La Plagne

La Plagne is a French Alps ski destination in Savoie, formed by eleven villages within a single lift-linked domain. It stretches from La Plagne Vallée (Aime, 700m) to the altitude villages, which range from 1,800 to 2,100m.

La Plagne ski area totals 225km of marked alpine pistes, made up of 139 runs served by 77 lifts. Around 70% of the terrain is above 2,000m. La Plagne is also part of the Paradiski ski area. The Vanoise Express cable car, opened in 2003, links the La Plagne side to Les Arcs via the Peisey–Vallandry sector, creating 425km of connected slopes.

The scenery and village character change with altitude. Upper slopes above the altitude villages are high and open, with long views across the Tarentaise and, on clear days, towards the Mont Blanc massif. Plagne Aime 2000’s main building is known as the ‘Snow Ocean Liner’ and has looked across to Mont Blanc since the 1960s. Belle Plagne is completely car-free and is built on a mountainside in an upper and lower section. Plagne Bellecôte sits at a central crossroads within the altitude villages. Plagne 1800 was developed from the former mining village for the local lead mines, and Plagne Centre sits on a broad snowfront, with ski-in/ski-out buildings along the base area.

For higher viewpoints, the ski area reaches 3,080m at the arrival station of the Glaciers 2 gondola. Above Bellecôte, the Chiaupe glacier reaches around 3,200m. Roche de Mio is a lift-accessed plateau with a viewpoint indicator and views towards Mont Blanc. Lower down, the skiing around Montalbert and Montchavin–Les Coches runs through forest, which can be useful on snowy or low-visibility days at altitude.

La Plagne includes beginner learning spaces and snow gardens for children from age three, and the resort operates a snowpark and dedicated fun areas on the pistes. Montchavin–Les Coches holds the Famille Plus label: a certification given to destinations that provide an excellent service for families with children. Champagny-en-Vanoise is noted for the church of Saint-Sigismond, whose Baroque altarpiece dates from 1710.

Away from skiing, La Plagne is home to the Olympic bobsleigh track. It is the only bobsleigh track in France, originally built for the 1992 Winter Olympic Games, and it is 1,500m long with 19 banked turns. The resort also has two outdoor ice rinks (Plagne Centre and Montchavin–Les Coches). In Plagne Centre, the Colorado toboggan run is a 1.5km descent reached via the Colorado chairlift, and in Montalbert, there is 15km of cross-country itineraries. Free shuttle buses link the villages, and the Télémétro provides a pedestrian link between Plagne Centre and Plagne Aime 2000.