Val Thorens Ski Resort Guide
As the highest ski resort in Europe at 2,300m Val Thorens guarantees some of the best and most consistent snowfall available as well as a positive and friendly resort atmosphere.
Opening in 1971 with just three draglifts, this purpose-built resort has grown steadily into one of Europe’s liveliest ski resorts with accommodation for more than 20,000 guests. Much like other purpose-built resorts such as Tignes, the original high-rise apartment blocks of Val Thorens were a particularly stark contrast to their surrounding natural environment. Modern construction has been more sympathetic though and the use of local wood and stone has gradually returned an air of a traditional French village.
Val Thorens has long been the go-to resort for budget conscious skiers looking for self-catering bargains. More recently though an influx of luxury accommodation and high quality restaurants have seen the clientele diversify and the resort offer more for family groups.
Val Thorens is now one of the most visited ski resorts in the world and offers a fantastic holiday experience whether you are looking to party all night, ski all day, or both.
Skiing in Val Thorens
Val Thorens is a resort purpose-built around the skiing experience. With pistes cutting through the town and a great selection of fast lifts, traversing the amazing local ski area couldn’t be much easier.
The local terrain is impressive enough, but Val Thorens also benefits from its links to the Three Valleys – the largest ski area in the world. Combining with the local villages of Meribel and Courchevel there is no larger lift-accessed ski area on the planet.
There are a vast number of green and blue runs for beginners situated around the resort itself, including the villages of Les Menuires and St Martin de Belleville which sit slight further down the same valley. More adventurous skiers and snowboarders will find plenty of challenging red and black runs while travelling further into the Three Valleys area.
The high speed lift network and convenient piste layout make journeying around the huge ski area easier than might be expected. The high altitude pistes and north facing slopes virtually guarantee a long and consistent winter season that all levels of skier and snowboarder can enjoy from Val Thorens.
