New in the Northern Alps

Savoie :

Méribel:

Since the summer of 2023, the Maison de la Réserve has undergone a complete makeover, with a brand new museography showcasing the flora and fauna of the Plan de Tueda nature reserve, as well as the Gébroulaz glacier.

There's also an interactive exhibition and a range of activities for families, including nature and reserve discovery, arts and crafts, orienteering, footprint searching and much more. 

La Rosière:

The Treasure of the Fort, a life-size investigation game. Grandpa Pierre has lost his memory. Switch off your mobile phone, pick up an investigation booklet from the Tourist Office and reconnect with the mountains and the history of La Rosière. On a dedicated hiking trail, discover the clues left by Pierre, open the secret chests and find the treasure chest.

As you make your way along this 2h30 trail, you'll discover the history of La Rosière and the men and women who grew up with the mountain in the last century. 

Les Karellis:

Trail booklet: designed for the very young, this booklet introduces them to mountain walking in a fun and educational way. 

Saint-François-Longchamp:

The Syndicat Mixte de la Lauzière is offering a themed trail in the commune of Saint François, to enable young and old alike to discover this unspoilt area. 

There are plenty of little signs and fun activities along the way to make the walk a pleasant and cultural experience. 

Val Thorens:

The Bureaux des Guides offers a number of educational outings open to children and parents: marmot outings (half-day walk to discover marmots), chamois watching (half-day observation of alpine fauna & Savoyard snack), Kids Survivor (mini survival course to learn how to cope in the mountains: lighting a fire, learning about plants, first aid, finding your way, etc.).

La Plagne:

Themed family outings organised by the Montchavin-Les Coches guide office: using mountain plants, reading the landscape, family orienteering, mountain flora and fauna.

Val d’Arly:

Adventure trails and activities just for kids: the Bois du Croë, accrobranche, discovering the Tourbière, the Vardaches footbridge, etc.

Le Corbier:

Outings are organised for children in the children's club with an AMM to teach them about the mountain environment (fauna, flora, survival techniques, meeting shepherds, etc.).

The Rembertins Festival: a celebration of mountain traditions and life in days gone by. 

A guided hike with an AMM accessible to children (example: marmot hike).

Les Menuires:

The home of the black bee and nature :

In the heart of the Vallée des Encombres, it's a completely different animal species that is the focus of attention: Apis Mellifera Mellifera, better known as the black bee, has seen its genetic heritage threatened over the years.

Housed in a former mountain pasture chalet near the Bruyères lake, this educational and awareness-raising site allows visitors to follow the Apis Mellifera Mellifera through its adventures and those of local beekeepers. 

Admission: €5/adult, free for under-16s.

Haute-Savoie:

Le Grand Bornand:

‘La Source’, a fun, offbeat exploration of the Alps for all the family... 

Set in an authentic Bornand farmhouse, La Source offers a range of activities and workshops on three levels, as well as an educational farm and exhibition and performance rooms.

The centrepiece of the outdoor spaces, the ‘Arbre à jouer’ (tree to play) is home to free, cooperative games, inviting young and old alike to join in the fun of life in the mountains: milk cans, coffee grinders and other old-fashioned skis are the mediums - often misappropriated - for funny and instructive challenges... between two rides on the parent-powered ecological merry-go-rounds!

Les Contamines-Montjoie:

The Espace Nature au Sommet, an area with the Famille Plus label.

Numerous awareness-raising and discovery activities are organised at the Espace Nature au Sommet, in the village or in the field. To find all the information about the Nature Reserve and to learn a little more, this area opens its doors with the aim of raising awareness about the protection of natural areas.

With explanatory panels, booklets and film screenings, this is first and foremost a place where people can meet and talk about the fauna, flora and landscapes that surround us. 

La Clusaz: 

The Minis' Barn 

This year, in an ecologically responsible and sensible move, the La Clusaz ice rink will no longer be on ice from this summer, and will be transformed into a play area for children from the village and beyond, aged 0 to 8.
There will be 5 themed areas to help the little ones discover the world of the mountains, with games involving manipulation, construction and motor skills. It's a fun way to get children and their parents excited about adventure and discovering everything that surrounds us in nature and in our mountains.
12€ for children / 8€ for adults. See you at the La Clusaz ice rink from July 2024.

