"Three Valleys" of France

The ski season in the Three Valleys runs from November 25, 2023 to May 5, 2024. It opens with Val Thorens, Europe's highest resort.

"Three Valleys", the largest skiing area on the planet, unites seven resorts, 600 km of perfect ski runs at an altitude of 1100 to 3230 meters, 25 mountain peaks, 158 elevators, unlimited choice of routes, snow parks and dozens of panoramic locations: from the summit of Le Signal (2250 m) with a panorama of Mont Blanc to Cime de Caron (3200 m) and Aurel (3230 m), from where you can see the glacier Le Buche.

Local ski schools teach 10 disciplines and the safety of skiers on the slopes is ensured by 3,000 instructors and guides.

The Three Valleys has 12 Michelin-starred restaurants. In total, they have 20 stars. In Courchevel 1850, the world's only gastronomic confectionery was opened - Le Sarkara under the direction of Sebastian Voxion. In Saint-Martin-de-Belleville, the Savoyard cuisine restaurant La Bouitte, run by father and son René and Maxime Meyer, is awarded three Michelin stars. At the Michelin-starred restaurant Le Farçon, Julien Machet takes you on a gastronomic tour of the Duchy of Savoy with traditional recipes from Piedmont, the Canton of Valais, Nice and Sardinia and Savoyard wines.

This restaurant is open in Courchevel - La Tania. L'Ekrin by Laurent Azoulay in Meribel reflects the culinary traditions of Provence and Savoie, from Mediterranean fish to Savoyard snails. Its chef Laurent Azoulay, the son of restaurateurs, honed his skills at L'Oustau de Baumanière (3 Michelin stars) and under Pierre Gagnaire. Val-Torrance also has its own star restaurant - Les Explorateurs by Jocelyn Jeanblanc, with upscale cosmopolitan-inspired cuisine and desserts to match.  

The most famous resort of the Three Valleys is Courchevel. The first mountain airport, or altiport, appeared here at the stage of formation. It is located at an altitude of 2100 meters and has the shortest runway in the world. Vacationers can make a test flight accompanied by a professional or learn piloting.

However, all resorts of the "Three Valleys" have their historical peculiarities. Meribel, for example, unlike others, was built on private funds of the British and French, who on the eve of the Second World War were looking for - and created an alternative to the Austrian resorts. The first elevator was launched in 1938. Construction continued as early as 1945. According to the plan, all the chalets were in the same style, made of local wood and stone. Among their first buyers was Brigitte Bardot. 

Active recreation

Experienced skiers show their skills on the longest in the Three Valleys championship track "Eclipse" (3.3 km). It was prepared for the 47th Alpine Skiing Championship, which was held in Courchevel and Meribel earlier this year. In terms of difficulty "Eclipse" is equal to the legendary Streif and Stelvio. In general, there are 34 black runs, and along with them a lot of options for skiers of all levels of training.

You can get a good mood when skiing the toboggan runs during the day and after sunset. The three-kilometer track in Morion, stylized as Formula 1, is laid through a forest and eight tunnels. The altitude difference is 450 meters. In Meribel you can ride the 3.4 km long Mission Black Forest track with 28 turns and an altitude difference of 470 m during the day, and closer to night you can go down the two-kilometer Himalaya by Night track on a sled.

The 4-km Roc'N'Bob in Le Menuir has 22 turns and an altitude difference of 450 meters. The longest toboggan run in all of France is in Val Thorance, the 6-kilometer Cosmojet with a start at the foot of the Peclet glacier and a 45-minute descent. 
Val-Torrance has the highest ziplane on the planet: 1800 m long, with a maximum height of 65 m above the ski slopes and a finish in the center of the resort.

In Le Menuir, you can ride the Alpine "Fun Slides" with a kilometer of turns, descents and ascents. The sleds are equipped with a braking system for easy speed control.

Your vacation will be diversified by ice diving and ice car racing, horseback riding and skijoring, snowboarding and ice skating, tractor rides and snowmobiles, freestyle skiing, torchlight night skiing and heli-skiing, ice-covered rock climbing, ice karting, snowshoeing and snow biking excursions, paragliding, hot air ballooning, helicopter tours and helicopter flying lessons, skydiving and summit picnics.

Spa and Fitness

After an active day, nothing beats a good massage and Jacuzzi. Even better, transport yourself from winter to summer and enjoy a swim in the pool. You can also take a whole wellness course for detox or anti-stress. Hotels and private chalets offer a wide range of wellness services, and based on your wishes Yana Luxury Travel managers will choose the ideal option. In addition, the Three Valleys has excellent sports and fitness centers, which can be visited regardless of the hotel you are staying in.

For vacationers in Courchevel the center of this kind of entertainment is Aquamotion with all kinds of pools: indoor and outdoor, Olympic, family and children's. Here you can ride water slides, learn surfing, play water polo, do aqua aerobics, visit the spa as part of the complex.

In Bride-les-Bains, there is Le Grand Spa Thermal, which offers multi-day programs for weight loss, muscle and joint inflammation, wellness and beauty treatments. This wellness center is one of the largest in the country. There are swimming pools with hydro massage and waterfalls, underwater aquafitness equipment, indoor and outdoor jacuzzis, sauna and hammam, herbal and aromatic baths, healthy nutrition center.

In Meribel opened Olympic Park with a swimming pool with 25-meter lanes and a water slide in the family recreation area, as well as a skating rink - one of the largest in France.

In Val-Torrance, the renovated Le Board sports and recreation complex with an excellent heated indoor pool for water games, hydromassage, with waterfalls and recessed loungers. Also aquafitness and aquabike, swimming areas with 20-meter lanes and for children's water activities. The wellness space is equipped with two balneotherapy pools, three saunas and a hammam. Sports grounds are designed for playing table tennis, squash, badminton, volleyball and basketball. There is a gym. For children there is a huge play center with trampolines, trampolines, slides and bridges.

A similar Le Board sports and recreation complex, Le Break, is open in Le Menuire.