Tignes & the Espace Killy

Tignes & Its Surroundings

The old village of Tignes disappeared beneath the waters of the Lac du Chevril when the valley was dammed in 1952. The ski resort of Tignes 2100, is now made up of many smaller villages at varying altitudes. Tignes Les Brévières (1550m), Tignes Les Boisses (1850m), Tignes Le Lavachet (2100m) and Val Claret (2100). Tignes-Le-Lac is generally classed as the main village of Tignes.

Although having spent millions in improving its visual appearance, the architecture of Tignes is some what more synonymous with a collection of high rise housing estates, than your typical traditional Savoyard chalet village. There are few trees at this altitude so Tignes isn't the most visually appealling of resorts. However, beauty is only skin deep, so if you’re there for the skiing and not fussed about your outside appearance of your accommodation then Tignes is the place to go.

Tignes and its neighbouring resort of Val d’Isère make up the ski area known as the Espace Killy (so named after France’s Olympic downhill skiing champion Jean Claude Killy); it offers over 300kms of pisted skiing and some of Europe’s most spectacular scenery.

Tignes is approximately equivalent in size to Val d’Isère. During the winter months it offers 47 ski lifts which include a funicular railway, a cable car, 24 chairlifts and 19 drag lifts, enabling you to ski round the 150 kilometres of pisted terrain. There is also a board park at Val Claret giving riders the chance to try their hand at some freestyle jumping, rails and ‘big air’! For the more adventurous, Tignes has access to some of the worlds best off-piste in the French Alps.

Tignes is also very much a summer resort with host of outdoor activities to keep the sporting enthusiast entertained. Water, Aerial, Motor, Golf and Mountain biking sports are all available during the summer months. Lovers of snow-covered slopes need not be disappointed though, as the Grande Motte Glacier is open during the summer months and allows freestylers to practice in the snowpark, or watch the professionals and champions complete their summer training. The soft summer snow is ideal for beginners too. With so much variety and activity Tignes is a very popular destination with many British and French tourists alike.

There is skiing to suit all abilities in Tignes, from beginner to advanced, there will be a run that offers a challenge. The skiing is split into four areas; La Grande Motte Massif, Le Palet, Le Toviere and Les Brévières/L’Aiguille Percée - see Ski Areas for further details.

There is a great selection of accommodation, but there is definitely a shortage of choice in the luxury range. There are many bars and restaurants in each of the Tignes villages and 4 nightclubs; 2 in Val Claret and 2 in Le Lac. From the 75 restaurants, you can sample the traditional Savoyard delicacies or gourmet cuisine delights. There is also a 24 hour free bus service between Val Claret, Le Lac and Le Lavachet making it especially easy to experience each village by night! Tignes offers much more modest prices than its neighbour Val d'Isère.

last updated 15-Feb-2008

Dining & Going Out in Tignes

Tignes' 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 opportunties 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 "Tignes Food & Drink" for more

last updated 15-Feb-2008

History of Tignes

Historically, Tignes was made up of two villages – Les Brévières, and Tignes itself. Rumours started circulating in the late 1920s that a dam was to be built in the valley covering the original old town of Tignes. This was met with strong opposition from the locals (Tignards) who fought bitterly to keep their original village. Unfortunately rumours became reality in 1952, when the original old village of Tignes was flooded as part of a hydro-electric power scheme which created the new "Lac du Chevril" over the old site. It has been said that locals tried for many years to disrupt building works using a "resistance" style movement. Today in Tignes, it is still possible to meet with some of the old Tignard characters who were sent to jail for their part in attempting to blow up the dam that caused their homes to be flooded!!

The Tignes dam, which depicts a giant figure of Hercules on the front, had been designed to generate power for up to 10% of France. However, France developed nuclear power a few years later and ironically the Tignes dam which has never been used became redundant. It now serves as a huge 'battery' with the ability to supply power to the ski resort in the winter if required, and in the summer if the resources are low. (Every 10 years the lake is emptied for maintenance work to be carried out on the dam and it is possible to see and even walk around the remains of the old village - the lake was last emptied in the spring of 2000 so there’s a short wait to do this again.)

The new Tignes was created at an altitude of 2100m, with the main settlement at Tignes Le Lac. There are a number of smaller resorts that make up Tignes and these include: Val Claret, Tignes Le Lavachet and Tignes Le Boisses. Monies paid to the local community from the government in damages for the loss of the original village of Tignes helped to build the first ski lifts and buildings in the new villages of Les Boisses, Le Lac, Val Claret and Lavachet.

Tignes Les Brévières went back to sleep after recovering from the 5000 workers who had been housed in and around the valley in a series of pre-fab army style huts. The village remained largely intact and was successful in maintaining is traditional Savoyard style. In the early 1970's, the first chair lift links were put in place, connecting Les Brévières with its larger sister skiing and snowboarding resorts and putting the village on the map for skiers.

The resorts of Val Claret, Le Lac, Le Lavachet and Le Boisses were built in the late 1950s, early 1960s, and the French architecture is wholly alien in comparison to the spectacular mountain setting at the foot of the Grand Motte and Grande Casse.

last updated 15-Feb-2008