Initially created with the aim of safeguarding ibex, the Vanoise National Park is now a high place for the protection of fauna and flora. With an area of 53,000 hectares, this park protects two parts: a central area, the heart of the massif, reserved for hikers and skiers, then a peripheral area with prestigious ski resorts, those of the Tarentaise, as well as typical villages. The Vanoise massif consists of a hundred peaks exceeding 3,000 meters above sea level. With its grandiose and preserved landscapes, the Vanoise massif can only arouse enchantment and reverie. Mountain walking enthusiasts really have something to be delighted with.

Access by car from the Residence 15 minutes, located in Champagny le Haut

This famous chic winter sports resort is renowned for the quality of its ski area, but also for all the leisure and great comforts that are offered after skiing, such as exhibitions, concerts, cafes, discos, fitness centers, gourmet restaurants, shops and luxury hotels.

Part of the 3 Valleys, a vast ski area with 600 kilometres of slopes and 200 ski lifts, Courchevel offers the possibility of reaching other famous resorts of the 3 Valleys such as Méribel, Val-Thorens, Les Menuires, La Tania or Brides-les-Bains.

To get there from the Residence, you will have to take your car and reach the Praz gondola 20 minutes. Journey.

With its charming chalets and its beautiful residences with wooden facades, Méribel is a resort perfectly integrated into its wonderful mountain setting. Situated right in the heart of the 3 Valleys, one of the most famous ski areas in the world, the winter sports resort has everything to satisfy skiing fans.

In summer, Méribel is a special destination for hikers, with its numerous footpaths in the Vanoise national park.

On the hills of Albertville, Conflans is a pleasant stopping point, with its flower-bedecked main square featuring a fountain and the Maison Rouge (Red House), a beautiful 14th-century brick-built building home to the Ethnography and History museum; its high street with forged iron shop signs on facades, its Baroque church, and its charming garden protected by the Sarrazine tower.

Albertville is world-famous for having hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the 16th Winter Olympic Games in February 1992. Recounting the sports events that took place during this prestigious period, Tremplin 92 is an essential stop for anyone staying in Albertville. Place de l'Europe square, the location of a very modern cultural centre, offers a beautiful view of the hilltop village of Conflans.

Located in the Upper Tarentaise, facing the Mont Blanc massif, the Les Arcs resort comprises four high-altitude sites within the municipality of Bourg-Saint-Maurice: Arc 1600, Arc 1800, Arc 1950 and Arc 2000. Its ski area, connected to Peisey-Vallandry, offers 200 kilometres of slopes, 70% of which are above 2,000 metres. Since 2003, the Vanoise Express cable car has provided access to La Plagne and Paradiski's 425 kilometres of slopes.

The resort, which takes its name from the Arc valley, was founded in the 1960s under the impetus of mountain guide Robert Blanc and Roger Godino. Arc 1600, which opened in 1968, was followed by Arc 1800 in 1974, Arc 2000 in 1979 and Arc 1950 in 2003. This timeline offers an overview of several approaches to mountain tourist accommodation, from modernist residences integrated into the slope to an Alpine-inspired pedestrian village.

Architecture is one of Les Arcs' most distinctive features. Working with Charlotte Perriand, a collective of architects designed terraced buildings that follow the contours of the land, with balconies overlooking the landscape and compact apartments arranged to minimise direct views into one another. Several complexes in Arc 1600 and Arc 1800 have been awarded the Remarkable Contemporary Architecture label. In Arc 1600, the Dome is one of the emblematic buildings, while the Charvet district in Arc 1800 separates motor traffic from pedestrian routes. Arc 2000, meanwhile, features robust architecture designed to withstand high-mountain conditions.

The highest point in the ski area, the Aiguille Rouge rises to 3,226 metres and, when the lifts are operating and weather conditions permit, reveals a superb panorama of the major Alpine massifs. In winter, the main activities include downhill skiing, snowboarding, sledging, snowshoeing and recreational areas. In summer, visitors can enjoy more than 200 kilometres of trails, mountain biking, the Arc 1800 golf course, paragliding and white-water sports in the valley. Swimming pools, children's activities and family-friendly routes complete the range of leisure options.

Good to know: from Bourg-Saint-Maurice railway station, the funicular reaches Arc 1600 in around seven minutes. Shuttle buses then connect the various villages, whose centres are largely pedestrianised. Lift operations depend on the season, wind and snow cover, so it is best to check access conditions before heading up to the high-altitude viewpoints.

