France, with its varied mountain ranges and exceptional Alpine heritage, is full of ski resorts. Some attract crowds of visitors every season. Others, more discreet, remain sheltered from mass tourism and offer a more intimate experience. Among them, one small Savoyard village stands out: Aussois. In the heart of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, in the Maurienne valley, Aussois lies at an altitude of 1,489 metres, just south of the Vanoise massif. This traditional village at the gateway to the...
Author: Romain Boisaubert
From 13 to 20 December, the Savoyard resort hosts the 17ᵉ edition of the Arcs Film Festival, a time when European cinema is unveiled in all its diversity, just before the hustle and bustle of the end-of-year holidays. This year, the programme hits hard with over 80 feature films and 40 shorts, a dense, cutting-edge selection carefully crafted to reveal the most daring, vibrant and committed European cinema today. At the head of the feature film jury is a name that resonates far and wide: Dominik Moll, acclaimed director of La Nuit du 12, Harry, un ami...
At Saint-Sorlin-d'Arves, the winter season never gets off to a timid start. At the heart of the Sybelles ski area, the Savoyard resort is setting the tone from 13 and 14 December 2025 with a new event called St S'Opening, designed to be a real festive kick-off for the season. Featuring entertainment, music, exclusive offers and great ski deals, the event promises to be a key moment to launch the winter season and attract visitors and locals alike with a rich and lively programme. Behind this first edition, the Tourist Office has a clear ambition: to create momentum as soon as the resort opens, to strengthen cohesion with the socio-professionals...
From 4 to 7 December, the iF3 festival returns to Chamonix with a packed programme of exploits, high-altitude safety and passionate encounters, all firmly rooted in mountain culture. Chamonix is getting ready to vibrate to the rhythm of the images that make the hearts of mountain dwellers beat faster. Now in its fifth year, the iF3 Chamonix festival is continuing its mission of bringing together enthusiasts, athletes and film-makers to explore the most inspiring aspects of mountain film. For four days, the valley will be hosting screenings, conferences, workshops led by professionals, and meetings that will make this one of the most important events in the...
Just a stone's throw from Grenoble and Chambéry, the Chartreuse offers an unusual winter of immersion, listening, snow and rejuvenation. Hike in silence, sleep in the forest, explore a cave or try your hand at a cold bath: the massif offers unique, accessible and deeply disorientating experiences. Listen to the mountain: Simon Pochet's sound hike Just walk behind Simon Pochet for a few minutes and you'll realise that the Chartreuse has a language all its own. As a mountain guide and sound designer, his outings are designed to immerse you in the surroundings. By his side, the paths become scores, the trees...
La Plagne is kicking off the season with an evening that has all the makings of a major event. On 13 December, the resort awaits you at Plagne Bellecôte for an Opening Night designed as a popular mountain party, where holidaymakers, locals and seasonal workers come together to rock out to electrifying DJ sets and local tastings. From 4.30pm, the atmosphere shifts into party mode. DJ VINC, a well-known figure on the La Plagne après-ski scene, gets the ball rolling. His feel-good set, perfectly calibrated to heat up the atmosphere, kicks off the festivities with the solar energy for which he is renowned....
Good news for winter sports fans. Les Menuires, the friendliest resort in the 3 Vallées, is launching its winter season with a spectacular offer. To celebrate the opening of the season, the Saturday ski pass is priced at just €39, a rare opportunity in one of the world's largest ski areas. The resort officially opens on 6 December with excellent snow cover and booking trends ahead of last winter's all-time record. The end-of-year festivities are shaping up to be particularly dynamic: +3.6 points for Christmas, according to the...
Every winter since 2009, Courchevel has transformed its ski area into an open-air museum, bringing together the eternal snows and contemporary art. The L'Art au Sommet event, born of collaboration between the resort and Galeries Bartoux, returns for a remarkable 2025-2026 edition, under the banner of humanity, love and the elevation of souls. With two major artists, Andrea Roggi and Bruno Catalano, art is once again taking to the skies, literally. Their works, delicately hoisted into the air, stand at the top of the slopes like poetic sentinels watching over the mountain. It's an open-air gallery born of a...
In La Plagne, some places go beyond their simple function to become landmarks, meeting points and pieces of the collective memory. Belle Plagne Sports by SKiSET, now celebrating its 40th anniversary, belongs to this rare category. More than just a shop, it's an open house, a place where generations of skiers, loyal employees, mountain enthusiasts and visiting families meet. It's a story that began long before the current shop windows, driven by a vision: that of Edmond Blanchoz, a pioneer of winter sports in the Tarentaise. The legacy of a visionary Edmond Blanchoz wasn't just a shopkeeper, he was also a pioneer of...
Between Alpine traditions, cultural excitement and major sporting events, the Pays des Écrins makes winter a season for sharing. From December to March, the region offers one festive event after another: a magical world, night-time trails, spectacular icefalls... The 2025-2026 season promises to be packed, vibrant and full of thrills. Here are the three major events not to be missed. Pelvoo Village: the fairground version of the enchantment From 20 December 2025 to 22 March 2026 For its 13ᵉ edition, Pelvoo Village changes dimension and reinvents itself as a real mountain fairground. Nestling in the heart of the Pays des...
