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Once upon a time, it was just a small mountain hamlet, a group of chalets around a bell tower, isolated from the rest of the world when the snow began to fall. But the resort of Val d'Isère has grown since then. Having become one of the world's ski capitals, this winter sports resort has lost none of its old-fashioned charm.
Settle down in this Savoyard village for the winter and let yourself be carried away by the magic of the resort of Val d'Isère and discover a luxury lifestyle with the help from our luxury service, between torch-lit descents and dog-sled rides during your French Alps holidays.
Val d'Isère ski resort: The snow
Ski in the tracks of champions
Trust our exceptional guides to help you discover the most secret corners of the resort during your luxury skiing holiday. With an Olympic Alpine skiing champion, you will hurtle down the most vertiginous slopes. Or how about venturing into the powder for an off-piste session?
The more adventurous can leave the mainland and fly to the roof of the Alps for a heliskiing session. Swap the traditional ski lifts for a helicopter and climb to the summits, before setting off into the void, skis on.
Enjoy the slopes under the stars
Wait until nightfall and the lights in the resort go out to take to the slopes of Val d'Isère on skis. You'll be alone with the mountain as its plunged into darkness and lit only by the moonlight. Start your descent down the deserted slopes, and let yourself be guided by the stars.
You can spot the ballet of the torches rushing down the mythical Face de Bellevarde, in the distance. With a few more strokes of the sticks you'll reach the black piste, the playground of the gold medallists, to witness this dazzling spectacle that is both sport and art.
Val d’Isère ski resort: the nature
Enter the pack
On a luxury family holiday in the mountains, you can't miss out on a dog-sled ride. Take the lead of a team of 6 to 12 huskies with glacier blue eyes and let them guide you through the white paradise that is Vanoise Park. It is a scene out of time, face to being face with these wolf dogs from the Far North.
Extend the journey a bit and finish it off with a meal by the fire in the heart of the forest. Our experienced mushers will tell you the legends of trappers, who would wait for hours in the exhilarating cold of the mountains, watching for wild animals.
Explore the snowy forests
Looking for peace and quiet? Put on your snowshoes and explore the enchanting landscapes of the Vanoise massif, that looks straight out of a Christmas tale. Walk along the frozen streams, get lost in the fir forests or explore the stalagmite covered cellars...
Whatever your itinerary, be discreet: the mountains should be appreciated in silence. You might meet a chamois, a marmot or a herd of ibexes. These are priceless moments to be immortalised in photos and relived when you return to the chalet.
Val d’Isère ski resort: the food
Taste the Michelin stars
Trade in your ski suit for an elegant outfit and book a table at Atelier Edmond. Situated in the hamlet of Le Fornet, on the road to the Col de l'Iseran, this elegant old-fashioned chalet is home to one of the best tables in the resort of Val d'Isère. In this double-starred restaurant, chef Benoit Vidal blends local flavours and inventive recipes.
Succumb to the five-course "Imagination" menu, which offers a beautiful insight into the chef's cuisine. Have flame grilled Savoy trout, scallops in sparkling apple and fir bard stock, crayfish sabayon tagette and fragrant woodruff... The plates complement each other, each unique, and accompanied by a glass of carefully selected wine.
Share the Savoyard speciality
But what would a winter sports holiday be without a shared Savoyard fondue by the fire? Draw the curtains, put some wood in the fireplace and settle down, with family or friends, around the large table in Chalet Chêne. Everything is local: the cheeses for the fondue come from the Ferme de l'Ardoit, the crispy bread has been prepared by the best workman in France at the Maison Chevallot, and the white wine is a pure product of Haute-Savoie.
And for the experience to be complete, don't forget the pledges. The first person to drop their piece of bread into the melted cheese will be given a challenge. A challenge, yes, but five stars - a dive in the indoor pool!
Val d'Isère ski resort : the culture
Vibrate to the rhythm of the violins
In the heart of winter, when snow falls in large flakes on the hamlet and the roofs are covered with a thick white mantle, take refuge in the church of the Val d'Isère resort. The light barely shines through the stained glass windows, giving this baroque church a hushed atmosphere. Sit down and look up at the vault.
Soon, the whole church is invaded by the melody of violins and piano. Every year, this historic site of the station is transformed into a concert hall, where classical music tunes and the voices of the singers resound.
Dive into the great blue
The alarm clock rings at the first light of dawn: you have an appointment for an extraordinary experience. Put on a wetsuit to protect you from the cold and dive under the frozen surface of a lake. Under the ice, a completely unknown world awaits you, a realm of silence and the great blue.
Then return to Chalet Orca where the fire is already crackling in the fireplace of the master suite. Wrap yourself up under a fur blanket, a steaming hot chocolate in your hands, and turn on the flat screen to (re)see the mythical Grand Bleu de Besson.
Are you tempted by a stay in the resort of Val d'Isère? Browse through our catalogue of luxury chalets in Val d'Isère and find yours. Also explore our other ideas for your luxury family holiday in France.
