Montgenèvre
Encyclopedia
Montgenèvre is a commune
of the Hautes-Alpes
department in southeastern France
.
. It is on the Franco-Italian border at the top of the Col de Montgenèvre
.
The source of the River Durance
is in Les Gondorans ski area of Mongenèvre, this river is a tributary of the Rhône River
.
. It is linked to the Via Lattea
(Milky Way) ski area, which has 400 km of pistes. However in the resort there is only 65 km. The 2006 Winter Olympics
were held in the Via Lattea. The resort is famed for lots of sun, good snow record and very good for intermediates. There is ski from your door accommodation. The resort height begins at 1,860 metres and its highest point (at the top of the Le Chalvet lift) is 2,577 metres. It was built in 1907 and celebrated its centenary year in 2007. It claims to be one of the first ski resorts in France. There is also an ice rink, but it lacks night life, which makes it family friendly.
Snowboard facilities include a half pipe and a snow park in Claviere
.
Lifts
There are 35 lifts. This includes 2 gondolas, 12 chair lifts and 23 drag lifts.
Runs
There are 59 pistes in the Montgenèvre. There is also 25 km of cross-country skiing terrain. There is 18 km of snow making equipment on the pistes. In the Monts de la Lune ski area which is connected to Claviere there are 71 pistes including 8 green, 19 blue, 30 red and 14 black runs.
Alpine Skiing - 65 km in the resort with lots of lifts and snow making facilities.
Snowboarding - There is a half pipe and lots of wide slopes for the boarders.
Slaloming - There is a slalom course, which has regular competitions.
Cross Country Skiing - 25 km of terrain where the French national team train.
Heli-Skiing - There are trips organised for the powder on peaks in both Italy and France.
Telemark Skiing - Involves walking up the mountain on skis and skiing back down for the super fit.
Snow-shoeing - There are numerous walks up the mountain side if you don't feel like skiing.
Snowmobiling - everynight there are octane fuelled adrenaline ride through the mountain at night time.
Sledging - There is a moving walkway to take you up the beginner slopes in the day. Lots of people come out at force in the evening and sledge.
Ice Skating - On the ice rink in the evenings.
Ski Tuition
There are 2 ski schools in the resort. They are ESF & APEAK.
APEAK ski school has a team of 15 instructors all fluent in English Italian and even Dutch for some of them. They all provide tuition and guiding adapted to the skills of their students.
ECF has 900 instructors, and offer alpine skiing, cross country skiing, snow shoeing and heli skiing activities as well as trips to Serre Chevalier and to the Olympic facilities. There is a snow garden when 4 years olds and children older can experience skiing.
Mountain Biking - 3 Lifts are open in the summer for bikers and there is a bike park which has recently been built.
Kayaking/Rafting - Down stream on the Durance towards Briancon there is a gorge where clubs from Briancon use the river. There are lots of clubs which offer rafting/kayaking trips on the local rivers.
Walking - Discover the forests, lakes, forts and the source of the mighty River Durance. You can see the floura and fauna of the mountain side. This includes eagles, marmottes, rabbits, chamois and deer.
Fishing - There are numerous lakes at the bottom of the resort and up in the mountains. The main fish are trout.
Canyoning - In the local gorges and torrents.
Via Ferreta - Climbing and zip wires in the forest.
Swimming - There is a swimming pool in the village.
Tennis - there are 6 courts in the resort.
Horse Riding - In Les Alberts there is Cheval Montagne, which take horse rides up the Claree Valley.
and Oulx
. There is a road to Grenoble
from Briançon on the RN91 over the Col du Lautaret
.
Calais Ferry Port is a 10 hour 30 minutes drive away on French Motorways.
line between Milan - Turin - Modane - Paris. Paris is 4 and a half hours away from Oulx.
There is an SNCF
train station in nearby French town of Briançon
. Which has a train service to Gap
, Valence TGV, Lyon and Paris.
There is also a village bus for skiers so that they can return to their accommodation which runs between 8.30-18.00.
