Les Arcs

Mont Blanc seen from Les Arcs

Les Arcs is located on the edge of the Vanoise National Park in the Savoie region of France. This spectacular setting offers amazing panoramas of the surrounding landscapes and towering peaks, whether you prefer your mountains pristine and snow covered or lush, green and bursting with colour.

Les Arcs itself is actually made up of four modern, purpose built resorts; Arc 1600, Arc 1800, Arc 1950 and Arc 2000, that each offer doorstep access to the fantastic Paradiski area, one of the most extensive and varied ski domains in the world. It was local skier, Robert Blanc that first conceived the idea of building a series of resorts at different altitudes above his home town of Bourg St Maurice and Arcs 1600 was the original village which opened up as a ski resort in 1968. The concept was very innovative at the time – accommodation built specifically for convenient skiing and doorstep access to the slopes, but it’s a concept that has since been replicated many times over, across the Alps and beyond.Today, Arc 1600 remains nestled in the trees and enjoys stunning views along the valley towards Mont Blanc. It has a compact centre and a reputation as being the “friendliest” of all the villages to stay in, although it does have a decidedly quiet nightlife. ... see "Les Arcs - The Local Area" for more

Typical Les Arcs Apartments

The resort of Les Arcs is made up of 4 modern purpose built villages at different levels; Arc 1600, Arc 1800, Arc 1950 and Arc 2000. Each level of Les Arcs is ski-in ski-out, meaning that the vast expanse of the Paradiski is right on your doorstep!

The nearby town of Bourg Saint Maurice was once a stopping point for Romans travelling from Lyon to Turin and was known as Bergintrum. In the following years it thrived as a market town and was conquered many times before being officially acknowledged as a part of France in 1860. For the next 70 years or so life carried on as it always had; farming cattle, making hay, observing local traditions and religious festivals. It was not until the 1920’s and 1930’s that tourists started to arrive, attracted by its proximity to the mountains and its local character. The booming tourist trade in Bourg Saint Maurice was to have a knock-on effect higher up the mountain. ... see "Les Arcs: From Past to Present" for more

Les Arc’s nightlife is almost as exhausting as its mountain pursuits! With a wide range of restaurants, bars and cafés to keep you well fed and watered there is also a plentiful array of opportunities for a bit of après or late-night venues for a spot of clubbing. The countless terraces ensure that you can always find a sunny spot to relax in... ... see "Les Arcs Food & Drink" for more

The Vanoise National Park is one of the highlights of the Tarentaise region; a haven for all sorts of wildlife as well as a magnet for outdoor sports enthusiasts, it is well worth a visit at any time of year. Access is free and it is open year-round. ... see "Vanoise National Park" for more

For anyone that spends time in the mountains, be it summer or winter, the weather is a constant topic of conversation. And it is easy to understand why, as a change in the weather can impact so dramatically on your day. Should I take a coat? How many layers should I wear? Am I going to burn? Is it going to rain? These are questions we ask ourselves daily and normally the answer is based on a lucky guess, or perhaps on judgment gained from experience and/or the weather forecast. However, by acquiring some knowledge of local weather patterns and understanding how and why systems develop, along with a few bits of weather terminology, you can certainly reduce that element of luck, and learn to make a more educated decision on your days activity and clothing requirements with the information at your disposal. ... see "The Alpine Climate" for more

Here is collection of general resort knowledge compiled from years of responding to email enquiries, getting ourselves lost, finding ourselves, late-night bar conversations, your feedback, plus translations of French brochures. We have put this resource together to help you out when you are planning a trip to the resort. Updating this section is a never-ending task so if we have missed anything out, or you spot that we are out of date or just plain wrong, please do let us know!

The Les Arcs ski App is now available on your iPhone! Everything you need to know and more about the Les Arcs resort on the new iPhone application. Download it here or read on for more information >>> ... see "Lesarcsnet.com iPhone App" for more