Nearby, Bourg-Saint-Maurice is home to Saint Maurice Church, a Neoclassical building constructed in the mid-19th century on larch pilings. Near Arc 1600, a monument also commemorates the history of the Spaniards' Road, built in 1939 by Spanish Republican refugees. The Peisey-Nancroix valley offers further opportunities for exploration, with magnificent hikes through the Tarentaise's forests, Alpine pastures and peaks.

Located in the Upper Tarentaise, in the Vanoise Massif, Tignes spreads its villages across elevations ranging from 1,550 to 2,100 metres. Tignes Les Brévières, Tignes 1800, Le Lavachet, Tignes Le Lac and Val Claret form a strikingly varied whole, combining chalets, contemporary architecture, a natural lake and glacial landscapes dominated by Grande Motte.

Linked to Val-d’Isère, the Tignes–Val d’Isère ski area offers 300 kilometres of marked runs, at elevations ranging from 1,550 to 3,456 metres. Its high-altitude sectors provide a long ski season, from late autumn to spring, while summer skiing on the glacier remains dependent on weather and glacier conditions. Beginner slopes, snow parks and routes for experienced skiers complete this impressive winter sports playground. From Val Claret, the Perce-Neige funicular climbs to the Grande Motte sector, where the panoramic view encompasses Grande Casse, Mont Pourri and, on clear days, Mont Blanc.

The history of Tignes remains deeply marked by the construction of the Chevril Dam. In 1952, the old village was submerged beneath the reservoir, before the structure was inaugurated in 1953. Approximately 180 metres high, this imposing arch dam overlooks a 270-hectare artificial lake. In Tignes 1800, Saint James of Tarentaise Church, rebuilt between 1950 and 1952, echoes the design of the vanished building and houses five gilded altarpieces dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. Its stained-glass windows also evoke the former farming and pastoral way of life, while the building has been awarded the Remarkable Contemporary Architecture designation.

In summer, Tignes’ natural lake becomes the focus of walks and water activities, including canoeing, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, fishing and picnicking. Trails lead to Aiguille Percée, an iconic rock formation, while mountain biking, trail running, golf, paragliding and mountaineering provide opportunities to explore the surrounding slopes. In winter, ice diving, sledging and snowshoeing complement the skiing. The aquatic sports centre, sports complex and Le Panorama cultural centre offer family-friendly activities and provide useful alternatives when the weather deteriorates.

Good to know: the nearest railway station is in Bourg-Saint-Maurice, from where coaches depart for the various villages. Shuttle buses make it easier to get around during the season, while parking is regulated. In winter, vehicles should be fitted with the special equipment required by mountain driving conditions.

Nearby, the Tignes-Champagny and Grande Sassière nature reserves reveal protected high-mountain landscapes. Dogs are prohibited in the core area of Vanoise National Park and in the Tignes-Champagny Nature Reserve; they are permitted only on a lead in the Grande Sassière Nature Reserve. Magnificent places in which to continue exploring on foot!

Nestled at an altitude of 1,850 metres, at the head of the Haute-Tarentaise Valley and on the edge of Vanoise National Park, Val-d'Isère combines the character of a Savoyard village with an internationally renowned winter sports resort. Timber-and-stone chalets, stone-slab roofs and historic hamlets blend into a high Alpine valley, between the Bellevarde and Solaise areas and the glaciers near the Italian border.

Known for many years as Laval-de-Tignes, the municipality adopted its present name in 1886. Its development as a tourist destination truly began in the 1930s, with improvements to the road, the installation of running water and electricity, and then the opening of the Solaise cable car in 1942. Val-d'Isère subsequently hosted the men's Alpine skiing events at the 1992 Albertville Olympic Games and the Alpine World Ski Championships in 2009. Established in 1955, the First Snow Criterium bears witness each winter to this long sporting history, which is also associated with champion Jean-Claude Killy.

Linked to Tignes, the Tignes–Val d'Isère ski area offers more than 300 kilometres of runs spread across Bellevarde, Solaise, La Daille and the Le Fornet–Iseran area. Experienced skiers are particularly familiar with the Bellevarde Face, an impressive Olympic black run that descends towards the village. Nordic skiing in the Manchet Valley, snowshoeing, sledging and activities at the water sports centre complement the pleasures of the snow, while recreational areas and learning trails welcome families.

The old village is also well worth exploring on a walk around Saint Bernard of Menthon Church, listed as a Historic Monument in 1951. Its understated bell tower, built in 1664 and standing around 33 metres high, contrasts with a remarkable Baroque interior featuring gilded altarpieces, spiral columns and religious paintings. You can then visit the chapels in the various hamlets, including Saint Mary Magdalene Chapel in Le Fornet, rebuilt in 1890, or view the residential complex in La Daille, built between 1968 and 1978 and awarded the Remarkable Contemporary Architecture label in 2003.

