New Features in French Ski Resorts this Winter

Outstanding new adventures

Each winter, French ski resorts are full of new original activities to delight young and old. Moments shared in the mountains, with friends, family or as a couple, create strong memories! So, fitting in with the all-year-round trend, this season it’s Les Angles in the Pyrenees joining the growing family of ski resorts equipped with a luge on rails.

Also on trend, Serre-Chevalier, Valmorel and Villard de Lans-Corrençon all have new zip wires giving a spine-tingling descent amongst the snow-capped mountains.

For guaranteed thrills, Val Cenis in Savoie-Mont Blanc offers a ‘chilled’ experience: ice floating. What is it? You pull on a wetsuit, then immerse yourself in 5°C water…and relax, lying in the lake and enjoying a mountain view. Another frosty experience can be experienced in the new ice cave in the resort of Vars in the Hautes-Alpes.

Ice floating © Sensations Vanoise

New ways to connect with nature

Love communing with nature? In the Belleville Valley, their world is all about the natural mountains. In Saint Martin de Belleville, why not try Sabrina’s sylvotherapy sessions? She will help you use the energy of trees to rejuvenate yourself, a new idea already proven around the world. And in Les Menuires, enjoy the ‘Friendly Natural Park’ – a new fun area on the slopes to learn more about the animals inhabiting the mountains, with so much there you can become an expert.

Friendly Natural Park © Infosnews

And what about mountain sports?

For sports enthusiasts or those who simply want to take advantage of the great outdoors to free their body and soul, French ski resorts have some new innovations to try. Flourishing across the Alps to the delight of those who enjoy it are new ski touring routes.  

In the Hautes-Alpes, the ski resorts of Les Orres and Orcières have marked routes with a 700m vertical drop in Les Orres and two in Orcières with 640m and 800m vertical drops respectively. Amateurs in Haute-Savoie, the Pyrenees or the Auvergne can enjoy new routes in Bernex, with breathtaking views of Lake Geneva, Les Angles or Lioran, in the heart of the Auvergne volcanoes.

On the Praz de Lys side of the Haute-Savoie, the ESF have Nordic hiking on offer. Kesako? This is a chance to move away from the cross-country skiing tracks. It’s an opportunity to discover what ‘ski du fond’ is all about in a different way, accompanied by an instructor.

New things to do with your family

As well as all the above, look out for some 100% family activities this winter. In Val Thorens, young and old can go ice skating on the new 400m² ice rink.

For families in search of sensations, try some of these ideas. In Praz de Lys Sommand, it's time for an igloo hike. As the name suggests, we start off with a small hike by snowshoe, then we set about building an igloo to spend the night…something completely different!

If you’ve ever wanted to try husky sledding, then try the new ‘mini-musher’ workshop for toddlers in Vaujany. In Les 7 Laux in Isère, the new ‘Camp des Taupes Warrior’ will be great fun for 4 to 12 year-olds. There’s games, tunnels, cabins and plenty more for playing after the day’s skiing is done. In Combloux, a new iteration of the ‘Legends of Combloux’ will liven up your stay.