There are 3 buses a day to the village of Les Alberts at the foot of the Col de Montgenèvre in the Val Claree.
(Milky Way ski area in Italy, where the 2006 Winter Olympics
were held.
Pragelato
- the resort is part of the Via lattea(Milky Way
) , is connected to this area by the new cableway Pattemouche - Anfiteatro built in 2006; in Pragelato there is also a cross country courses. There is a wide variety of activities for tourists, who can enjoy any kind of sport, in summer there is also a golf course 9 hole. Pragelato is a natural paradise for cross-country skiing, you have the chance to try the Olympic course supplied with planned snow-making system over 10 km as well as the tourist course that winds along the gorgeous scenarios of the Val Troncea Natural Park.
The jumping hill stadium present the Olympic heritage, which highlights the tourist-sport development of this resort
Claviere
- This small resort is just over the border in Italy and is included in the Monts de la lune lift pass. It is where the Olympic cross country ski teams practised in the Olympics in 2006.
San Sicario - They held the Biathlon and Alpine skiing events here in the 2006 winter Olympics. They also held the Bobsleigh and luge events here. You can attempt the Olympic women's super G and downhill courses.
Sestriere
- This resort was founded by the owner of Fiat. It has been recently sold. The resort held the downhill skiing events and the Olympic village is situated in the village for the 2006 winter Olympics. You can attempt the men's Olympic downhill and super-G courses.
Sauze d'Oulx
- Free Style Skiing Olympic events held here in 2006. The resort is acclaimed for its lively apres-ski.
Serre Chevalier
- Nearby French resort with over 250 km of skiing. There is a free day of skiing here on your lift pass.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
of the Hautes-Alpes
Hautes-Alpes
Hautes-Alpes is a department in southeastern France named after the Alps mountain range.- History :Hautes-Alpes is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790...
department in southeastern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Geography
Montgenèvre is located in the French Cottian AlpsCottian Alps
The Cottian Alps are a mountain range in the southwestern part of the Alps. They form the border between France and Italy...
. It is on the Franco-Italian border at the top of the Col de Montgenèvre
Col de Montgenèvre
The Col de Montgenèvre is a high mountain pass in the Cottian Alps, between France and Italy.The pass takes its name from the village Montgenèvre , which lies in the vicinity...
.
The source of the River Durance
Durance
The Durance is a major river in south-eastern France.Its source is in the south-western Alps, in Montgenèvre ski resort near Briançon and it flows south-west through the following départements and cities:* Hautes-Alpes: Briançon, Embrun.* Alpes-de-Haute-Provence: Sisteron, Manosque.* Vaucluse:...
is in Les Gondorans ski area of Mongenèvre, this river is a tributary of the Rhône River
Rhône River
The Rhone is one of the major rivers of Europe, rising in Switzerland and running from there through southeastern France. At Arles, near its mouth on the Mediterranean Sea, the river divides into two branches, known as the Great Rhone and the Little Rhone...
.
Ski area
Montgenèvre is a ski resortSki resort
A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing and other winter sports. In Europe a ski resort is a town or village in a ski area - a mountainous area, where there are ski trails and supporting services such as hotels and other accommodation, restaurants, equipment rental and a ski lift system...
. It is linked to the Via Lattea
Via Lattea
The Via Lattea is a winter sports area in the Italian and French Alps, straddling the French-Italian border at Claviere/Montgenèvre. Located some 70km west of Turin, it comprises the five Piedmontese resorts of Claviere , Sansicario , Sauze d'Oulx , Pragelato and Sestriere and additionally the...
(Milky Way) ski area, which has 400 km of pistes. However in the resort there is only 65 km. The 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
were held in the Via Lattea. The resort is famed for lots of sun, good snow record and very good for intermediates. There is ski from your door accommodation. The resort height begins at 1,860 metres and its highest point (at the top of the Le Chalvet lift) is 2,577 metres. It was built in 1907 and celebrated its centenary year in 2007. It claims to be one of the first ski resorts in France. There is also an ice rink, but it lacks night life, which makes it family friendly.
