Val Cenis, in the French Haute Maurienne Vanoise, is blending art, education and sustainability in its latest winter developments.
This season, the resort’s 12km-long “Escargot” run — Europe’s longest green piste — features a dozen lifesize alpine wildlife sculptures carved from local wood by artist Christophe Chappellaz. Each marmot, chamois and eagle is paired with educational panels designed to inspire environmental stewardship.
Val Cenis is also investing €25 million in infrastructure, including two new lifts: a reconditioned detachable chairlift replacing Grand Coin and Lac drag lifts, and a hybrid chairlift/gondola adapted from the Ramasse lift to reduce car use in the Mont-Cenis area.
The resort, already awarded the eco-friendly Flocon Vert-certification, continues to pioneer low-carbon initiatives, from HVO biofuel trials to electric snow groomers. A new panoramic viewing platform at 2,100m also adds to the eco-tourism appeal, reinforcing Val Cenis’s commitment to sustainable, year-round mountain experiences.
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