Ski-Areas > Northern Alps > Savoie (73) > Tarentaise > Tignes
The ski resort of Tignes is situated in the Tarentaise area of the Savoie department in the Northern Alps region. It is part of the Espace Killy ski domain. The lift served area extends from 1560 metres to 3656 metres. There are 300 km of lift served runs. The resort features a snowpark.
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| Webcam view from Restaurant l'Alpage over the Tignes valley from Tignesnet.com |
The Tignards received substantial compensation when their original village was flooded. They left either for les Boisses or to build a ski resort at 2100 meters with the aid of the department - the future Val Claret. In 1965 the developer Pierre Schnebelen? was initially interested in a 55,000 m2 development at Lavachet at the entrance to the station. In 1966 the resort planned construction of 5,000 beds and ski lifts based around Val Claret. However in April '67 they turned the development of the whole resort over to Schnebelen in exchange for a 5% profit share in the resort. At this point the locals had already planned the building of the Grande Motte cable car into the Vanois National Park. This contravened the planning laws for the national park, something that was only regularized by retrospective action bycentral government.
Schnebelen was given a lease on the lifts already constructed for 30 years and carte blanche for the development of the resort including an initial tranche of 7 hotels and 646 appartments. It is unclear why they turned development over to Schnebelen - pressure from the state or préfet or did they just believe they were not up to the task of developing a ski resort?
There were a number of irregularties in Tignes - construction of the Grande Motte cable car without permission - it was built in the Vanois National Parc until a government decree gave it retrospective permission and a number of buildings sited in the path of well known avalanches, much to the consternation of the locals. Following the fatal avalanches of 1970 Schnebelen's financer, the bank Suez, took control of the appartments at Tignes. Following financial problems that affected most French ski resorts in the mid-80s, the Caisse des Depot's in the form of the Compagnie des Alpes took over running the ski lifts.
Nearest Airport(s): Geneva Cointrin 180 Km (4h30 by bus), Lyon Saint Exupéry 220 Km (3h30 by bus), Chambéry 130 Km, Grenoble airport 210 km
Helicopter: SAF Hélicoptères (+33 4 79 41 93 49 / +33 4 79 08 00 91)
Road: Motorway A43 to Albertville, N90 Dual carriageway to Moutiers , D902 to Bourg St Maurice -> Tignes (You will need chains on the road from Bourg St Maurice to Tignes)
Rail: Bourg St Maurice International TGV station: 40mn by taxi & 1h10mn by bus (http://www.altibus.com/)
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Established in 1998 by some of France's best snowboarders Snocool specialise in Freeride and off-piste trips. Their web-site is in French but they speak English.
Alpine Logic is a British operation offering ski tuition both on and off the piste. Established in Tignes in 1999, after 9 years operating Courchevel 1850. It is run by a former BASI trainer and mountaineering instructor.
French contact number (Dec - May) 0673 241925
email: information@tignes.net
The http://www.Tignesnet.com portal has more information about holidaying in the resort.
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Category: Ski Areas
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