Champagny-en-Vanoise is rather special. Its part of the enormous National Parc de Vanoise, a truly beautiful and breathtaking wilderness and it is linked in to Paradiski – one of the largest ski areas in the world. The village is charming. It is a traditional mountain village and has kept, for the most part, an authentic feel. Champagny Station is at an altitude of 1250m so runs back to the village can get a bit scratchy, but this is OK because you can catch the cable back down. Here you’ll find a range of shops, bars and restaurants. It’s all pretty low key and very much aimed at families. There is also Champagny le Haut at 1450m a glorious village that makes you feel as though you’re stepping back in time. When I was last up there I was so captivated I turned into a tourist and started taking pictures. This is a preserved valley, classified in ‘the natural monuments and sites of France’ for its beautiful countryside and the preserved architecture of its villages. It is also the Gateway to the National Park of Vanoise (the oldest National Park in France, founded in 1963) and one of the most beautiful sites for cross country skiing and Nordic activities in the region. Champany offers a lot more than downhill skiing, there is nordic skiing, snow shoe walks, ice climbing, parapenting, sleigh rides and much more. So from the resort centre you leap on the cable car which can have queues in peak season but once on, 8 minutes and you’re off on your skies. It takes skiers to the Southern slopes and the vast area for boardsports of la Grande Plagne: 225km of pistes for all levels between about 2,000 and 3,000 metres. You can ski on the sunny Southern slopes of Champagny, perhaps on the Bellecôte glacier or in the forest around the villages opposite Mont Blanc, wherever you ski there is plenty here to keep all levels of skier entertained.
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