La Bascule, the giant Aravis swing

Our giant aerial swing will propel visitors into the air to discover La Clusaz from the sky. Take to the skies for around 6 minutes and admire the natural Alpine landscape from the Confins valley to the Aravis mountain range.
This new activity, perched at an altitude of 1860m on the terrace of the Balcon des Aravis, is sure to appeal to thrill-seekers, giving them a memorable experience to share. Two levels of intensity will enable you to personalise the experience you want, and the most daring can even dare a 90-degree incline.
The big swing will be the most original and sensational stop-off point for marvelling at the natural riches hidden in our mountains. A breathtaking spectacle. It's the perfect opportunity to enjoy a day in the fresh air and marvel at nature's raw beauty.
Price: €24 per person (includes access to the Crêt du Merle and Crêt du Loup chairlifts)

Children's tour of the village with Gisèle

This summer, children will have the chance to discover a little more about the village of La Clusaz thanks to Gisèle, a Savoie Mont-Blanc heritage guide who is passionate about the history of her village. During a 40-minute visit, Gisèle will tell the stories, secrets and legends of La Clusaz.
The children will leave with a wealth of memories and an imagination of life in the mountains.
Information: Suitable for children aged 5 and over. Information and booking at the Tourist Office.

Isère :

Vaujany:

Les coulisses de Vaujany’ (Behind the scenes at Vaujany): Discover the different jobs in the mountains. Each week an activity is organised with a job highlighted and a member of the resort's staff working in that job.

At the Vaujany Museum Area: Children can discover the fauna and flora of the mountains through organised outings, walks with a telescope to observe the animals and learn more about the resort's eco-system and how it works. 

Les 2 Alpes:

Themed walks

The Explorers' Walk, designed for families, lets you discover the resort and its environment through a question-and-answer game about mountain flora and fauna. Hiking also means getting up close and personal with nature. The mountain guides offer a botanical and gourmet walk, a life-size discovery of edible or medicinal mountain plants (yellow gentian, nettle, plantain, polypodes, ground nuts, wild cumin, St John's wort, hogweed, musk chervil, oxalis, sheep sorrel...).

The chamois-watching walk offers close-up views of the famous mountain gazelle, while the Ardoisiers walk, in the village of Venosc, tells the whole story of the resort and its villages.

Childcare facilities

Les 2 Alpes, which has been awarded the Famille Plus label, offers facilities for children aged 6 months to 15 years. And the best thing for children is the fun courses, supervised by professionals and offering sporting and cultural activities for children aged 4 to 16.

Each day is a discovery, a time for sharing and a chance to make new friends. We're outside, sliding, climbing, jumping, swimming, discovering, having fun, challenging each other... The activities are à la carte, by the day or by the week: downhill mountain biking, trampoline, hockey, hydrospeed, canyoning, tennis, rafting, climbing, via ferrata, hiking, beach volleyball, rollerblading, little trapper outings, paddle, cani-rando... 

Via Ferrata

You can continue your mountain adventure as a family or couple with a via ferrata, accompanied by a professional from the Les 2 Alpes guide bureau. The Lutins via ferrata is located in the Perrons sector (from Les 2 Alpes and above the village of Venosc). The fun route combines hiking and climbing on an itinerary secured by a cable and rungs (200m vertical drop). 

Family-friendly news from the Southern Alps

Le Dévoluy:

Discover nature with D en Bulle 

The D en Bulle nature club (Famille Plus accredited) is run by Juliette, a state-qualified sports instructor. The activities and outings are based on discovery, fun, art and the senses. Her aim is to raise children's awareness of Nature, which is so essential yet has become so remote from everyday life. 

The nature-based activities are based on discovery and free play, such as building huts, tracking wild animals, land art and nature creations, discovering enchanted places... and also fun activities on botany, fauna, geology, ecosystems, ecology, astronomy, etc. 

From age 6 upwards, with children or as a family, it's the ideal club for teaching tomorrow's adults about nature and reteaching today's! 

D en Bule: d-en-bulle.fr / 06.49.58.69.02 / denbulle05@yahoo.com 

Valberg:

Nature workshops - on sustainable development, local biodiversity, astronomy and pastoralism.  

Under construction: Maison départementale de l'Environnement & de l'Observation (to be delivered in June 2025) This future centre for knowledge and exchange will feature a planetarium and offer conferences, exhibitions, workshops and much more on sustainable development for all ages. 

Les Orres:

SERVICE: Dedicated play area at the tourist office, baby changing facilities throughout the resort, picnic tables by the slopes, childcare facilities at the pharmacy, play area in the children's garden, loan of board games and pushchairs from the tourist office.

CHILDREN'S CLUB: At the ‘Club Juni'Orres’ children's club (6 to 12 years), our professional activity leaders are never short of ideas and offer all kinds of activities: outdoor activities, Land Art workshops, animal trail walks, trapper outings, sledging or ice skating, building huts or igloos... 

