Courmayeur
One of the most famous tourist and ski resorts in Europe, Courmayeur rises at 1,224 m.
Its privileged position, dominated by the chain of the highest mountain in Italy, Mont Blanc, has made it the history of mountaineering and mountain hiking. Courmayeur has always been one of the most popular ski and tourist destinations for mountain and nature lovers, both in summer and in winter.
With the Courmayeur Mont Blanc Funivie ski area, Courmayeur is an important tourist center.
On both sides, Val Veny on one side, and Plan Chécrouit on the other, there are slopes, which are covered with snow all year round.
The charming town retains the charm of the Alpine resorts, despite being a small but lively center, with shops, cafes, hotels and activities; around it various villages extend along the central valley.
The level offered by Courmayeur tourism is high and refined. The slopes of Courmayeur are popular and famous all over the world, but the town is also renowned.
The spectacular nature of the place offers the possibility of practicing activities and sports that would be impossible in other areas.
Half is suitable for lovers of skiing, of course, but also of free ride: numerous itineraries are available with a view of Mont Blanc.
The Courmayeur ski area offers 100 km of ski slopes, including freeride slopes, divided into 31 slopes, all with considerable differences in height, with guaranteed snow coverage also thanks to the presence of artificial snow systems, which can cover up to at 70% of the total kilometers that can be traveled.
There are more than 20 ski lifts of various types, but undoubtedly the most important are the Courmayeur cable car, the Val Veny cable car, and the Dolonne cable car.
Cross-country skiing finds space in Val Ferret, one of the valleys that still retains its great natural heritage today. Nordic skiing is practiced in the long stretches of snow and the ring of Val Ferret; the routes start from the village of Planpincieux, running along the entire valley and reaching the town of Lavachey. The more trained, on the other hand, can venture up to the Arnouva.
The crossing of the Vallée Blanche is famous off-piste: 24 km of descent, 18 of which on a glacier, takes place in a setting of incomparable beauty. Another spectacular descent is that of the Toula glacier: from Col di Toula it allows you to reach the Pavillon, and with favorable snow conditions, up to the entrance to the Mont Blanc tunnel, with a vertical drop of over 2,000 meters. Recommended only for super experienced skiers.
The new Snowpark is wonderful, offering rails for beginners but also for more experienced riders, jibbing facilities, and the Big Bag Air, the 15m x 15m mattress that offers the possibility of safe jumps, for falls up to 50m in height. !
Dolonne’s playground is also very nice, suitable for children and beginners.
Do not miss the crossing of Mont Blanc: through the Mont Blanc cable car it is possible to start from Courmayeur and arrive at Punta Helbronner (3,466 meters), for an experience that will leave you breathless: to see the spectacle of the snow-capped peaks from above and climbing a climb of over 2000m in altitude is certainly an exceptional experience but within everyone’s reach, thanks to the modern system built. There are three stations from which you can use the cable car, Pontal d’Entrèves (departure station), Pavillon du Mont Fréty (intermediate), Punta Helbronner, a wonderful arrival station that reproduces the shape of a crystal and equipped with terraces that allow to enjoy the sensational view: the Monte Bianco, the Monte Rosa, the Cervino, the Gran Paradiso and the Grand Combin. Inside the station it is possible to visit the Mont Blanc crystal exhibition.
Another pearl not to be missed is the Botanical Garden, reachable from the departure station or even on foot, through a path. The Saussurea garden covers an area of 7,000 square meters and is the highest garden in Europe (2,173 meters above sea level). the garden is home to around 800 plant species, many of which come from other international gardens and universities. The garden is divided into two areas: in the first you can admire many species, cultivated in artificial rocks and divided by geographical origin; the second area is instead left to natural pasture and reproduces the typical environments of mountain areas.
Skyway Monte Bianco: the cable car in numbers
http://www.montebianco.com/it/
Difference in height – The two cableway sections cover a total difference in height of about 2,200 meters:
- Altitude of the departure station: 1,300 m
- Altitude of Punta Helbronner station: 3.462
- Altitude of the panoramic terrace of the Glaciers at Punta Helbronner: 3,466 m
Climb times – The entire climb takes about ten minutes:
- Pontal d’Entrèves – Pavillon du Mont Fréty: approximately 4 minutes
- Pavillon du Mont Fréty – Punta Helbronner: about 5 minutes
Hourly capacity: 800 people for the first section of the cable car, 600 people for the second section.
For more information, also visit the Skyway Monte Bianco website.
How to get there:
From the heart of the town (Courmayeur cable car)
Entrèves (Val Veny cable car)
(telecabina Dolonne).
Mont Blanc Unlimited area: 410 km of slopes
Courmayeur area: 100 km of slopes / 64 km Freeride Mont Blanc
Contacts
Courmayeur Mont Blanc Funivie S.p.A.
Strada Dolonne La Villette, 1/B
11013 COURMAYEUR (AO)
Telefono: +39 0165.846658 Fax: +39 0165.842347
E-mail: info@cmbf.it Internet: www.courmayeur-montblanc.com