When night falls on the Écrins, a different face of the mountains emerges. The lights go out, the slopes empty and a deep calm descends over the valleys. Under a sky of rare purity, the evenings are transformed into timeless interludes, with unusual accommodation, gourmet get-togethers and unexpected adventures. This winter, the Pays des Écrins is unveiling three night-time experiences to be enjoyed to the full, combining nature, silence and Alpine magic. 1. A night perched at Le Pas du Loup Overlooking the Durance valley, the gîte-refuge Le Pas du Loup seems to be suspended somewhere between the earth and the...
Vaujany (Alpes du Nord) - At an altitude of 1,250 metres, this intimate village overlooking the Eau d'Olle valley has found a rare alchemy: the authenticity of a mountain village, direct access to a major ski area, and controlled prices. Linked to the Espace Alpe d'Huez in just a few minutes, the resort appeals to families and experienced skiers alike, supported by a communal model that places comfort, culture and simplicity at the heart of the holiday. Vaujany is one of those resorts where you arrive... and everything becomes simple. Thanks to its...
On 6 and 7 December 2025, the Savoyard resort opens the ball with a pre-opening weekend that is as eagerly awaited as it is friendly. It's the perfect warm-up for the gradual build-up of the ski area from 13 to 19 December, followed by the full opening of the Galibier Thabor ski area on 20 December. And as good news never comes alone, December will be marked by two major events: the arrival of the Grand Parcours, a not-to-be-missed ski touring event, and the eagerly-awaited return of the Men's Alpine Skiing European Cup. First turns on 06 December The first weekend of December will see the...
In Courchevel 1850, in the prestigious Jardin Alpin district, a wind from the Mediterranean is about to blow across the snowy peaks. Between now and December 2027, the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer will inaugurate its first high-altitude establishment: the Monte-Carlo One Courchevel. This large-scale project combines Alpine architecture and Monegasque elegance, with more than 12,500 m² of space entirely redesigned to embody the Monte-Carlo spirit at the top of the Alps. The building permit, issued last September, marks the start of the shell phase of the project. When completed, the establishment will house 56 keys, three Diamond Suites and two chalets...
This winter, the most talked-about innovation on the slopes isn't necessarily on the skis, but in your feet. Six iconic brands - HEAD, NORDICA, ATOMIC, K2, SALOMON and DALBELLO - are adopting BOA® Fit System Dual Dial technology, a dual-disc tightening system that redefines comfort, precision and performance. Gone are the metal hooks: in their place are two independent tightening zones, in the collar and the shoe, offering a micro-adjustable, multi-directional fit. The result: superior heel support, more direct power transmission and a more precise feel.
La Plagne has a thousand faces. There are the great white expanses, the summits you reach at sunrise, but also the intimate escapes where you finally slow down. There, between a silent pine forest, a crackling fireplace and a wooden table with the patina of time, the mountain is experienced differently: simpler, gentler, almost secret. Let's take a look at three of our favourite places to set down your suitcases and let winter do its work. 1 Chalet du Bresson On the slopes of the Soleil, a narrow path winds its way through larch and spruce trees before revealing this forest house that...
There are titles that cannot be disputed, and Val Thorens has just reminded the world of this. The Savoyard resort has just been crowned «World's Best Ski Resort» for the tenth time at the World Ski Awards, confirming the supremacy it has built up over the years in the face of the Swiss, Austrian, Canadian and American giants. A worldwide plebiscite for Europe's highest ski area, and a new source of pride for the French mountains, which are shining more brightly than ever on the international stage. Situated at an altitude of 2,300 metres, in the heart of the 3 Vallées (the largest ski area in Europe),...
There are destinations where you go to ski. And others, where you go to breathe, stroll, experience the mountains without stress, while taking advantage of a truly XXL ski area. At the gateway to the Tarentaise, Valmorel ticks all the boxes. It's a resort on a human scale, charming and accessible, which has long championed a simple idea: that skiing can remain a pleasure, a gentle gesture, a break from excess. Just two hours from Lyon and thirty minutes from Moûtiers-Salins station, the village is one of the most easily accessible resorts, and this winter it is redoubling its efforts to ensure that...
At the end of the Aure valley, nestled between fir trees and stone villages, there's a resort that makes the hearts of Pyrenean families beat faster. Val Louron has never sought to rival the giants of the Alps: it cultivates something else, something even more precious. Its simplicity, the charm of a village clinging to the slopes, and a gentle way of life that recalls the most authentic aspects of the mountains. There's no frenzy here, no honking horns, no endless queues. Just the calm of the lake below, the peaks watching over you, the laughter of children on the fresh snow. «...
Winter is approaching, and so is the desire to ski... but the wallet isn't always ready to follow. Between ski passes, equipment and accommodation, skiing can quickly become a luxury. And yet, all over France, resorts have decided to play the accessibility card and preserve what's essential: the pleasure of being in the mountains, without sacrificing your budget. From the Alps to the Pyrenees, via the Chartreuse, they are coming up with lots of good ideas: reduced rates, family offers, free children's passes, targeted promotions, all-inclusive packages... Here's a round-up of the best deals for enjoying the snow this winter at low prices....
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