Why St Martin de Belleville is the ultimate French ski resort.
Rolling blue runs offer stunning views as you head home towards St Martin De Belleville. The picturesque village has convenient links to the whole 3 Valley skiing area. As well as a plethora of both off-piste and groomed runs for all skiing abilities.
Below we have put together some information on the place we believe has the best skiing in France. So, read on for recommendations on where to find the best skiing spots, scenery and food. All within close reach.
Skiing lifts
The 3 Valleys offer the most cutting-edge lifts in the world. They provide unparalleled comfort and panoramic views as you speed up the mountains to maximise your ski time. What a dream! The state-of-the-art lift system will transport you to 7 resorts in record time. Meaning you can go on a full day’s adventure with minimal queues and without retracing your steps!
St Martin De Belleville’s connection to the 3 Valleys is provided by the newly updated ‘St Martin 1’ bubble lift, and swift 6-person chair-lift, the ‘St Martin Express’. Following a journey up both lifts to the top of the ridge line, you have the option of skiing into Meribel Centre, Meribel Motteret, Les Menuires, Le Raffort and Les Allues, or returning back down to St Martin. The ‘Saint Martin 1’ gondola is situated close to the Cochet car park and can be accessed from the centre of the town by the village drag lift.
From the top of the ‘Saint Martin Express’ Chairlift, you are perfectly positioned to head towards the farthest reaches of the ski area. Nowhere is off-limits for a day’s skiing! Head through Meribel, towards Courchevel-Moriond, or up the valley towards Val Thorens and Orelle.
The fantastic, high-tech 3 Valley lift systems and the 600km of pistes mean the opportunities are endless for all skiing abilities. Without a doubt, this makes St Martin de Belleville a fabulous place to start skiing from. Undeniably, the hidden gem of the 3 Valleys.
Local pistes for the best skiing in France
At the base of the ‘St Martin 1’ gondola, you’ll find an area with 2 small beginner slopes and magic carpet lifts. Along with the ski school meeting points for group lessons and private ski instruction. The ‘Biolley’ and ‘La Loy’ pistes, both of which are blue pistes and run under St Martin 1, provide an ideal step up with plenty of lengths to build up your confidence.
For those more confident, the ‘Jérusalem’ and ‘Choucas’ pistes from the top of the ‘Saint Martin Express’ chairlift are an absolute must. The former is commonly regarded as the best piste in France, whilst Choucas, although often overlooked, is a firm favourite with the locals. This wide-open, rolling piste brings you to the Olympic chairlift in the Meribel valley. Take it to enjoy fantastic views of the Belleville Valley from the top, and additionally the option to ski back to St Martin via the ‘Verdet’ ski run.
The 3 Valleys have voted the ‘Jérusalem’ ski run as Number 1 of its 10 most legendary runs. Indisputably, the best skiing in France!
If you’re hungry for more and are looking to push your limits, the ‘Face’ and ‘Bartavelle’ black runs are both within easy reach of St Martin. They are on the ridge line between Belleville and Meribel Valley. Both of which feature on the top 6 most challenging black ski runs in the 3 Valleys. Or, if you fancy heading over to the Courchevel valley, you could give ‘Jockeys’ a go. Additionally, the ‘Grand Couloir’ is a firm favourite with seasoned locals looking for a thrill.
Snow forecast in St Martin De Belleville
At 1450m, St Martin De Belleville sits at the same altitude as Meribel Centre and has comprehensive snow cannon coverage. This has recently received a multi-million euro investment, providing reliable, groomed pistes throughout the winter. With the two fast lifts that whisk you quickly up to over 2400m and provide easy access to the high-altitude resort of Val Thorens, you can rest assured that conditions are bound to be good. In fact, you can see for yourself by viewing live webcams here.
As part of the “The world’s largest interconnected ski area” with 162 ski lifts and 600km of pistes, you’ll always be able to find great skiing conditions across the 3 Valleys. However, we often find some of the best conditions tend to be right on the doorstep of St Martin.
We recommend heading out early to experience the very best piste conditions. Using the 3 Valleys’ app so you can see which pistes have been freshly groomed. Or even book a local guide to show you the best areas.
Scenery for the best skiing in France
Situated on the edge of the 3 Valleys ski area, the views across the Belleville Valley as you ski back towards St Martin are breathtaking. The west-facing pistes back to the village remain in the sun most of the day. On your way home, we recommend dropping into one of the piste-side restaurants such as La Loy . Here you can enjoy a well-deserved drink on their sun-drenched terrace, surrounded by the incredible views of the pistes you’ve just skied.
Brand new in winter 21/22, the neighbouring ‘Les Menuires’ ski resort is now home to the swish Pointe De La Masse lift. You can reach it by skiing just one continuous run down from the top of the ‘Saint Martin Express’ chairlift. The new lift features a modern top station with a vast viewing platform at 2804m. The perfect spot to take memorable snaps of the surrounding mountaintops.
To sum it all up, St Martin provides pistes for all abilities, a stunning setting, and the world’s largest ski area on your doorstep. St Martin really is the place for the best skiing in France. What’s stopping you from making St Martin your next ski destination? We promise you won’t regret it!
