Valmorel Ski Resort

Being the last of more than 50 purpose-built ski resorts in France, designers of Valmorel ski resort had the advantage of being able to learn from the mistakes of the previous two decades. As a consequence, they planned a resort that not only had all the advantages of a ski centre built for snow sports – rather than a traditional village that tries to cater for skiers and boarders – but also opted to create an attractive village of traditional-style, wooden buildings with slate roofs and trompe l’oeil façades, rather than a mass of concrete boxes.

This approach immediately won Valmorel praise from skiers and boarders as well as reviewers when it opened in 1977, and today it is still gaining in status on the world stage. A new Club Med development has opened for the 2011/12 season (purported to be the company’s most lavish yet), while the planned 5-star MGM development is expected to add to the resort’s appeal from late 2012.

Despite these big projects, Valmorel ski resort is keen to stress its environmental credentials. The resort’s buildings cover only 3% of the land it occupies, and the village is certified to the highest environmental management standard. There’s also no car traffic in the resort itself, where everything can be reached on foot or over snow on skis or snowboard, contributing to its family-oriented nature.

Valmorel’s Grand Domaine ski area, which links the ski resort by piste to the neighbouring villages of Celliers, Doucy-Valmorel and Saint François-Longchamp, covers 3,600 hectares (8,900 acres) with 152km (95 miles) of piste. Developments on these slopes continue with new lifts having been installed to increase capacity, speed and comfort in accessing the slopes.

The latest additions for 2011/12 include an ultra-modern gondola capable of carrying up to ten people in each cabin, and a six-seater chairlift.