Val d'Isere

This resort guide to Val d'Isere gives an overview of the ski area, the restaurants, the après ski scene and the many nightlife options available to those that choose to take their ski holiday in this fabulous Espace Killy region ski resort.

Although Val d'Isere and the surrounding valley has been inhabited since the pre-Roman era, it was not until after World War I and the construction of the Iseran road that the resort was able to develop into the world class skiing Mecca it is today. The pioneering efforts of Jacques Moufflier, Charles Diebold and Nicolas Bazille spurred on the resort's development and in 1940 Val d'Isere's first cable car, the Telepherique de Solaise, was installed. Post World War II construction improved access roads and allowed the village to convert itself into a fully functional ski resort. The resort extended laterally with the installation of the La Daille Gondola and the cable car at Le Fornet. The link with neighbouring Tignes was created in 1972 and the famous Espace Killy ski region was born. The late 1980's saw Val d'Isere undergo a major facelift in the build up to the 1992 Winter Olympics which vastly improved the look of the centre of the resort.

Val d'Isere retains much of its village charm. The local parish church named after Saint Bernard of Menthon, the patron saint of mountain dwellers, was built in 1664 and stands at the heart of the 'old town'. The modern lifts and gondolas include the high-speed Olympique Gondola which whisks skiers straight up into the heart of the Espace Killy and the Le Fornet cable car provides lift access to some of Europe's premier powder skiing terrain. The resort is quintessentially British during the winter months with English rather than French seemingly the predominant language but mainstays like the Maison Chevallot bakery and Brasserie 1789 help the resort keep its French cultural roots alive.

Val d'Isere is widely acclaimed to be one of the top resorts in the world, with one of the best snow records in Europe. Linked with neighbouring Tignes, there are over 300km of pistes, vast areas of off piste and skiing as high as 3,000m altitude. Don't be misled into thinking Val d'Isere is just for experts as there are an enormous number of wide, gentle pistes for intermediates, and for novices the excellent nursery slopes in the centre of town are free. The ski area boasts one of the most efficient lift systems in Europe and even at the busiest times of the year, queuing is hardly ever a cause for concern.

Photos courtesy of Val d'Isere Tourist Office.