Courchevel is THE resort in the Three Valleys!
In the words of the official Courchevel website, Courchevel is THE resort in the Three Valleys!
The ski area of the Courchevel valley lies to the far left hand side of the extensive Three Valleys ski area and is considered by many British skiers to be one of the top places to ski in Europe, if not the world. Even if it were no longer linked to the other two valleys, Courchevel could probably still claim to be one of the world's top three ski-resorts and is the prettiest of the three valleys, offering superb views of Mont Blanc and Belleville (the La Plagne mountain). Most of the skiing is in a gigantic north facing bowl that preserves snow on the steepest slopes, but there are extensive pistes facing all directions of the compass. Ski or board down 150 kilometres of downhill pistes, served by 60 chairlifts, not forgetting a wide and varied range of off-piste opportunities so whether you're a beginner or a more advanced skier or boarder there are a wide range of slopes to test your technique and ability to the full and the resort offers some unforgettable days' skiing.
The local lift company, the Société des Trois Vallées, boasts a staff of 453 people who work around the clock, supported by 563 snow cannons and 26 piste-bashers, to prepare and maintain the 119 pistes to guarantee that you'll be able to enjoy the incomparable quality of the ski area on which the resort's reputation has been built. Because the skiable area is so large most of the lift stations supply copies of a daily map showing the slopes which have been groomed overnight.
The tree line in the valley runs up to 2,300m, offering more forest runs than normally found in alpine resorts and in bad weather this means that there's sheltered skiing in the forests above Le Praz and La Tania.
Courchevel is actually four different resort villages indicated by their height in metres (namely 1300, 1550, 1650 & 1850) plus the adjoining village of La Tania, built as competitor's accommodation for the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville. Le Praz Ski is based in Courchevel Le Praz, which at 1300 m is the lowest of the Courchevel villages and still retains its traditional Savoyard feel. From Le Praz two ski lifts link you quickly and easily to the main Courchevel ski area and because the lift system is so efficient even intermediate skiers can easily manage the return trip to the Pointe de Thorens (3266 m), the highestpoint in Val Thorens valley, without having to rush.
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Resort Facts |
Courchevel |
3 Valleys |
