Champagny-en-Vanoise, France

Champagny-en-Vanoise, at an altitude of 1,250 metres, is a traditional village ski resort offering a delightful blend of alpine charm and expansive ski potential, with direct access to the huge Paradiski ski domain of Les Arcs and La Plagne combined.

Winding quiet streets of wood-and-stone chalets, the baroque splendour of the Church of Saint-Sigismond, and views stretching across high glacial peaks give Champagny-en-Vanoise an authenticity seldom found in larger, purpose-built ski resorts of the region.

The village is connected in just eight minutes by gondola to the vast Paradiski network which means you stay in a pretty, alpine village yet have access to over 400km of prepared pistes and huge areas of off-piste terrain. This kind of duality is rare within the high French Alps.

Just a short bus ride further up the valley lies Champagny-le-Haut, a glacial valley at 1,500 m, where cross-country tracks, snow-shoe trails, dog-sledding and even ice-climbing on a 22-metre ice tower await.

With a top-of-gondola snow-garden, a dedicated nursery area for young children and a village feel where everything is within strolling distance, Champagny-en-Vanoise is very appealing as a family ski destination.

There’s something comforting about the après-ski here: it’s not about hedonistic high volume, but rather slow evenings by the fire, Savoyard cuisine (fondue, raclette, tartiflette) and friendly, local bars with character.

Photos courtesy: Olivier Allamand, Nomad Photographie, Charlotte Berton, Louis Garnier