View source for Val-d'Isère

{{Infobox French commune
|name               = Val-d'Isère
|commune status     = [[Communes of France|Commune]]
|image              = RGA 231.JPG
|caption            = A general view of Val d'Isère.
|image coat of arms = Blason ville fr Val-d'Isère (Savoie).svg
|arrondissement     = Albertville
|canton             = Bourg-Saint-Maurice
|INSEE              = 73304
|postal code        = 73150
|mayor              = Patrick Martin<ref>{{cite web|title=Répertoire national des élus: les maires|url=https://www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/r/2876a346-d50c-4911-934e-19ee07b0e503|publisher=data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises|date=13 September 2022|language=fr}}</ref>
|term               = 2020&ndash;2026
|intercommunality   =
|coordinates        = {{coord|45.4506|6.9781|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|elevation m        = 1849
|elevation min m    = 1785
|elevation max m    = 3599
|area km2           = 94.39
|population         = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_total}}
|population date    = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_as_of}}
|population footnotes   = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes}}
}}
'''Val-d'Isère''' ({{IPA|fr|val dizɛʁ}}, literally ''Valley of [[Isère (river)|Isère]]'') is a [[Communes of France|commune]] of the [[Tarentaise Valley]], in the [[Savoie]] [[Departments of France|department]] ([[Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes]] [[Regions of France|region]]) in southeastern [[France]]. It lies {{convert|5|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} from the border with [[Italy]]. It is on the border of the [[Vanoise National Park]] created in 1963, with good transport links in and out of [[Lyon]], [[Geneva]] and [[Chambéry]].

During the [[Albertville]] [[Alpine skiing at the 1992 Winter Olympics|1992 Winter Olympics]], the ''Face de Bellevarde'' was the site of the men's downhill race. Other [[Alpine skiing at the 1992 Winter Olympics|alpine skiing]] events held during those games included men's giant slalom and alpine combined. Val d'Isère regularly hosts [[FIS Alpine Ski World Cup|World Cup]] alpine events, usually for the men in early December, and hosted the [[FIS Alpine World Ski Championships|World Championships]] in [[FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2009|2009]].  The ski area of Val d'Isère and [[Tignes]] forms the [[Espace Killy]], named after the triple Olympic champion [[Jean-Claude Killy]] who grew up in Val d'Isère. There are two mountain huts (called “refuges” in French) owned by the [[Vanoise National Park]] on the territory of Val d'Isère: le Refuge du Prariond and le Refuge du Fond des Fours.

==Skiing and snowsports==
[[Image:Val-dIsere-église-chemin-du-Charvet.JPG|thumb|left|View in the center of Val d'Isère]]
The western and central areas of Val d'Isère are most recognizable by their "chalet" architecture, while in the eastern part of the town high-rise architecture dominates the landscape.  Along with nearby [[Tignes]] the area forms part of the "[[Espace Killy|l' Espace Killy]]", the self-titled "Most Beautiful Ski Area in the World".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/tignesval-disere/|title=Ski resort Tignes/Val d'Isère - Skiing Tignes/Val d'Isère|website=www.skiresort.info|access-date=2019-10-23}}</ref>

The [[Pissaillas Glacier]] offers summer skiing, as well as the usual winter fare. [[Snow cannon]] are placed on certain slopes to accommodate heavy skiing.  The ski slopes themselves are equipped with a high-volume gondola, able to transport standing skiers, the funicular ''[[Funival]]'' from La Daille via a tunnel to the top of Bellevarde, traditional chair lifts—some with windshields and many detachable, button/disc-pulls and tow-ropes.  There are both groomed slopes and [[Backcountry skiing|backcountry (off-piste) skiing]]. The slopes' difficulty levels are particularly high. However, as in Tignes, there are wide, easily navigable pistes for those of the beginner-intermediate level as well. Val d'Isère is renowned as having some of the world's best lift-accessed off-piste and has many independent instructors and guides who specialise in off-piste tuition and guiding.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.skibro.com/en/ski-lessons-ski-schools-val-disere|title=SkiBro|website=www.skibro.com|access-date=2019-10-23}}</ref>

[[Tignes]] possesses more of the same, with a [[funicular]] shuttling skiers up through one of the mountains to the [[Grande Motte glacier]].  A free shuttle bus runs between the villages in the valley, providing free transport throughout the towns of Val d'Isère and La Daille.

