Courmayeur is an attractive little mountain town in Italy that is known for its fascinating ski trails and the sensational views over the Mount Blanc massif. It is located in the autonomous region of Aosta Valley in the Italian Alps close to the Franco-Italian border. It is located in the leeside of Mont Blanc, which is the highest mountain peak in Western Europe in the Graian Alps range and is crossed by the Dora Baltea. It is also the first village on the Italian side of the Mont Blanc tunnel. nt

The resort elevation is 1,224 metres while the top elevation is 2,763 metres.

La Palud, the nearby village is the base station of the Funivie Monte Bianco, the cable car to Pointe Helbronner that links it to the Vallee Blanche Aerial Tramway going to the Aiguille du Midi.

Skiing at Courmayeur:

Colle Checrouit and Val Veny valleys are places of skiing and all types of skiers, ranging from the beginners, intermediates and experts can undertake skiing here. Even though there are fewer black runs and shorter mogul fields, yet the expert skiers can try out at the off-piste routes reached by cable cars up to Cresta Youla, Cresta d’Arp and Vallée Blanche. The boardercross run at the height of 500 metres near the top of the Plan de la Gabba chairlift is a major attraction for the snowboarders. There are about 35 km of gentle trails along the Aosta Valley floor suitable for the freshers. There are 6 beginner runs, 14 intermediate runs and 6 advanced runs at this resort. The location of the skiing area is however, remote if compared to many other resorts. The skiing season at Courmeyeur runs from mid-December through to mid-April.

Other activities:

• The indoor Forum Sport Centre on Via dello Stadio offers facilities like playing indoor tennis, squash, skating and curling. It also has a golf driving range, climbing wall, gym and sauna.
• Visiting Giardino Botanico Alpino Saussurea, claimed to be Europe’s highest botanical garden.

• The ropeway over Mont Blanc massif Chamonix, which crosses over the Vallee Blanche offers one of the most fascinating cable car journey.
• Hiking (during summer)
• Child care:
  La scuola di sci & snowboard offers child care. The school looks after children between six months and twelve years at Plan Checrouit and the resort centre at Via dello Stadio.
• Shopping:
  Courmeyur has a number of stores of designer clothing besides those of wine and speciality shops.
• Heli-skiing (contact Società Guide Alpine; web site: www.guidecourmayeur.com).
• Après ski:
  American Bar and Caffé della Postal, Jimmi’s, Maquis (more popular among the older people), Poppy’s are some of the best places for lively Après skiing. La Palud by the Mt Blanc tunnel entrance is also another popular destination.
• Maison Vieille, a piste-side mountain refuge serves steaming polenta and local sausage while Christiania has hot pasta and pizza. Pierre Alexis is a notable eatery at Courmeyeur.

Accommodation:

• Royal e Golf
• Hotel Pavillon

• Hotel Bouton D’Or

Reaching Courmeyeur:

Geneva (180 km) and Turin (142 km) are the nearest airports to Courmeyeur.

Courmayeur is also well connected to Milan, which is 220 km away. The Mont Blanc Tunnel links Courmeyeur to France (Lyon in France is less than 200 km away).

Getting around:

Regular buses connect Entreves and Dolonne with Courmeyeur. No bus service is available to the cable car at Plan Checrouit cable car, the main ski-lift centre, although some hotels run their own minibuses.