Saint-Martin-de-Belleville clearly no longer wanted to wait for the official winter. Taking advantage of dry, long-lasting cold, exceptional snow cover for early December and teams mobilised day and night on the ground, the Savoyard village resort has brought forward the opening of its ski area by more than a week.
The first skiers will be able to put their boots on from Saturday 6 December, at the same time as Les Menuires, with access to 3 Valleys.
It's a quick start that marks the real launch of the season, before the big «Saint-Martin s'illumine» festive weekend scheduled for 13 and 14 December.
Ideal snow conditions and fast teamwork
It's the first time this has happened in a long time. Conditions at the start of winter were so good that the resort was able to prepare for an early opening as a matter of urgency. Crisp cold, plenty of fresh snow, pistes that had already been groomed for several days... All the signs were green.
«This early opening was made possible by particularly favourable cold weather conditions, very good snow conditions and the exceptional efforts of our teams in the field».» underlines Marlène Giacometti, Director, Les Menuires/Saint-Martin-de-Belleville Tourist Office.
She also emphasises the role of municipal teams, «We have invested heavily in making the ski areas as safe as possible, preparing the slopes, lifts and 3 Vallées links.»
The meeting point is set for 9am on Saturday morning, with skis on, for a first weekend of skiing at controlled prices: €39 for the day in Les Menuires / Saint-Martin and €58.80 for the 3 Vallées.
A magical atmosphere the following weekend
While the opening of the slopes has been brought forward, the other major event at the start of the season remains unchanged: «Saint-Martin s'illumine», a weekend that will transform the village into an almost cinematic setting, inspired by the world of Harry Potter.
For two days, the heart of the village will be alive with a Christmas market, creative workshops for families, musical walks and storytelling shows for children.
Sunday evening will offer a suspended moment with «Echoes of the Little Sorcerer», a candlelit concert in the village church. Harp, piano, strings, voice... an enchanting score reinterpreting music from the saga for a poetic finale.
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