==History==
Human habitation of the valley dates back to before Roman times with traces of Celtic tribes found in the area. The town received parish rights in 1637 and the parish church, which is still a landmark in the town centre, was built in 1664.
Val-d'Isere was part of the historical land of Savoy emerged as the feudal territory of the House of Savoy during the 11th to 14th centuries. The historical territory is shared between the modern countries of France, Italy, and Switzerland.
The House of Savoy became the longest surviving royal house in Europe. It ruled the County of Savoy to 1416 and then the Duchy of Savoy from 1416 to 1860.
Skiing in Val d'Isère has its roots in the 1930s when a drag lift was built on the slopes of the Solaise.<ref>{{Cite web |last=skichaletblogger |title=The First Ski Lift in Val d’Isère {{!}} Chaletline.co.uk |url=https://chaletline.co.uk/blog/2023/02/the-first-ski-lift-in-val-disere/ |access-date=2023-06-01 |language=en-US}}</ref> This was followed by an [[aerial tramway]] (cable car).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cimalpes.ski/en/history-val-d-isere/?|title=The history of Val d'Isere ski resort|website=cimalpes.ski|access-date=2019-10-23}}</ref> During WWII, the village secretly housed Jewish children; the former mayor of the village, Dr. Frederic Petri, sheltered a young woman in his chalet and nursed her broken leg.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2020-01-05|title=Val d'Isere: The doctor who hid a Jewish girl - and the resort that wants to forget|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-50828696|access-date=2020-09-06}}</ref>

==Geography==
===Climate===

Val-d'Isère has a [[subarctic climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''Dfc''). The average annual temperature in Val-d'Isère is {{cvt|3.8|C}}. The average annual rainfall is {{cvt|912.9|mm}} with December as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in July, at around {{cvt|12.5|C}}, and lowest in January, at around {{cvt|-4.6|C}}. The highest temperature ever recorded in Val-d'Isère was {{cvt|29.3|C}} on 27 June 2019; the coldest temperature ever recorded was {{cvt|-25.2|C}} on 31 December 2000.

{{Weather box|width=auto
|location = Val-d'Isère (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1992−present)
|single line = Y
|metric first = Y
|Jan record high C = 11.4
|Feb record high C = 11.1
|Mar record high C = 13.1
|Apr record high C = 16.8
|May record high C = 23.9
|Jun record high C = 29.3
|Jul record high C = 28.2
|Aug record high C = 28.3
|Sep record high C = 25.0
|Oct record high C = 21.1
|Nov record high C = 19.1
|Dec record high C = 10.5
|Jan record low C = -23.0
|Feb record low C = -25.1
|Mar record low C = -24.4
|Apr record low C = -14.3
|May record low C = -8.8
|Jun record low C = -5.0
|Jul record low C = -0.7
|Aug record low C = -1.7
|Sep record low C = -6.7
|Oct record low C = -11.6
|Nov record low C = -18.1
|Dec record low C = -25.2
|Jan high C = -0.4
|Feb high C = 0.4
|Mar high C = 3.4
|Apr high C = 6.4
|May high C = 11.7
|Jun high C = 16.4
|Jul high C = 18.5
|Aug high C = 18.1
|Sep high C = 14.0
|Oct high C = 10.8
|Nov high C = 4.6
|Dec high C = 0.6
|year high C = 8.7
|Jan mean C = -4.6
|Feb mean C = -4.4
|Mar mean C = -1.3
|Apr mean C = 2.2
|May mean C = 7.0
|Jun mean C = 10.8
|Jul mean C = 12.5
|Aug mean C = 12.3
|Sep mean C = 8.8
|Oct mean C = 5.8
|Nov mean C = 0.3
|Dec mean C = -3.4
|year mean C = 3.8
|Jan low C = -8.9
|Feb low C = -9.1
|Mar low C = -6.0
|Apr low C = -2.0
|May low C = 2.2
|Jun low C = 5.3
|Jul low C = 6.5
|Aug low C = 6.6
|Sep low C = 3.5
|Oct low C = 0.7
|Nov low C = -4.0
|Dec low C = -7.5
|year low C = -1.1
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 81.2
|Feb precipitation mm = 61.5
|Mar precipitation mm = 72.7
|Apr precipitation mm = 57.1
|May precipitation mm = 90.5
|Jun precipitation mm = 85.2
|Jul precipitation mm = 82.9
|Aug precipitation mm = 78.2
|Sep precipitation mm = 62.1
|Oct precipitation mm = 67.5
|Nov precipitation mm = 80.6
|Dec precipitation mm = 93.4
|year precipitation mm = 912.9
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 8.5
|Feb precipitation days = 8.5
|Mar precipitation days = 9.0
|Apr precipitation days = 8.8
|May precipitation days = 11.9
|Jun precipitation days = 12.1
|Jul precipitation days = 11.3
|Aug precipitation days = 10.6
|Sep precipitation days = 9.1
|Oct precipitation days = 8.8
|Nov precipitation days = 8.9
|Dec precipitation days = 10.3
|year precipitation days = 117.7
|source 1 = [[Météo-France]]<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_73304005.pdf
| title=Fiche Climatologique Statistiques 1991-2020 et records
| language = fr
| publisher = [[Météo-France]]
| access-date = 27 August 2022}}</ref>}}

==Tarentaise Valley skiing==
The [[Tarentaise Valley]] has the largest concentration of world-class ski resorts in the world. Most well known neighbour systems are [[Paradiski]] ([[Les Arcs]], [[La Plagne]]) and [[Les Trois Vallées]] ([[Courchevel]], [[Méribel]], [[Val Thorens]] and more). There were once plans to interlink all systems and resorts to create what would have been by far the largest ski area in the world. However, that vision was ended with the creation of the [[Vanoise National Park]].

