Serre Chevalier

Serre Chevalier is a ski area in the Maritime Alps, near the Italian border, right next to the Écrins National Park. You will look in vain for a village of that name on the map, because Serre Chevalier is a 2,491 m peak in the very heart of this large and attractive ski area. Serre Chevalier is part of one of the larger French ski areas, Le Grand Serre Che, which has 250 km of pistes. It also takes in two other areas in the Guisane valley, namely Briançon and Le Monêtier-les-Bains. Serre Chevalier became world famous between 1995 and 1997 thanks to the spectacular successes of local racer Luc Alphand, who won the downhill World Cup several times. Today visitors are drawn here not only by the exceptionally attractive skiing but also by a climate well suited to winter holidays. Although the Serre-Chevalier area has as many as 300 sunny days a year, this does not harm the snow, and in winter there is always plenty of it. This is down to a particular microclimate and the north-facing aspect of most slopes. Well-groomed and varied pistes will satisfy even demanding skiers. Beginners will find gentle slopes near Villeneuve, Monêtier and above Chantemerle. For intermediate skiers, the tree-lined pistes within the Écrins National Park are a good choice. The most demanding, in turn, have the famous black piste named after Luc Alphand. Serre Chevalier has extensive and safe off-piste terrain. It should be added that the area is one of the ski areas in France rated most highly by snowboarders. A serious drawback, however, is that not all the lifts are linked into one circuit, and to explore the whole area you need a car. This of course does not apply to cross-country skiers, who can cross the valley on marked trails totalling 45 km. Each of the area's main resorts has a ski kindergarten, a children's ski school and a winter play park. Visitors have a wide range of sports to choose from away from the pistes (including ice skating, snowmobiles, ice driving, paragliding, horse riding, snowshoeing, fitness and indoor swimming pools). The largest town in the area is Briançon. Located on the historic route between France and Italy, at 1,325 m, it is the highest town in Europe. It is here, at this altitude, that you will find the widest choice of restaurants and bars in the area. Briançon also has a casino, a contemporary art centre and an astronomical observatory. Chantemerle and Villeneuve offer rather less. Monêtier-les-Bains lies at the end of the valley, but it is worth the trip, especially if you want to try excellent regional cooking. Were it not for the modern ski infrastructure of Grand Serre Che, you might think that time had long stood still in some of the valley's villages. Traditional stone houses, narrow cobbled streets, old fortifications (Briançon) and loyalty to traditional crafts and old recipes all combine to give the area its unique local character. The only things that may put visitors off are traffic problems (the main road through the valley is often congested) and crowded slopes (especially during the French school holidays). New for the 2006/2007 season: * A new snow park: 20 features of varying difficulty, with beginner modules, jumps, rails, boxes, step-ups and more. * Serre Che Reflexe: a special zone where skiers can practise controlling their speed and braking. * Arva Park: a training area for simulated searches for people buried by avalanches. * Additional snowmaking equipment for optimum skiing conditions all season. Events calendar: * 17 December 2006: Les Chronos d'Or Swatch, a ski race open to everyone. Prizes include ski passes, Dynastar skis, Swatch watches and mountain bikes (a total prize pool of €60,000). * 18 to 23 December 2006: Snowkite Masters (3rd edition). The best riders will show off their skills on the Col du Lautaret. * 7 January 2007: Trail Blanc New Balance in Serre Chevalier (6th edition), a winter run through the Guisane valley.