Val Thorens, Alpine ski resort in Saint-Martin-de-Belleville, France
Description
Val Thorens sits within the Les Belleville commune at roughly 2300 meters (about 7545 feet) elevation and forms part of the Les 3 Vallées ski area in the Savoyard Alps. The terrain spreads over several glaciers and valleys with trails of all grades, ranging from gentle slopes for beginners to steep descents for experienced skiers.
History
Planning for the resort began in the late 1960s to bring winter tourism to the Belleville Valley, which was then only farmed in summer. The first ski lifts and chalets opened in the early 1970s and formed one of the first resorts in France designed purely for winter sports.
Culture
Mountain restaurants throughout the area bear names of local peaks and alpine meadows and serve traditional tartiflette and raclette during the ski season. Ski instructors and lodge staff usually come from the Tarentaise Valley and often speak English alongside French with guests.
Practical
Reaching the resort involves traveling to Moûtiers, from where regular buses head up into the mountains, or by taxi along the mountain road. During peak season arrivals, it helps to travel early because parking fills quickly and bus services become busier.
Did you know?
The high altitude means that even in spring snow remains on the upper slopes while the valleys below turn green. From the summer glacier, visitors have a clear view on fine days toward the Mont Blanc range and other four-thousand-meter peaks of the western Alps.
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Photo license: CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo license: CC BY-SA 3.0
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