Serre Chevalier, skiing and heritage
Located in the Hautes-Alpes. France.
Serre Chevalier is located in the department of the Hautes-Alpes in southeastern France and is one of the great ski areas of the French Alps. Serre Chevalier is located next to the Ecrins National Park.
Serre Chevalier Vallée is a ski area made up of a set of authentic villages scattered throughout the territory of 4 towns-Chantemerle, Villeneuve and Le Monêtier-les-Bains-and the city of Briançon. On 8 July 2008, several buildings of Briançon were classified by the UNESCO as World Heritage Sites, as part of the "Fortifications of Vauban" group. These buildings are: the city walls, Redoute des Salettes, Fort des Trois-Têtes, Fort du Randouillet, ouvrage de la communication Y and the Asfeld Bridge.
Luc Alphand, ski champion of the World Cup, was born and lives in the valley below the ski resort.
The ski area is one of the largest in Europe: 61 lifts, 250 km and 81 pistes for all levels (13 green, 25 blue, 30 red and 13 black). 80% of its surface area is above 2,000 meters altitude, along with the north orientation of its slopes, allowing it to offer excellent snow conditions from mid-December to the end of April. In addition, Serre Chevalier has one of the most modern artificial snowmaking systems in Europe which allows it to guarantee optimal conditions throughout the ski season.
The maximum elevation for skiing is at Telesiege Yret at 2,800 m (9,190 ft) above sea level, and the minimum is 1,200 m (3,940 ft), a total vertical fall of 1,600 m (5,250 ft). One of the outstanding characteristics of Serre Chevalier is the forested nature of the slopes. The forest line rises to 2,150 m (7,050 ft), allowing approximately 700 m (2,300 ft of vertical drop) of skiing between trees.
The company SCV Domaine Skiable, a subsidiary of the Compagnie des Alpes Group, operates the Serre Chevalier Vallée ski area.
After the success of Mountain Kart last summer, Serre Chevalier offers this season again the possibility of driving on the snow and ice a kart equipped with special tires.
From last winter in Serre Chevalier Briançon two luge tracks are available for fans of this sport. The Devalbob and a new one 4 kilometers in length with a vertical drop of 573 meters and a meandering 26 curves of fun.
Among a wide range of activities we can not fail to highlight the Monetier baths. The presence of thermal waters in the area of ​Monêtier was already known during the Roman Empire, when the town was known as Stabatio (healing). Between 1715 and the end of the 19th century, Monêtier was famous for its thermal pools and facilities, which entered into decadence in the 20th. In 1999, the new thermal baths of the Great Baths were inaugurated and, thanks to the improvement works, Le Monêtier-les-Bains has once again become a popular destination in spa tourism.
In an exceptional natural environment with a source of natural hot springs that sprout at a temperature of 44 ° C rich in minerals that will allow us to achieve complete relaxation. Its large outdoor pool and Jacuzzi on the terrace of the Romano Irish Space will allow us to recover peacefully after a long day of skiing in the ski area of ​​Serre Chevalier.
