Les Saisies – the gentle mountains
The name Les Saisies might ring a bell for those who remember the Winter Olympics in Albertville in 1992. The small village of Les Saisies was the host of the cross-country skiing and biathlon events. The area has 120 km of cross-country skiing trails but is perhaps still best known as an alpine resort. Which is logical for a place located in the Alps.
The small village with about 200 permanent residents is about 2 hours’ drive from Geneva. 90% of the ski tourists here are French, but they also get visits from Belgium, The Netherlands, and the UK. Most tourists return year after year and bring their children and grandchildren with them to enjoy everything the area has to offer, whether it’s summer or winter.
For the record, I would like to point out that I won the stay here, which included the apartment and ski card. We paid for the upgrade to a larger apartment, plane tickets, transport and all food and drinks.
We stayed in an apartment intended for 6 people in Résidence Amaya a little bit up the hill from the village of Les Saisies itself. I loved the ski in-ski out and the great facilities for storing and drying ski equipment. We went straight from the ski storage area to the slopes. It’s a great luxury not having to walk far with ski boots or having to use a bus to get to the slopes.
Apartment hotel with ski in – ski out
An added bonus is that helmets, gloves and boots are dry and warm in the morning.
Our apartment had two spacious bedrooms with double beds. One en-suite, while there was a separate toilet and shower in the hall for the other bedroom to use. In the living room there was a double sofa bed too. Nice dining table with 6 chairs and a well-equipped kitchen with wine cabinet and utensils.
A week before arrival, we received an email with some practical information, with information on how to contact the local grocery store to place and order. Everything was brought to our apartment and ready for our arrival. At the reception we could order fresh bread and baked goods for collection in the morning. It is also possible to get dinner delivered, both “regular” food and specialties from Savoie such as raclette, tartiflette and fondue.
There are no basic goods in the apartment, apart from 4 coffee capsules and a couple of tea bags. If you are going to order anything from the shop, remember to also order toilet paper, because that is not included in the “rent”. That is perhaps the only negative thing I can put my finger on. Although I am sure that the reception would have helped if there had been a crisis. The reception also sells coffee capsules, which is good, because that was not on our shopping list.
Private driver
We chose not to rent a car since we were originally going to be 5 adults. Big cars are expensive. We booked airport transfer instead. All in all, I think we came out with less car expenses and less hassel, as none of us had to drive.
There are free shuttle buses in Les Saisies from 8 in the morning until half past 8 in the evening. This means that we can get around town and to the shops if we need to. In the evening, we ordered pick-up at the restaurant by Bruno, who also picked us up at the airport in Geneva. One moonlit evening we even walked home from town. There are walking trails straight across the ski slopes, so we didn’t have to walk the much longer and darker road. It went surprisingly well.
The whole ski area seems extremely well adapted for people who do not ski. There are footpaths along the slopes and in the surrounding meadows, so that pedestrians can meet skiers for lunch at the restaurants on the slopes. That is of course one of the nicest things about being on a ski holiday in Central Europe, enjoying a break in the sun.
We had 4 good skiing days and two days of bad weather. Rain and snow were not particularly tempting, and the missing sun made it impossible to distinguish the contours in the snow. The lifts do not have protection, so snow and water on the seats make for a wet and cold bum.
Cozy village
Since we had not done much skiing prior to this trip, we lacked the stamina to stay out until the lifts closed. We were up quite earely and almost made the first lift at 9 am, but we rarely lasted until 4.45pm.
It was more tempting to soke our sore legs in the jacuzzi, with the alternate dip in the cold pond followed by a trip in the sauna and then finishing off with a swim. It was absolutely wonderful after getting a little cold, sweaty and wet being able to enjoy yourself in the jacuzzi. Then a dip in the icy waters before we did a few lengths to loosen the upper body as well. And then back again in the hot tub. What a hard life we have had!
One of the things we have enjoyed about Les Saisies, is the size of the village. It looks as if it has developed organically rather than being a constructed resort. The image is lying a bit, since there were only a couple of farms here when an Austrian in the 60s thought that this was a perfect place for a ski resort.
The village of Les Saisies is located in a small valley, but quite high, at about 1,640 meters above sea level. The mountains above are only 300 meters higher so they do not give a lot of shade. The village is flooded with sun when the weather is nice.
Blue slopes
This is not the ski resort for the most experienced skiers. The slopes are mostly blue, which means the second easiest category. There are a few red hills and at least one black trail called Kamikaze. It looked absolutely deadly!
We spent most of our time in the main part of the facility, facing the town. This is the western slopes downhill from Mont Bisanne. The slopes are long and wide. We ventured on an exploration trip eastward in order to hit the highest point in the ski area. It’s a bit of a puzzle to find the right slopes and lifts, but under a bright blue, cloudless sky, it was a delight. And when you can see the Mont Blanc from almost everywhere, you cannot help but be in awe. We have mountains in Norway too, but both the Alps and the Pyrenees are a bit more majestic.
Family resort
The area of Les Saisies is as mentioned known for cross-country skiing and biathlon. The two French biathletes Julia Simon and Justine Braisaz-Bouchet were born and raised here. The Norwegian biathletes stayed here before the Olympics in Turin and liked the facilities very much.
There are hiking trails and snowshoe trails everywhere and it really is suitable for the whole family, even for the non-skiers. The French use ski schools a lot it seems and there have been endless lines of toddlers following their instructors down the slopes. Many adults have also chosen to get some instructions before they set off on their own. The children also have their own slopes with a few jumps and obstacles to keep them entertained.
