France
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Región: Northern Alps
Saint-Gervais-Les-Bains is the highest commune in France and in Western Europe, due to the presence of the Mont Blanc’s summit in its territory.
La Voie Royale that starts in Saint-Gervais is by the way the most direct access road to the highest summit in Europe. Le Fayet and its casino, Saint-Nicolas-De-Véroce and its baroque church, the pedestrians areas in the centre of Saint-Gervais, Le Bettex, which is the departure of the ski area and the four villages of the commune are some of the balconies over the massif.
The Mont Blanc’s thermal water has irrigated the Spas of Saint-gervais for more than 200 years. Thanks to its therapeutic benefits, Saint-Gervais is the only altitude health resort in the Alps, with now its Mont Blanc thermale spa. With its buildings of the last century, Saint-Gervais offers visitors a kind of spa city that appears to be original in a ski resort.
The commune of Saint-Gervais is situated in the heart of the ski area “Evasion Mont Blanc”, which leads skiers to Megève, Combloux, les Contamines-Hauteluce and la Giettaz. One week is not enough to cross the Evasion Mont-Blanc’s domain (third french skiing area) and its 445km of ski hills between trees. Evasion Mont-Blanc, it’s also 219 pistes, 107 ski lifts and 650 snow-blowers.
This huge playing field presents to rider some good surprises : two snowparks for freestylers and some off-pistes around Saint-Nicolas de Véroce and Mont-Joly for lovers of powder snow ! Through the season, there is always snow.
A good orientation and a pasture ground offset a medium altitude. In case of meteorological whim, the cultured snow takes over. If even with 445km of the Evasion’s domain, skiers are not happy, they can be satisfied with the domain of Saint-Gervolain (Prarion) which is linking to the ski resort of Houches. More than the number of pistes’ kilometres, it’s the singularity of its access which charms the most.
The centenary tram of Mont Blanc takes travellers-skiers to the saddle of Voza. Like high-level skiers, people can hurtle down the ski hill of Kandahar which is the famous stage of the alping skiing’s World Cup. The resort wants to preserve this wonderful heritage. That’s why it made the conscious choice of respect rather than commercial overexploitation of the mountain.
The Saint-Gervais’ Mayor’s slogan, “la montagne à l’état pur”, is beginning to show results.
