Road trip to discover Valloire, the golden valley

The French Maurienne Valley is not very well known among winter sports enthusiasts and that is actually quite crazy. There are so many special places to discover here! Karin made a road trip through the Maurienne Valley and takes you on her journey in four parts.

grand beau! I don’t have to open the curtains to know that the predictions for a clear blue French sky have come true. Today promises to be an ultimate day: in the Sybelles we were still mainly cloudy as a remnant of the snowfall of the day before, today the sky has completely opened up and the pistes have to be perfectly corduroy. When we arrive in Valloire at 11 am, we also notice from our guide Pascal that he can’t wait to hit the slopes. This born northerner (from Lille!) put on his 17^e his first foot in Valloire and immediately swore: one day I will live here. He is now 54 and has lived in the picturesque village for 30 years. We love it: again a guide that knows all the ins and outs of the ski area.

Valmeinier

And so we immediately jump into the lift and ski straight towards Valmeinier, which is also located in the ski area of ​​150 km of slopes. The relationship between the two villages can best be described as the Alpine version of Amsterdam and Rotterdam. However, that was the case in earlier times (read: the cows of Valloire that grazed on the alpine meadows of Valmeinier and Valmeinier’s sheep that did the same on the Valloire side (see there how sworn enemies arise). Today the villages share the ski area of ​​Galibier brotherly. Thabor and the feud is a thing of the past.

The Golden Valley

The name Valloire comes from ‘vallée d’or’, the golden valley, says Pascal. Valloire has always been a rich village, because the main road from the Col du Galibier passed through the village and trade flourished. If we keep that in mind when we walk through the village, it can actually be seen. In addition to the usual winter sports crowd, there are also all kinds of wealthy over-50s who are clearly not there for skiing. The chic ladies who walk their dogs cannot be counted on one hand. And this turns out to be a nice part of the identity of this village: the local, wealthy population who demand quality and love the good life. You will find really good restaurants here, which may have a higher price tag, but which also offer exceptional quality. Some of them are on the slopes, such as the Alp de Zélie, but there is also excellent food in the village itself.

That village is also worth mentioning: it is an authentic village that has expanded around the baroque church from the 17^e century (culture lovers: definitely go in here!). In addition to the aforementioned restaurants, you will find narrow streets, nice shops, an ice skating rink and even a bowling center.

In the evening we drink a local beer (it turns out there is just Bière du Galibier, which is brewed with local glacier water) in the Mast’Rock, a cozy pub where live concerts are regularly held. And here it turns out that Valloire is really an authentic village: in addition to the chic ladies we spot in the streets around the church, this turns out to be the gathering place of the local teenagers. However, holidaymakers also know where to find the café, because we meet a group of Dutch friends who come skiing for a week in Valloire. What determined Valloire’s choice for them? The fact that accommodation, transport and ski pass cost a total of 300 euros.

And with this feeling we leave Valloire: how you can arrange practical matters such as accommodation and transport for little money, but where you can fully enjoy the good life on the spot. As far as we are concerned, this looks suspiciously like the description of an ideal winter sport. The question is whether we will follow in Pascal’s footsteps and actually live there, but we will definitely come back.

Thanks to: Karin Jurgens.