TIGNES SKI AREA

On the Slopes
The majority of the ski area is an intermediates paradise. However, this area also has some of the most extreme and exposed off-piste routes in the Alps.

La Grande Motte
The glacial massif of La Grande Motte is Tignes' most emblematic sector.
This towering, permafrost peak allows the resort to roll out the white carpet earlier than any other French ski station; opening in late September and staying open until early May. This truly is a station for all seasons, and high summer is no exception, with snowsports on the glacier in July and August too.

Resort Villages
Tignes also has another side to its character. Down in the valley below the main resort there are two more traditional villages:

Les Boisses  A tiny hamlet perched above the huge dam at the Lac du Chevril, overlooking the deluged site of the original village of Tignes. A scattering of small hotels, a couple of shops and a church are really all that the hamlet comprises, but it does have a chairlift linking to the Marais Plateau, from where then just one further lift journey is all that's required to reach the pistes on the Aiguille Percée above Tignes. Plans are also afoot to install a gondola, connecting directly to the same arrival altitude as Tignes' Chaudannes chairlift.

Les Brévières  Slightly bigger, with a collection of small hotels, chalets, shops, bars and restaurants clustered at its heart for a more convivial ambiance.
The village has a welcoming atmosphere and occupies an attractive valley-floor site nestled beside a small lake, however it's absolutely dominated by the looming wall and shadow of the Tignes Barrage dam. The village is lift-linked to the Marais Plateau by gondola and to Les Boisses by chairlift. It also has no less than three home-run pistes, including the longest black run in the region: the Sache.