In summer, trails lead towards the Manchet Valley, Lake Ouillette and the protected areas of the Vanoise, which are home to marmots, chamois and Alpine ibexes. Hiking, mountain biking, climbing and cycling then offer opportunities to discover another side of the resort. Accessible via the RD 902 road, Val-d'Isère lies around 30 kilometres from Bourg-Saint-Maurice railway station, from which coaches depart; shuttle buses then make it easier to travel between La Daille, the centre and Le Fornet.

Worth discovering in the warmer months, the road to the Iseran Pass climbs to 2,770 metres before descending towards Bonneval-sur-Arc and the Maurienne Valley. Closed during winter, this Alpine pass offers magnificent summer views of the Vanoise peaks!

Invented in 1890 by Joseph Opinel in the family workshop in Gévoudaz, the famous Savoyard knife has its own museum in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne. Its history dates back to 1800, when Victor-Amédée Opinel, Joseph's grandfather, established his first forge and edge-tool workshop. A range of twelve sizes appeared in 1897, while the "Crowned Hand" emblem, registered in 1909, combines the hand of Saint John the Baptist, featured on the coat of arms of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, with the crown of the former Duchy of Savoy.

The museum occupies a former cutlery workshop built in 1932 by Jean Opinel, Joseph's brother. Jean, followed by his son Daniel and grandson Jacques, manufactured tools and knives there under the "Cross of Savoy" brand until 1973. Converted into a museum in 1989, then renovated and extended in 2013 and again in 2018, the family building now devotes nearly 700 m² to this remarkable artisanal and industrial adventure.

The old forge, with its hammers, power hammers, machinery and edge-tool-making equipment, provides insight into the earliest manufacturing processes. Photographs, archival documents and educational materials then trace the transfer of production to Cognin, near Chambéry, as well as the evolution of the models. In particular, you will discover the Virobloc, a blade-locking system invented in 1955, and the twelve historic sizes, with blades ranging from 3.5 to 22 centimetres. A film shot in the Chambéry workshops presents the main stages of production. Added to the Larousse dictionary in 1989, the name Opinel has become a common noun associated with Savoyard and French heritage. The step-free visitor route is accessible to people with reduced mobility and offers materials designed for families. A shop with an engraving service and a relaxation area with a terrace round off the visit.

Also worth exploring, the Opinel Route runs for approximately 16 kilometres from Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to Albiez-Montrond. It takes in Gévoudaz, Joseph's house, the former Pont factory and a 1.5-kilometre walking trail in the heart of the family's birthplace.

Located at an altitude of around 1,800 metres, at the far end of the upper Maurienne Valley, Bonneval-sur-Arc stretches along the banks of the Arc, at the foot of the Iseran Pass. A member of the Most Beautiful Villages of France association since 1977 and the only village in Savoie to have received this distinction, the municipality has preserved a remarkable collection of traditional buildings.

In the old village, which is largely free of traffic, narrow lanes and covered passageways wind between low, sturdy houses. Their thick stone walls, small windows, larch roof frames, wooden balconies and heavy stone-slab roofs reflect their adaptation to the long Alpine winters. Having become independent from Bessans in 1761, the municipality established its winter sports resort in 1968 in the Tralenta area, separate from the historic centre, thus preserving the village's architectural unity.

Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption Church, rebuilt in 1869 on the site of an older building, has a 17th-century bell tower listed as a historic monument. Chapels, wayside shrines and old bridges complete this modest religious and civic heritage, several elements of which have been protected since 1980. The Snow and Mountain Centre explores everyday life, craftsmanship, winter sports and the early days of mountaineering in Bonneval-sur-Arc.

From December to April, the ski area, extending from 1,800 to 3,000 metres above sea level, offers around 32 kilometres of slopes. In summer, hiking, climbing, fixed-rope climbing routes, canyoning, mountain biking and road cycling take over. From Modane, around 43 kilometres away, the village can be reached by road and by a bus service departing from the railway station. Good to know: the road over the Iseran Pass, which reaches an altitude of around 2,770 metres, is closed during winter.

Four kilometres away, the hamlet of Écot is well worth a visit in its own right. Perched at an altitude of around 2,000 metres, it consists of stone houses overlooked by Sainte-Marguerite Chapel, documented as early as 1446 and listed as a historic monument. From here, trails lead towards the Évettes Cirque, the Carro Refuge and the protected areas of Vanoise National Park: a magnificent extension into the heart of the glacial landscapes!