ACTIVITIES: Many activities are suitable for little ones, whatever the season: rail sledging, accrobranche, ice rink, snakegliss... 

EVENT: Festival des Familles en Orres, from Tuesday 6 to Thursday 8 August 2024: A festival for families with lots of free entertainment and shows for young and old over 3 days! 

Orcières Merlette:

2 days of family adventure. The evening around the campfire is a favourite moment for children, but also for their parents. Settled in the middle of nowhere, mesmerised by the flames, everyone recounts their favourite moments of the day during this raid, tailor-made for families. On the programme: 2 days of hiking and challenges (climbing, mountain biking, tree climbing, canoeing on a mountain lake, totem pole making) and a night in a bivouac with a mountain meal and storytelling under the stars. 

Dates: 17-18 July / 24-25 July / 31 July-1 August / 7-8 August / 21-22 August  

Prices: €60 /adult, €40 /child under 16 with bivouac (equipment provided - sleeping bag extra). Places limited. 

"Getting by in the mountains 

Children and teenagers have an afternoon to discover the main principles of survival in the great outdoors, particularly in the mountains. Starting a fire, building a shelter, getting around safely with ropes, recognising animal tracks and edible and medicinal plants - young trappers are ready for adventure with a capital A! 

From age 7. Every Tuesday afternoon. Prices: €22/adult; €18/child (-30% from the 2nd child). Further information: Maison de la Montagne - 06 63 64 05 97

Val d’Allos:

Themed trails are available to help you discover the area in a fun way (Lac d'Allos, Marmot Trail, Trapper Trail, Heritage Treasure Hunt, etc.). 

A day in the mountain pastures ‘In the footsteps of the shepherds’. An opportunity to discover the job of a shepherd, the role of guard dogs, the care given to the herd, and so on. All in contact with the animals and admiring the scenery. 

Family mountain activities in the Pyrenees this summer

Font-Romeu:

Font-Romeu is supporting the Parc Naturel Régional des Pyrénées' “#QueLaMontagneEstBelle” campaign to raise awareness among residents and visitors of the best practices to adopt in natural areas.

The concept of the campaign is to tackle essential subjects without alienating visitors looking to relax in nature. Retro-style pictograms illustrate the recommendations and are complemented by a popular song. Image, text and jingle work together to ensure that the messages are relevant to our approach to the mountains.

Les Angles:

Environ'angles’ day. Rubbish collection on the resort, with activities focusing on the environment. When you can go to the mountains as a family, you can make a difference and protect our environment. 

Peyragudes:

The aim of the online game ‘Le Mystère des ardoisières’ (The Mystery of the slate quarries) is to help you discover and understand while you're out and about. Over a 3-hour itinerary, the whole family can spend a day in the mountains, taking the ski lifts and solving a riddle while hiking to the Lac du Boum.

The game is on sale for €1 at the Tourist Office or at the start of the ski lifts. 

Saint-Lary-Soulan:

The Maison du Parc National des Pyrénées is a rich, varied and fun museum space. Ideal for families, you can discover the flora and fauna of the large natural areas near Saint-Lary. 

In the outdoor courtyard, you'll discover an area devoted to the eco-responsible use of wood. Films about the National Park and natural heritage are shown, as well as children's stories. 

Nature and education for all the family this summer in the Vosges

La Bresse Hautes Vosges:

Sentier pédagogique et ludique avec « Gambaladons », pour un moment de partage, convivialité et découvertes en forêt. Environ 2h d'aventure, de 3 à 12 ans. Goûter convivial offert en fin d'activité.

Une belle balade pour les enfants sous forme de chasse au trésor. Partez sur les traces des animaux de la forêt vosgienne à travers des ateliers amusants. Une aventure à partager en famille et parsemée d'indices qui permettront d'ouvrir le coffre au trésor. 

Gérardmer:

Haut Chitelet high-altitude garden 

The Chitelet garden offers visitors the chance to discover 2,500 species of alpine plants from different mountain regions of the world. A stone's throw from the Hohneck, primroses, gentians, blue poppies, edelweiss and many others flourish in landscaped rock gardens. A high-altitude peat bog and beech grove, two natural environments characteristic of the Hautes-Vosges, complete this botanical world tour.

There are games and rallies for children and families to raise awareness of these fragile environments. 

As you'll have gathered, a family holiday in the mountains means a whole host of activities for young and old alike! 

Photo credit: Le Corbier - ©CorbierTourisme

Photo credit: La Toussuire - ©Alban Pernet