Snowboard facilities include a half pipe and a snow park in Claviere
Claviere
Claviere is a comune in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 80 km west of Turin, on the border with France....
.
There are 35 lifts. This includes 2 gondolas, 12 chair lifts and 23 drag lifts.
Runs
There are 59 pistes in the Montgenèvre. There is also 25 km of cross-country skiing terrain. There is 18 km of snow making equipment on the pistes. In the Monts de la Lune ski area which is connected to Claviere there are 71 pistes including 8 green, 19 blue, 30 red and 14 black runs.
Winter activities
The winter season starts in late November and closes in late April.Alpine Skiing - 65 km in the resort with lots of lifts and snow making facilities.
Snowboarding - There is a half pipe and lots of wide slopes for the boarders.
Slaloming - There is a slalom course, which has regular competitions.
Cross Country Skiing - 25 km of terrain where the French national team train.
Heli-Skiing - There are trips organised for the powder on peaks in both Italy and France.
Telemark Skiing - Involves walking up the mountain on skis and skiing back down for the super fit.
Snow-shoeing - There are numerous walks up the mountain side if you don't feel like skiing.
Snowmobiling - everynight there are octane fuelled adrenaline ride through the mountain at night time.
Sledging - There is a moving walkway to take you up the beginner slopes in the day. Lots of people come out at force in the evening and sledge.
Ice Skating - On the ice rink in the evenings.
Ski Tuition
There are 2 ski schools in the resort. They are ESF & APEAK.
APEAK ski school has a team of 15 instructors all fluent in English Italian and even Dutch for some of them. They all provide tuition and guiding adapted to the skills of their students.
ECF has 900 instructors, and offer alpine skiing, cross country skiing, snow shoeing and heli skiing activities as well as trips to Serre Chevalier and to the Olympic facilities. There is a snow garden when 4 years olds and children older can experience skiing.
Summer activities
Golf - An international 18 hole golf course on the beginner slopes. This border gold course has 9 holes in France and 9 in Italy. There is also a driving range.Mountain Biking - 3 Lifts are open in the summer for bikers and there is a bike park which has recently been built.
Kayaking/Rafting - Down stream on the Durance towards Briancon there is a gorge where clubs from Briancon use the river. There are lots of clubs which offer rafting/kayaking trips on the local rivers.
Fishing - There are numerous lakes at the bottom of the resort and up in the mountains. The main fish are trout.
Canyoning - In the local gorges and torrents.
Via Ferreta - Climbing and zip wires in the forest.
Swimming - There is a swimming pool in the village.
Tennis - there are 6 courts in the resort.
Horse Riding - In Les Alberts there is Cheval Montagne, which take horse rides up the Claree Valley.
Population
Roads
The RN94 which climbs up the Col de Montgenèvre runs through the village. A tunnel has recently been built to divert through traffic under the village, making the resort more peaceful. The road runs to BriançonBriançon
Briançon a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department....
and Oulx
Oulx
Oulx is a comune in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 70 km west of Turin, in the Susa Valley on the border with France.-Names:...
. There is a road to Grenoble
Grenoble
Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...
from Briançon on the RN91 over the Col du Lautaret
Col du Lautaret
Col du Lautaret is a high mountain pass in the department of Hautes-Alpes in France.It marks the boundary between the valleys of the Romanche and the Guisane, a tributary of the Durance which has its source at the col. The valleys are linked by national route 91...
.
Calais Ferry Port is a 10 hour 30 minutes drive away on French Motorways.
Aeroplane
The nearest international airport is Turin International Airport, an hour and a half drive (101 km) away. Grenoble-Isère Airport is 222 km away and a 2 hour 25 minutes drive away from the resort.Train
There is a bus to Oulx Railway station in the Susa Valley. This station serves the TGVTGV
The TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....
line between Milan - Turin - Modane - Paris. Paris is 4 and a half hours away from Oulx.
