Val Cenis: Lots Of Snow And Authentic Heritage

By Author: Boštjan Hozjan
Total Articles: 3698
Comment this article

Val Cenis answers that call to freedom. Located a stone's throw from the Italian border in the Haute Maurienne region of the French Alps, Val Cenis includes the villages of Lanslebourg and Lanslevillard. The lifts go beyond this to a height of 2800 meters. You'll find that Val Cenis' baroque style is that of an authentic French village with a sustained culture. You can see it all around from the architecture to the town square to the houses themselves.

If your search has produced only boisterous resorts in the Alps, Lanslebourg and Lanslevillard will surprise you. Here, the mostly French visitors keep a relaxed and less hurried pace towards life. The atmosphere is a dominated backdrop of the Parc National de la Vanoise. Between the two villages, a shuttle bus transports people back and forth about every twenty to thirty minutes.

Both villages are within a short walk of each other separated by only a few kilometers. However, given the winter conditions on the roads, it may be wise to stroll around the towns and use the bus to go up and down the valley. As you travel up the D902 Route de L'Iseran, you'll first reach ...
... Lanslebourg. From here, you'll have to take the high-speed chairlift at the edge of town to get to the skiing areas.

Lanslevillard, on the other hand, is divided in two parts by the road with the main village about one hundred meters lower than the accommodation found at Val Cenis Le Haut (Upper Val Cenis). Though Lanslevillard is less condensed than Lanslebourg, its only here that you'll find more nursery slopes. A six-seat gondola carries people up. In either village, you won't have to cramp up in queue waiting for your ride to the top. Crowds in Val Cenis French ski resort are very uncommon.

The slopes at Val Cenis luckily face a northern direction giving this area of the Vanoise Park some nice snow accumulation. December of both 2006 and 2007, for instance, began with some thick powder at 22 and 79 cm on the lower and upper slopes. By January and into February, the snowfall climbed to 39 and 130 cm on each slope. By March and April, there was still plenty of snow with 19 and 138 cm right before the ski season came to an end. Because of this five-month long ski season (December to April), Val Cenis has gotten more foreign interests.

At Val Cenis, you'll have access to the noted L'Escargot run. Winding down some 700 meters, this 10 km descent is Europe's longest beginner run. Plus, there are several blue pistes in the upper areas not found at other ski resorts. In all, you'll find nine green runs and ten blue runs. With six black runs and 18 red runs, Val Cenis is most intended for skiers of moderate ability.

If your family wishes to stay on the lower slopes, you'll be amongst the trees that cover this ski area in a fresher blanket of snow than the more sun- and wind-exposed upper slopes. If neither the lower or upper slopes can seduce you into coming to Val Cenis, perhaps the off-piste-more backcountry-skiing will entice you. Lying in the upper flanks (around 2000 + meters) of the Val Cenis resort, there's enough off-piste skiing to keep you out and about for the entire day. Either way, be sure to take a map and a local guide to show you the best routes.

You'll save the most money on your ski holiday to Val Cenis by booking a lift pass in advance. Specifically, a six-day pre-booked lift pass will cost the average adult 110-euro. Seniors and children in the group can save a few euros and pay 80-90 euros. This pre-booked, six-day ski pass will get you into Termignon ski area, which has six lifts and 14 runs.

Val Cenis offers some fantastic apres ski options. From rock climbing, mountain climbing, dog sledding, horse riding to snow shoeing, mountain biking, canoeing, kayaking, boating and adventure trails, you'll be sure to stay in holiday shape. You'll have time for all this fun, as this area is famous for its nurseries and childcare facilities and schools and courses. Val Cenis gives skiers the freedom to ride all day and play all night all for a reasonable un-Alp-like price.