Three Valleys – 600km of winter sports
Les Trois Vallées (Three Valleys), The French joke that the place is the biggest ski circus. There are 600 km of smooth and wide runs which are connected by chains of ski lifts so you ski without unbuckling skies. All around there are monumental and taking a breath away Alps. The heart of Three Valleys is Méribel, which adjoins famous ski resorts: Courchevel and Val Thorens. There are 40 cable cars (a part of them is renewed) which are called “bubbles” by French and “eggs” by British.
Two alpine cableways make incredible impression. Each of them takes 160 people up. From the highest peak Cime de Caron (3195m above sea level) you can see Mont Blanc (4810 m above sea level). It is said that the ski paradise would have never been built if not the love to Méribel by one of Scottish colonels. In 1938 he made an alpine station (Méribel les Allues) which soon became a winter resort for British. A neighboring Val Thorens located at 2300 m above sea level (the highest station in Europe) attracts many young ski amateurs who want to check their skills on difficult slopes. In Courchevel which is a bit snooty you can see celebrities and politicians from magazine covers. Prices there are sky-high and perfect for Saudi Arabian sheiks or Russian millionaires who can easily pay € 1000 per one night. There are many flight connections from Poland to Lyon and Geneva and shuttle buses which carry winter sport lovers. Dreams about skiing on the slopes can come true easily. You do not have to be a Croesus to come to Three Valleys but it is good to remember that costs of your stay will be lower if you rent a comfortable apartment and have your own food.