[[File:Face de Bellevarde 2014.JPG|thumb|280px|The [[La face de Bellevarde|Face de Bellevarde]] racing track]]
{{Location map
|Alps
|relief     = 1
|label      = <small>&nbsp;Val-d'Isère</small>
|lat        = 45.4506
|long       = 6.9781
|caption    = Location in the [[Alps]] of [[Europe]]
|float      = 
|position   = right
|background = 
|mark       =
|marksize   = 6
|width      = 275
}}

== Olympic Games, World Cup and World Championships ==

The resort hosts every year a round of the [[FIS Alpine Ski World Cup]] for both men and women.  The men's downhill, super-G and giant slalom of the [[1992 Winter Olympics|1992 Albertville Olympic Winter Games]] were held on the ''Face de Bellevarde'' in Val d'Isère. The [[FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2009]]  were also held in Val d'Isère.

==Tour de France==
The resort was the start of Stage 9 to [[Briançon]] in the [[2007 Tour de France]]. The 2019 [[Tour de France]] passed through Val d'Isère on 26 July, on their way to Tignes, descending the Col de l'Iseran. Due to unexpected bad weather – a hailstorm resulting in landslides on the road along the ‘Lac du Chevril' – the organisation of the Tour had to cancel the stage passed the Col de l'Iseran. The cyclists stopped in the village of the Val d'Isère.<ref>[https://www.lesoir.be/238694/article/2019-07-26/la-19e-etape-du-tour-de-france-arretee-les-images-de-leau-et-de-la-grele-sur-la] Le Soir, 26 July 2019</ref>

==GEM Altigliss Challenge==
Val d'Isère is the location of the annual winter sporting event [[GEM Altigliss Challenge]] which is organised by [[Grenoble École de Management|Grenoble School of Management]]. Each February over 1000 students from 30 [[Grandes écoles]] of France participate in the week-long skiing and snowboarding event which takes place in Val d'Isère.

==Popular culture==
When the characters Edina and Patsy in the British sitcom, ''[[Absolutely Fabulous]]'' tried to go skiing, they chose Val d'Isère.

Although the movie ''[[Les Bronzés font du ski]]'' (''French Fried Vacation 2'') has been a great success in France, only a few people are aware that it was shot in Val d'Isère.

In 1994, a video game named after the resort, ''[[Val d'Isere Championship]]'' was released for the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super NES]], after it was featured in an episode of ''[[GamesMaster]]''. Another game called ''[[Val d'Isère Skiing and Snowboarding]]'' was released for the [[Atari Jaguar]] in 1995.

Val d'Isère has referenced in the film adaptation of ''[[Me Before You (film)|Me Before You]]'', having been changed from [[Courchevel]].

==Notable people==
* [[Alpine skiing at the 1968 Winter Olympics|Olympic]] triple gold medalist [[Jean-Claude Killy]] grew up in Val d'Isère.
* [[Henri Oreiller]] (1925-1962): First champion of the Winter Olympics in France (two golden medals in Sankt Moritz 1948).
* [[Christine Goitschel]] (born in 1944): Olympic champion Innsbruck 1964.
* [[Marielle Goitschel]] (born in 1945, sister of Christine): twice Olympic champion in 1964 and 1968<ref>[https://www.valdisere.com/les-champions/^] website of Val d'Isère, 5 September 2019</ref>

==See also==
*[[Communes of the Savoie department]]

==References==
*[http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1992/orw1992.pdf 1992 Winter Olympics official report.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080226202512/http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1992/orw1992.pdf |date=2008-02-26 }} pp.&nbsp;114–7. {{in lang|en|fr}}
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Val-d'Isère}}
{{wikivoyage|Val-d'Isère}}
* [http://www.valdisere.com Val d'Isère Tourist Office]
* [http://pistehors.com/backcountry/wiki/Savoie/Val-D-Isere-History Val d'Isère history]
* [http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/53099-val-dis%C3%A8re-tragedy-allied-pows-died-at-the-colle-galisia-in-1944/ WW2 Val d'Isère Tragedy - Allied POWs died at the Colle Galisia in 1944]
* (http://www.skiline.co.uk/blog/tignes-or-val-d-isere

{{Savoie communes}}
{{1992 Winter Olympic venues}}
{{Olympic venues alpine skiing}}
{{Ski World Cup pistes}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Valdisere}}
[[Category:Val-d'Isère|*]]
[[Category:Venues of the 1992 Winter Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic alpine skiing venues]]
[[Category:Communes of Savoie]]
[[Category:Ski resorts in France]]