Home

Val d'Isère Resort Information

Val d'Isère is part of the legendary Espace Killy ski area (twinned with Tignes)

Short History

1920, a small village situated high up in a wide, majestic valley… Here, village life followed the rhythm of the seasons. Inhabitants hibernated through the winter months, heavily dusted in snow for eight months of the year. Only the short summer months allowed them to work in the fields, produce cheeses and lace and enjoy a simple social life.

Then the hype of winter sports became fashionable and consequently Val d’Isère blossomed as a ski resort.

Today, the true charm of Val d’Isère lies in the fact that it has a remained an authentic mountain village. Once skiers have had their fill of the fantastic pistes the resort has to offer, life continues in the village until the early hours of the morning. Snow conditions and late spring skiing has also made Val d’Isère one of the world’s most sought after ski resorts.

Bellevarde, Solaise, OK... Val d’Isère’s slopes have always been the setting for great sporting achievements, be it for the Olympic Games, Criterium de la Première Neige or World Alpine Ski Championships. Yet this legendary skiing area is not exclusively for champions.

300 km of slopes, free-ride itineraries, a snowpark, a high altitude and an outstanding geographical situation combine to provide something for everyone, including children and beginners.

Oxyygene Val d'Isere World Skiing Championships

Highlights

Skiing World Championships 2009

From February 2nd to 15th 2009, Val d’Isère proudly hosted the World Alpine Ski Championships.

It was a major event, as the championships have not been hosted in France since 1962. It was an absolutely spectacular event with the men’s and women’s racecourses set facing each other, in accordance with the "Face to Face" concept (the daunting descent of “la Face” facing the more placid curves of “Solaise”).

Thousands attended this magical event which has made Vald’Isère even more prominent on the ski maps of the world!

Resort Heroes

Jean-Claude Killy

Jean-Claude Killy was born in Saint-Cloud, Paris but was brought up in Val d’Isère, where his family had relocated in 1945 following the war.

In December 1961, Killy won his first international race, a giant slalom. It was a more than special achievement because the event took place in his home village of Val-d'Isere and because he had started 39th, a position that should have been a severe disadvantage. Jean-Claude was 18 then. He was the first World Cup Champion in 1967, winning 12 of 17 races to easily take the overall title. He also won the season titles in each of the three disciplines; he won all five of the downhill races and four of the five giant slalom races.

The following year, Killy won the Triple Crown of Alpine Skiing with a sweep of all three gold medals (downhill, giant slalom and slalom) at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France. By finishing first in both the downhill and slalom, he also easily won the World Championship medal in the combined event.

With the Olympic events included (for the only time) in the World Cup standings, Killy succeeded in 1968 as the overall champion, placing first in the giant slalom and second in the downhill and slalom season standings. He retired following the 1968 season, and moved to Geneva, Switzerland, in 1969.

Today, thousands flock to the Espace Killy (Val d’Isère / Tignes) for their winter break, honoring the achievements of the great Jean-Claude Killy…