Bourg Saint Maurice is a bustling market town and the hub that serves most of the Tarentaise. The Eurostar finishes its journey from the UK here, and skiers head off to the local ski resorts which include Val d’Isere, Tignes, Les Arcs, La Rosiere and Sainte Foy de Tarentaise, quite a line-up of world class resorts! None more than 30minute away.
Although there is no skiing at this altitude, Bourg Saint Maurice is conveniently linked to Les Arcs 1600 by the Arc en Ciel (Rainbow) funicular railway. Les Arcs is part of the Paradiski domain, with 425km of slopes, 144 lifts and 239 pistes which lives up to its name as a skier’s paradise. Unlike the other villages that make up les Arcs the town of Bourg Saint Maurice is open all year. The heart of Bourg Saint Maurice is its pedestrian high street. Jam packed with intriguing shops and boutiques it’s a great place to while away an afternoon, particularly suitable if you are a non skier.
The town’s many bars and restaurants cater for all tastes from cosy local savoyarde to cool brasserie. Nothing can beat sipping a hot chocolaté or vin chaud in the warm, watching the snowy scene unfold outside…..heaven. Although by no means a large town Bourg Saint Maurice offers all the facilities you would expect and possibly much more. There is a cinema, which obligingly shows the occasional English language film. The indoor/outdoor swimming pool is a hit all year round, particularly in the summer when the soaring temperatures prove too much for local residents.
In the winter the local marie even built an open air ice rink in the town centre, which the children loved. On a more practical note Bourg Saint Maurice has a number of large supermarkets, an all year round campsite and excellent schools for all ages. The weekly market on Saturday mornings draws in quite a crowd, the streets are closed and you can buy anything form a tea towel to a chicken! Not only does the town have a large all year round population but it also plays host to many tourists.
The local mairie is very proactive, organising many events, throughout the year including hosting a stage of the Tour de France in July 2009. The summer offers lots of opportunities for lovers of the outdoors. There is a white water slalom course on the Isere river used for international canoe and kayak competitions; it’s also used by many European teams as a training course in the summer.
The surrounding mountains are good for walking and mountain biking. The funicular and some of les Arcs ski lifts operate during July and August to get the walkers to the higher peaks, you can even take your mountain bile on the chairlift. Horse riding is another popular activity, as is quad biking. If that’s not enough and you have a spare moment you could always try a spot of summer glacier skiing in nearby Tignes. Phew! Bourg Saint Maurice is an action packed town.
