Valmorel – Village History and Leisure Activities

When choosing a hotel in Valmorel, local history, ski facilities and leisure activities can offer different points of reference for planning your trip. Each has its own focus, and some are seasonal. For seasonal activities, check opening times for your travel dates.

Local History and Rue du Bourg

Valmorel was founded in 1976 and built around the car-free main street, Rue du Bourg. Shops line the street, with elaborately designed, colourful façades and signs. The village’s origins and the design of this main street offer a different perspective on Valmorel from its leisure activities. If you don’t want to plan your trip around activities alone, this combination of founding date and village character is also one of the defining themes.

Ski Practice Areas and Snowtubing

The Domaine Skiable de Valmorel offers four specially designed, safe practice areas with a gradual progression for beginners and families. Operating conditions for each area vary by season. Another course is the Chemin Pirates, at the mountain station of the Pierrafort gondola. It is an easy course designed especially for children, parents and beginners; its availability is also seasonal. For planning purposes, the four practice areas and the course at a specific location can be considered as different options.

With snowtubing, children and adults ride down specially prepared lanes in large inflatable rings. The Beaudin conveyor belt takes participants back up for another run, so they don’t have to make their own way back. The activity is available in summer and year-round; check seasonal operating times before your trip. This makes snowtubing different from the practice areas and courses: the focus here is on riding in a tube and making repeated descents.

Adventure Activities and Animal Encounters

Valmo'Branch is for people aged 3 to 77. It offers five adventure courses, ten zip lines and two Tarzan jumps. There is also a Via Ferrata option at heights of 1 to 12 metres, as well as a treasure hunt for children aged 3 to 12. The age ranges help distinguish the different activities: the treasure hunt is specifically intended for children aged 3 to 12, while the courses are aimed at a broader age range. As a seasonal attraction, Valmo'Branch should be factored into your travel dates; check the latest operating information in advance.

The Okapi Leisure Park offers trampolines, inflatables and the Accro Benji activity. Three facilities are reserved for children under six. The park also operates seasonally. This age-based distinction sets it apart from the other leisure activities mentioned and may be relevant when planning a trip with younger children.

Animal encounters are the focus at Valmo'Bourricot: visitors can meet chickens, geese, ducks, rabbits, goats and sheep, and learn about their way of life in the mountains. They can also watch a female donkey being milked and learn more about the properties of donkey’s milk. Visiting times are seasonal. This activity therefore offers a different focus from courses, tube rides or jumping activities: it is about animals and learning about their way of life.

Mountain Bike Trails in the Wider Area

The mountain biking information covers the Valmorel area and the Vallées d’Aigueblanche. There are 18 marked cross-country routes: three green, seven blue, five red and three black. Enduro has nine trails, of which two are green, two blue and five red. The two sets of figures refer to different disciplines, so they should not be read as a single trail list. The comparison also shows that the cross-country listing has more routes and covers four colour categories, while the enduro listing gives nine trails in three categories. If mountain biking is a focus of your trip, pay attention to the relevant discipline and its own classification when planning further.

Valmorel can therefore be viewed from several perspectives: through the history and design of Rue du Bourg, its ski and leisure activities, or the mountain bike trails across the wider area. Which of these aspects matters most for your stay depends on the activities you plan and the time of year you travel.

Discover more destinations: Saint-Pierre-De-Genebroz, Tignes, Frontenex, Saint-Jean-D'arves, Francin, Le Bettaix, Saint-Martin-Sur-La-Chambre, Montricher-Albanne.

Go to the main travel overview: Savoie.