On your annual skiing holiday to Val d’Isere, after a few days you may find you are all skied out! But don’t worry, there are other ways to relax than just by lazing about in your hotels. Val d’Isere has an impressive range of activities you can enjoy ‘apres ski’, so if you fancy cheese and pastry tasting, or spending time in an igloo then read on…

Igloo Evenings

If you love the snow but are a little bored of simply skiing down the piste, then this could be the event that gets you out of your hotels. Val d’isere can offer you a fabulous evening in an igloo, at an altitude of 2400 m. A helicopter will whisk you up the mountain at sunset and then you’ll take a snow scooter to the igloo. You will then spend your evening inside your ice castle eating cheese and chocolate fondues – can life get any better? At the end of the meal you will ski back down the mountain by torchlight. It is an expensive activity but is definitely worth the wealth of memories you will make.

Local Crafts

There is a world of local culture waiting for you on the doorstep of your hotels. Val d’Isere and the surrounding region is home to some great arts and craft galleries. Seez St Bernard makes for a wonderful visit and you can explore some of the local crafts including spinning, taxidermy, gold and silversmithing, blacksmithing and leather tanning. There are guided tours available, but these are in French, so if your language skills are not up to scratch you may want to wander around and discover the town’s delights yourself.

L’Adroit Farm

Not too far from the resort’s hotels, Val-d’Isere has a wonderful rural experience in the form of L’Adroit Farm. This traditional alpine farm produces absolutely delicious cheese and the owner, Xavier, will happily welcome you and show you around. You can get involved in cheese making, or spend time exploring the farm and feeding the animals that live there. You can get a guided tour of the farm which includes cheese tasting – and this fromage is definitely one you will want to try!

Pastries, Cakes and dessert!

If the world of the pastry excites you and the mere mention of croissants makes you drool, then look no further than Val d’Isere to satisfy that need. There is a range of fun activities if pastry is your passion, though be careful you don’t eat too much, or you will never make it back to your hotels! Val d’Isere is home to a lovely little bakery called the Maison Chevallot, which also moonlights as a tea house. Since 1965, Maison Chevallot has specialised in pastries, cakes and chocolates (milk, dark and truffles). Patrick Chevallot, the owner, is consultant to the world-famous chocolatier, Valrhona, and was voted best French Pastry Chef in 1993 – so you are in good hands.

If tasting is not enough and you want to get a little more hands-on with your baking experience, then “The Best French Pastrycook Award” offers marvellous patisserie classes. This is a great chance to learn about the different baking techniques involved in pasty making. It is also followed by a tasting session, so don’t worry about missing out on the delicious treats!

Author Bio: Earl Knudsen is Marketing Manager for Alpine Answers, a specialist ski travel agency, tour operator, and booking service offering bonded package holidays at a hotels Val d’Isere, and other tailor-made itineraries. For a luxury or good-value skiing holiday in hotels; Val d’Isere is an ideal location.

Category: Travel
Keywords: Hotels Val d’Isere