The Ski Holiday Blog

Resort Histories

The history of Val Thorens in the Three Valleys

By Holly Waddell | Published: August 6, 2010

From St Martin de Belleville through De Bettaix and Les Menuires all the way up to the breathtaking heights of Val Thorens nestled at 2300m above sea level, the Val Thorens Valley and its neighbouring resorts of Meribel and Courchevel make up Europe’s largest and most popular ski area. So how did it all come about…?

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The surprisingly interesting history of La Plagne

By Matt Simpson | Published: August 2, 2010
La Plagne is one of several “mega-resorts” in the northern Tarentaise area of France. La Plagne is made up of 10 different villages with each offering a completely different ambiance. This means La Plagne generally has something for everyone, from unmatched ski access and amenities of Plagne Centre, to the quiet and secluded traditional alpine village environment of Les Coches. Having spent 2 seasons in La Plagne and 5 years defending its honour here at the Interactive Resorts sales office, I thought it the right time to open your eyes to the interesting history behind its development. 

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Morzine – A Brief History

By Chris Callaghan | Published: July 12, 2010
The polar opposite of 1970s tower-block resorts like Tignes and La Plagne, the beautiful, charming ski resort of Morzine began life as far back as 1090. The area was one of only two crossing-points over the river Dranse and as such was of great geographical importance.
 

Around the start of the 12th century, Cistercian monks began arriving in the area of St Jean d’Aulps on pilgrimage from other areas in France, most notably Dijon. The term Cistercian comes from the Latin ‘Cistercium,’ which was the name given to the Dijon village of Cîteaux from whence the monks mostly came. By 1181 they had fully established themselves in St Jean d’Aulps and in the surrounding territories, and Morzine became a “monastic grange” from the abbey of the same name. Read More »

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The History of Zermatt in Switzerland

By Kirsty Edwards | Published: July 7, 2010
 

Today, Zermatt is one of the top ski resorts in Europe, if not the world, but how did it all begin? Has Zermatt always been a popular ski destination for the rich and famous, or has this only developed in recent times? Having visited the resort for the first time earlier this year and as I spend most days talking about the resort’s various chalets, I thought it would be interesting to look back in time and find out how Zermatt gained its international reputation.

A view over Zermatt and the Matterhorn - Spectacular!

A view over Zermatt and the Matterhorn - Spectacular!

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A Brief history of Courchevel, France

By David Froom | Published: June 29, 2010

Courchevel in France is one of Europe’s premier ski resorts, sitting at 1850 metres above sea level and forming part of the Three Valleys, the world’s largest fully linked ski area. Courchevel is split into 4 villages, each named after their altitudes. They are Courchevel 1850, Courchevel 1650, Courchevel 1550 and Courchevel 1300 (also known as Courchevel Le Praz). The history behind the creation and development of this alpine gem is a fascinating story and having spent 2 whole seasons in Courchevel myself I found my eyes opened by learning the stories behind the modern day resort. This is the first of what will become a regular feature on the history behind all of our major resorts.

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