large internationally renowned ski resorts offer so much more. Courchevel,
Méribel, La Tania, Les Menuires and Val Thorens have a fabulous history
and boast secret settings and charming spots for skiers and non-skiers alike.
They are waiting to be discovered beyond the interconnected ski
lift network and the wide-open marked-out runs.
The Savoyard region of the 3 Valleys was the first to invest in winter sports
as a group.
The story started in 1925, became official in 1942 and fully materialized
in 1973.
For more than 30 years the 3 Valleys have thrilled and enchanted skiers and
mountain enthusiasts from all over the world. No ski area like this can be
found anywhere else. Mother Nature has done a pretty good job in this part
of the Savoie region : the best ski conditions and possibilities for developing
ski slopes can be found here.
The development of the ski area was carried out at a steady pace in order
to preserve its natural origins. Not only do the 3 Valleys offer the largest
vertical drop and most kilometres of runs, but also a wide variety of resort
styles and settings over an area of 1400 km2. Beyond it's size, this variety
is most certainly where its strength lies and what makes it such a successful
destination today.
Here 1400 km2 are fitted out for winter sports activities during the winter
months and numerous other activities in the summer such as hiking, climbing,
fishing and mountain biking. The Three Valleys have come a long way since
1925.
At that time several English businessmen and experienced skiers wanted to
create a resort in France like those that already existed in Austria and the
Swiss Grisons. In order to do so they asked Arnold Lunn, the most senior of
the British skiers and inventor of the slalom, to go and explore the Saint-Bon
valley. He organised a small expedition to methodically prospect the Dauphinoise
and Savoyard Alps. His verdict of the 3 Valleys was as follows : "in
Savoie there is an exceptional site that comprises three almost parallel valleys
: Saint-Bon, Les Allues and Belleville. In spite of their different features,
they lend themselves well to the development of large resorts.
The slopes are magnificent, very well positioned, the risks of avalanches
are minimal, they are easy to locate and therefore easy to stop. "The
legend of the 3 Valleys was born"
Up until 1970, each ski-lift provider was independent. Anyone wishing to ski
all over the 3 Valleys had to buy lift tickets from various different companies
: a skier-friendly system needed to be set up and the ideal solution would
be a 3 Valleys pass.
In 1971, Joseph FONTANET, Minister and Mayor of Saint Martin de Belleville,
Eugène BLANCHE, Maire for les Allues and Maurice MOREL, Maire of Saint-Bon,
helped by the different Tourist Office Directors took the decision to promote
the " 3 Vallées ". concept and label.
Their idea of creating a " 3 Valleys " ski-pass was warmly accepted
by the lift companies and from the summer of 1971 a whole range of 3 Valleys
ski-passes went on sale.
The first visitors to the area described it as natural treasure. It continues
it's growth today in perfect harmony with the environment, which is what the
real aim has always been. Establishing itself as a privileged ski and tourism
destination, whilst developing less well equipped, unspoiled areas of the
mountain is also a priority for the largest ski area in the world. From one
extreme to another… On the edge of the traditional wide ski runs, the
eastern side of the 3 Valleys ski area is waiting to be discovered : in the
Saint-Bon valley and on the borders of the Courchevel ski area you will find
sunny Moriond (1650). On an open hilltop its ski runs cover Alpine pastures
that have been looked after for centuries. Great skiing can be had here right
from the start of the season, even if there are only fifteen centimetres of
snow. In this particular sector of the 3 Valleys, where the first ski lift
of the area was built, many magnificent ski routes can be found : Chaplets,
Chanrossa, Roc Merlet and for spring skiing le Vallon des Avals, le Petit
Mont-Blanc and les Râteaux.
The Saint-Bon valley offers some of the most beautiful wooded sectors in the
3 Valleys, many of which are protected, along with perhaps the most interesting
scenery in the whole of the Tarentaise. Here you will enjoy the last rays
of the day’s sunshine. If you have to return to Val Thorens the daylight
will accompany you along your journey back to the Belleville valley.