Val d'Isere
Why Val d'Isère Ski Resort?
- Pedestrian-friendly resort
- The Val d’Isère and Tignes ski areas combine to make the huge Tignes Val d’Isère (formerly Espace Killy) ski area
- 'Famille Plus' resort - good children’s facilities and great for families
- A lively resort with plenty of activities and amenities
- Pretty original village
- Awarded 'Flocon Vert' certificate for sustainability in Dec 2022
- Kids under 8 get their ski pass for FREE
Val d’Isère Information
The process of developing Val d'Isère into a world-class ski resort, which started in the 1930s, gathered momentum during the 1992 Albertville Winter Olympics, when it almost re-invented itself, with numerous new buildings built attractively of wood and stone.
Val d'Isère and its linked neighbour Tignes, which together form the vast and exciting Tignes Val d’Isère ski area, each sits in two deep valleys. Both are reached from Bourg St Maurice via the Route des Grand Alpes, with an intersection cutting across to Tignes shortly before reaching Val d'Isère. Until 1952, the village of Tignes was to be found just above Brévières but it was "drowned" by a huge artificial lake, the Lac de Chevril, installed to provide hydroelectric power.
So while the main resort village of Tignes today is a much more modern counterpart, “Val”, complete with its baroque church, dates back to the 13th century. Historic remnants of the old village are still to be seen amongst the chalet-style buildings in the resort. Today, this pedestrian-friendly resort is made up of several hamlets all connected by a very efficient free bus service. So once you’re here, you won’t really need a car. The resort is quite long (5km) with accommodation spread along it. There are 7 different start zones for skiing (on the southern side of the valley only), from La Daille at one end (as you enter the resort) to Le Fornet at the far end at the foot of the Col d'Iseran.
