Le Grand Domaine

Valmorel and Saint-François-Longchamp join up via the Col de la Madeleine, forming 165 km of runs between Tarentaise and Maurienne. Valmorel is a case apart in the Alps: built in 1976, it deliberately rejected concrete in favour of a fully pedestrian village of timber and lauze stone, with painted façades and a central shopping street — an architectural gamble that has aged rather well. Saint-François-Longchamp, on the Maurienne side, is sunnier and more low-key. The area is particularly well suited to families and intermediate skiers, with a majority of blue runs and excellent value for money.