There is an SNCF
SNCF
The SNCF , is France's national state-owned railway company. SNCF operates the country's national rail services, including the TGV, France's high-speed rail network...
train station in nearby French town of Briançon
Briançon
Briançon a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department....
. Which has a train service to Gap
Gap, Hautes-Alpes
Gap is a commune in southeastern France, the capital of the Hautes-Alpes department.-Geography:An Alpine crossroads at the intersection of D994 and Route nationale 85 the Route Napoléon, Gap lies above sea level along the right bank of the Luye River...
, Valence TGV, Lyon and Paris.
Bus
There is a bus service which connects the resort to Briançon and Oulx railway station.There is also a village bus for skiers so that they can return to their accommodation which runs between 8.30-18.00.
There are 3 buses a day to the village of Les Alberts at the foot of the Col de Montgenèvre in the Val Claree.
Accommodations
Montgenevre has a wide selection of tourist accommodation ranging from simple hotels to 4-star apartment residences.Linked resorts
It is a part of the Via LatteaVia Lattea
The Via Lattea is a winter sports area in the Italian and French Alps, straddling the French-Italian border at Claviere/Montgenèvre. Located some 70km west of Turin, it comprises the five Piedmontese resorts of Claviere , Sansicario , Sauze d'Oulx , Pragelato and Sestriere and additionally the...
(Milky Way ski area in Italy, where the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
were held.
Pragelato
Pragelato
Pragelato is a comune in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 60 km west of Turin, in the upper Val Chisone. The name Pragelato, meaning ‘icy meadow’, has been derived from the harsh climate and the fact that the ground is covered with ice for long periods...
- the resort is part of the Via lattea(Milky Way
Milky Way
The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains the Solar System. This name derives from its appearance as a dim un-resolved "milky" glowing band arching across the night sky...
) , is connected to this area by the new cableway Pattemouche - Anfiteatro built in 2006; in Pragelato there is also a cross country courses. There is a wide variety of activities for tourists, who can enjoy any kind of sport, in summer there is also a golf course 9 hole. Pragelato is a natural paradise for cross-country skiing, you have the chance to try the Olympic course supplied with planned snow-making system over 10 km as well as the tourist course that winds along the gorgeous scenarios of the Val Troncea Natural Park.
The jumping hill stadium present the Olympic heritage, which highlights the tourist-sport development of this resort
Claviere
Claviere
Claviere is a comune in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 80 km west of Turin, on the border with France....
- This small resort is just over the border in Italy and is included in the Monts de la lune lift pass. It is where the Olympic cross country ski teams practised in the Olympics in 2006.
San Sicario - They held the Biathlon and Alpine skiing events here in the 2006 winter Olympics. They also held the Bobsleigh and luge events here. You can attempt the Olympic women's super G and downhill courses.
Sestriere
Sestriere
Sestriere is an alpine village in Italy, a comune of the Province of Turin. It is from the French border. Its name derives from Latin: ad petram sistrariam, that is at sixty Roman miles from Turin....
- This resort was founded by the owner of Fiat. It has been recently sold. The resort held the downhill skiing events and the Olympic village is situated in the village for the 2006 winter Olympics. You can attempt the men's Olympic downhill and super-G courses.
Sauze d'Oulx
Sauze d'Oulx
Sauze d'Oulx is a town and comune in the province of Turin, Piedmont located 80 kilometres from Turin in the Val di Susa, at the foot of monte Genevris ....
- Free Style Skiing Olympic events held here in 2006. The resort is acclaimed for its lively apres-ski.
Serre Chevalier
Serre Chevalier
Serre Chevalier is one of the major French ski resorts. Located in the southern part of the Alps, close to the Parc National des Ecrins, in the Hautes-Alpes department of the French Alps, it enjoys a large skiing area and very sunny weather, boasting 300 days of sunshine a year...
- Nearby French resort with over 250 km of skiing. There is a free day of skiing here on your lift pass.
See also
- List of ski areas and resorts in Europe
- Communes of the Hautes-Alpes department