Birth and history of the Alpine resorts, everything for skiing
The first French resort was built in the 1920s around the village of Megève, under the impetus of Baroness Noémie de Rothschild. Inspired by the Swiss resort of Saint-Moritz, frequented by the European aristocracy, she decided to build a luxurious chalet and skating rink on Mont d'Arbois. Here, skiing gradually took off, thanks to the use of caterpillar lifts to ascend the slopes, before the opening of the first cable car in 1933. A model that would spread throughout the Alps to other villages eager to take advantage of this new financial windfall. Les Gets, for example, was the first village resort to install a chairlift, in 1947, to facilitate access to the slopes for more skiers. After the Second World War, a new type of resort was born, where everything was organized to make skiing easier. It's interesting to note that the first resort of its kind, Courchevel 1850, was created after the war above the village of Saint-Bon, which until then had benefited from summer tourism linked to the spa town of Brides-les-Bains. Courchevel 1850 was the first resort to be built entirely on virgin land with new housing. Although the ski industry was born, it was not yet accessible to all, as the chalets in Courchevel 1850, modelled on traditional chalets, could not accommodate too many skiers. It wasn't until the 1960s and the "integrated resort" model, designed entirely for mass skiing (land, urban planning, housing, ski area, etc.), that downhill skiing began to take off. This marked the birth of major resorts such as Flaine, Avoriaz and Les Arcs, veritable laboratories for architects. Huge buildings covered the slopes, creating "neighborhoods" linked by elevators and housing large shopping arcades, making it as easy as possible to set off "skis on" from one's cabin apartment. Winter sports have become a flourishing industry at the expense of nature and the environment. So much so, in fact, that a Mountain Law was passed in 1985 to reconcile development and protection of the mountains. After some undeniable excesses in terms of development and urban planning, resort promoters returned to reason in a "neo-regionalist" style with the rise of village resorts. Resorts that are no longer content to promote the winter season and downhill skiing alone. The Alps are rediscovering their natural heritage with a summer activity that gives the mountains back their natural dimension: hiking. After the golden age of downhill skiing and the gigantic facilities that were built solely for this winter activity, the resorts of the Alps are now turning their attention to other, more "natural" sports and other seasons.
From "all winter" to the rise of summer activities
When the first ski resorts frequented by the aristocracy saw the light of day, there was no question of visiting them in summer, a season reserved for sea bathing on the coast. For a long time, there was only one season in the mountains, except for mountaineers and a few hiking enthusiasts who made the days of certain resorts like Chamonix. It's no coincidence that the first long-distance hiking trail in the Alps, the GR®, was the Tour du Mont-Blanc in 1951. The marking of hiking trails, often old paths used by shepherds and their flocks, developed throughout the Alps, enabling a wide public to enjoy this inexpensive family activity. In the 1980s, awareness began to grow about the pollution of our environment and the excessive use of the coastline in summer, with a growing need to escape to unoccupied territories... like the mountains in summer! But what can you do in these ski-oriented resorts at this time of year? The first mountain bikes made their appearance in France in 1983 at La Plagne. This new downhill activity, which made use of the infrastructure built for the winter season and offered a new economic activity for the resorts, quickly took off in the French Alps. While the first dedicated downhill track was created in the Jura mountains, the number of areas reserved for mountain bikes multiplied in the Alps with the creation of "bike parks". Every resort now has its own area reserved for mountain bikes, an activity that replaces skiing in summer. At the same time, cyclists were following the exploits of the Tour de France racers, and in turn wanted to climb the Alpine passes. Resorts such as l'Alpe d'Huez offer them special markers to time themselves and measure themselves against the champions. But hiking, road biking and mountain biking aren't the only sports to liven up the resorts during the summer season. With global warming shortening the ski season every year, nature lovers have developed a host of activities to take advantage of the Alps' exceptional environment. In the air, after hang-gliding, paragliding has become a popular sport. Today, gliders of all colors can be found in the skies above French ski resorts, with discovery flights open to all. On vertical cliffs, via ferrata facilitates climbing while providing the thrill of vertigo. Alongside hiking, which is becoming increasingly popular, trail running - running on trails in a natural environment - has developed rapidly in the Alps, particularly since the creation of the Stations de Trail®. On the slopes, summer toboggans on rails reproduce the sensation of sliding. In the trees, adventure parks offer sensational fun activities. The rivers of the Alps are also put to good use with rafting and canyoning, two activities that are as refreshing as they are sensational. All these summer activities, plus golf, horse-riding, archery and more, mean that ski resorts are just as lively in summer as they are in winter.
From summer/winter resorts to 4-season resorts
Some resorts in the Alps have historically welcomed tourists all year round. Chamonix, for example, is a lively year-round town with a wide range of mountain activities, from mountaineering to skiing and hiking. This is also true of Briançon in the Southern Alps, a small regional capital with a strong architectural heritage - the Vauban fortress - which has linked up with the peaks of Serre-Chevalier Vallée to expand its offer and participate in the development of a vast ski area. While some resorts have always had a year-round activity, the vast majority of resorts in the Alps have long focused solely on winter sports, then on winter sports and summer activities. During the long periods between April and June, and between September and December (which become longer as snow cover diminishes), the resorts experience an "off-season". In fact, many resorts, with the exception of certain village resorts, communicate that they are simply "closed". At these times, accommodation and shops don't open and no activities are offered to visitors. Yet many urban dwellers living close to the mountains - from Grenoble, Chambéry, Lyon, Marseille or Nice - want to get away for a weekend or a "short" vacation outside the period for outdoor leisure activities, a demand that is growing rapidly. All resorts are now incorporating facilities that ensure year-round operation, to attract new customers such as senior citizens, business tourists and seminar-goers. It is the so-called "medium-altitude" resorts, those that will be the first to suffer from the lack of snow cover, that will become the first 4-season resorts in the Alps. For these resorts, like Chamrousse above Grenoble - created for the 1968 Olympic Games - the challenge is quite simply vital. They need to attract both more year-round residents to support local shops and services, and more tourists to develop their activities. This transformation into a 4-season resort requires the construction of new infrastructures, such as a large aquatic and tonic center in the case of Chamrousse, or a "multi-purpose" hall, hotels with spas for ever-growing wellness tourism. The Chartreuse and Vercors massifs, Dévoluy and certain southern parts of the Mercantour, which are less elevated than others, will have to adapt both to climate change and to the new demands of a public in search of fresh air, pure air, well-being and sensations. Even high-altitude resorts like Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc are openly "4-season", with the development of intermediate activities such as forest walks, snowshoe hikes and the discovery of an astonishing heritage ranging from Baroque churches to a contemporary cultural venue, a concrete parking lot painted by artists. For too long a simple winter playground, the mountains are becoming a year-round living space. The Alps offer themselves as an attractive territory where all sectors of the economy are developing together, led by agriculture, the service sector and the inevitable tourism. New outdoor and indoor sports activities, new relaxation activities for couples and families, heritage and culture, 4-season resorts are also eco-responsible for sustainable development with or without snow. 4-season resorts all over the Alps are undergoing a complete metamorphosis to ensure year-round activities.
