by Les Menuires has never been backward in coming forward – as I was told on my visit with refreshing honesty “…you either love it or you hate it.” And this year, Marmite of the French Alps is defiantly celebrating its 60th anniversaryth Birthday.
A classic example of modern French alpine architecture, Les Menuires was one of a series of ski resorts developed as part of the Plan Neige (Snow Plan), an innovative project launched by the Pompidou government in 1960, which gave birth to the likes of the Snow Plan. Les Arcs, La Plagne, Avoriaz and Flaine.
Architects selected for the project were given free rein to convert the pristine high mountains above the Belleville Valley from a “snow desert” to a winter playground for the masses, creating new, ski-in/ski-out accommodation to suit all budget.
Les Menuires offered a new generation of skiers from France, who did not have much money, easy access not only to the slopes and the ski lifts but to other fully integrated services. The shops, ski schools, rental equipment, bars and restaurants are built into the ground floor of the accommodation blocks – in Les Menuires, you can find pretty much everywhere you want, from a red run to a bar , supermarket or ski shop, i. your ski boots (if they are not on your skis).
For skiers who couldn’t afford a traditional hotel or chalet ski holiday as the Alps became more popular, resorts such as Les Menuires provided a budget introduction to a sport previously the preserve of the rich. I was one of them, and therefore, I have a soft spot for the resort that introduced me to a sport that became a lifelong passion.
Underrated slopes
At the beginning of the 2023/24 season, 32 years since my first visit, I was still able to access the slopes directly from my accommodation – the recently built four-star Higalik Hotel, a modern combination of a traditional alpine chalet and cool Scandi style. – and make my way to the resort’s upgraded La Masse cable car, now one of the fastest ski lifts in France. It zooms across the sky at speeds of up to 25km per hour, sending skiers humbling to the 2,804-metre summit of Pointe de la Masse, where there is a choice of blue, red, black or off-piste back down to the valley. .
Over the years, Les Menuires has upgraded its lifts and opened free access zones under flat control. As a result, long lift queues are usually not an issue outside of peak periods such as half-term and the skiing is better compared to the wider Trois Vallées area, whether you’re looking for easy groomed runs or extensive off-piste. piste; many experienced skiers are surprised by what the underrated resort has to offer.
This diversity is a characteristic that Les Menuires shares with its neighbors across the world’s largest ski area. I spent the day floating between the slopes of Les Menuires, Val Thorens and Méribel, spoiled for choice as to what kind of ski would enjoy the bright Christmas sun. There was still a lot of untracked powder, but wide, wide pistes – like the red Campagnol dropping from Mont Vallon towards Méribel or the rolling blue Jerusalem down to St. Martin de Belleville – were just as appealing.
Architectural identity
Not everyone supported the plan to create Les Menuires. But after the Second World War, an increasing number of young people were leaving the area for easier and better-paid work in the local towns of Moutier, Albertville and further afield. The development of the region for winter sports was seen as a way to prevent this event.
The population of the valley in 1835 of about 3,000 permanent residents declined to about 1,000 by the 1940s and did not exceed 3,000 again until the 1990s – which I discovered in the museum in the settlement near Les Menuires, Saint Martin of Belleville.
The ultra-modern developments of the middle of this century affected many of the historic inhabitants of the valley, who, like their ancestors, lived for centuries a traditional alpine lifestyle, dependent on cattle, sheep and goat farming, working their way up and down the slopes with their animals as the seasons demanded.
The largest accommodation block, Le Brelin, consists of 700 flats with 2,500 beds and is known as the “snow liner” due to its sheer size. It is now a 20th century heritage site, reflecting the distinctive architectural style of the period.
But, at the time – and to some extent since then – the developments were picked up by critics, comparing them to a left-wing newspaper Liberty to the low-income housing complex of Sarcelles, a crime-ridden Paris suburb. The IS Daily Mail so convoluted that he advised anyone skiing in Les Menuires to “…go through it very quickly with your eyes closed.”
It’s probably true to say that many first-time visitors (myself included) are a little taken aback by the resort’s non-conforming architecture, but once you’ve experienced how much fun is accessible to you on the slopes and how the layout of the resort is convenient. , it’s hard not to warm to the place; not for nothing does it market itself as “Menu Friendly”.
Here to stay
Although in recent years more traditional touches have been added to the resort’s signature modernist architecture, the tower blocks are here to stay. Apartment owners are encouraged to renovate and update their properties according to various criteria, including the use of sustainable and environmentally friendly materials, and can receive grants to do so. I visited one and encountered a strange mix of ’70s inspired orange and brown exterior decor with a wood, tile and steel interior – somehow it seemed to work.
Les Menuires is still popular with budget skiers, but the resort’s newer, more luxurious developments, such as the Higalik, mean well-heeled visitors will find something to suit them.
And if they don’t, well, Les Menuires is not so concerned, safe in the knowledge that plenty of skiers have felt right at home here for the past 60 years, and will continue to do so.
Fundamentals
The Higalik Hotel offers a week’s stay from £1,527 per person, B&B, including flights from Gatwick and transfers, departing 30 March. Free architectural tours of Les Menuires are available during December and February and over Easter. Visit lesmenuires.com for more, and read our expert guide to resort holidays here.