Should the weather be bad, several hotels and rental places probably have pools like we had at Amaya. If not, there is a large municipal pool and fitness center in the middle of town next to the slopes. There are also bowling facilities and pool tables.
The ski slopes are located on both sides of the town. The eastern slopes are a bit steeper than the others. There are three chairlifts on the “blue” side and two that take over the main street and further into the mountain area. It’s kind of funny to sit in a chair lift above a busy town street.
Cheese heaven
One of our favourite things to do while on holiday is eat. We have tested many of the restaurants here both for lunch and dinner.
Mont Bisanne is located at the top of our “favourite lift”, the 6-seater that runs from the bottom of the hill in Les Saisies. The cafeteria boasts a fantastic 360-degree panoramic view of Mont Blanc and all the other surrounding mountains. Le Panoramique 2000 (even though it is only at 1940 metres!) has sunbeds outside and two ways of serving food.
One is a small hatch where you can buy sandwiches and fries to eat outside. Upstairs there is a cafeteria with a bit more to offer. Here you can get a decent burger, salads and various specialities from Savoie (pronounced Savoa…) And don’t be fooled by the apparently Swiss flag flying everywhere, it is the flag of Savoie.
There are a few other alternatives for lunch or a drink on the slopes. Les Halles de Bisanne is a small chalet in the middle of the slopes on the west side of the town. They have sunbeds and tables both outside and inside. They can also offer spectacular views of Mont Blanc.
We took a short break at Le Benetton on the other side of the mountain. This is in an area with very gentle slopes and platter lifts. Perfect for beginners and parents with children. You can also hike here from the city.
Local liquor
Our favorite restaurant on the slopes was Chalet Mignod. Here food orders are taken at the table. But it’s quite busy and popular, so you should reserve ahead especially when it’s too cold to sit outside. We tried getting a table one day, and when it was full, we reserved a table for the next day to make sure we got to try it.
We also had a couple of lunches in the village. Many restaurants (if not all) are easly accessible on skis. Mostly Savoie specialties are offered, which by default contain melted cheese. But burgers, soups and salads are also available. I imagine vegans will have a bit of a problem here. We can recommend both Lé Dava and the restaurant at Hotel Calgary. These are of course also available for evening meals.
We tried a lot of delicious food and met really nice people everywhere. A sip of the local liquour Ginépi also won us over. It is made from a local herb that only grows above 2000 meters naturally. The herb is related to wormwood, but it is completely unique to this area and other high mountain areas in the Alps and Pyrenees.
We have tried out many local dishes such as tartiflette, cheese fondue and “boite chaude”, which is a box of cheese that has been heated until it melts. All this is very often served with various cured meats, such as ham and sausages, boiled potatoes, and some salad.
Even the pizzas, burgers and risottos are “savoyard”, which means with lots of extra cheese. As you can tell, this is not the perfect place for the lactose intolerant.
Dinner recommendations
Upon arrival in Les Saisies, our driver Bruno recommended Le Chavan. We took him up on his recommendation and went there the first evening. We were not disappointed. Cozy traditional interior and very relaxed and pleasant waiters.
The neighboring restaurants La Maison and l’Ecoelle also had very good food. We had more Savoie food at one and pizza at the other. La Cavale is located right next to the slopes, but also next to the shuttle stop, so very accessible for both lunch and dinner.
Michelin food
This is France, so of course they have a restaurant that is mentioned in the Michelin guide. La Table des Armaillis was the place we chose for our last dinner and we were not disappointed.
Since we lived a bit out of town, we chose to eat one meal in the apartment to avoid going out in the worst rain. We tried a slightly less cheese-filled version with different types of meat, which we cooked on a hot stone plate which is delivered with the meat, sauces and ready-boiled potatoes. Luckily we had some bread ourselves, because that wasn’t included and the only thing we missed was salt and pepper.
We also had two dinners at a restaurant 5 minutes away from the “hotel”. And even in a 2-star hotel like Le Caribou, we get gourmet food, pleasant premises and great service. It was nice not having to og into town every evening. And we could easily have prepared lighter meals at home too if we weren’t so fond of eating out.
There are a few bars around the city center, but this is certainly not the place for party animals. I did see an Afterski sign, but there are no nightclubs and no extensive nightlife. This is the destination for adults and families with children.
Designated driver
It cost us 35 euros to be picked up by our driver and driven home. We had made a deal with Bruno. I told him early that we needed him to pick us up after dinner and a what restaurant. When we were ready to leave, I just texted him that we were ready and he was there within 5-10 minutes.
It may be that this works so well since I speak French, but French people do speak English. Maybe not with great pleasure, but they do. I am 100% convinced that even non-French speakers will do fine here. But feel free to read my language tips before you take the trip.
All in all, this was a very nice and relaxing skiing holiday. We had great skiing, the year’s first beer out in the sun and lots of good food. Les Saisies is perfect for families and skiers who want the “Alpine” experience without fearing to be stuck on black slopes. It is quiet and calm, not too many party places, so it is a good alternative to the slightly «noisier» places elsewhere in the Alps. We have been tempted by summer pictures and would like to return when the mountains are green for both hiking, cycling and magnificent vistas.
We have also tried skiing in Ischgl in Austria. Not bad there either!
