Bessans

Mountain village grouped together around its church and around its baroque chapels, is the point of departure of your discoveries.

• In winter, cross its vast Nordic plateau.

Classic or skating, walking or pulka, for you to decide.

Sprawling areas of larch trees, overhung by high snow covered peaks all of which make up an exceptional cross-country skiing area from spring onwards.

The Alpine skiing site provides enthusiasts with tranquil and family orientated skiing.

• The summer, you have a plentiful choice amongst a multitude of activities.

Just to the north and you enter the Vanoise National Park with its preserved flora and fauna.

In the south, the frontier mountain range near Italy with its glaciers and its summits of more than 3 000m.

With the family, amongst several hiking possibilities, le chemin du Petit-Bonheur lets you discover all of the high valley either on foot or by mountain bike.

The Saint-Antoine chapel makes up an impressive network of chapels, oratories and crosses within the Bessans parish. It is a rectangular building built on the rocky spur which overlooks the village, parallel to the church.

It dates from the 15th century. It was probably constructed and decorated between 1503 and 1522.

The Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church is situated near to the Saint-Antoine chapel, these two buildings making up the "Chemins du Baroque". It is impossible to determine its construction, but it certainly already existed in 1376 ; it has undergone several modifications throughout the centuries. As with all the churches of the Haute-Maurienne, it has a closed vestibule where a gallery can be found. The archway of this vestibule is decorated in the middle with a motif in plaster which already existed in 1827 and which represents the miracle of la Sainte Hostie de Turin. Inside the church, eight arched windows let in enough light so that the archway can be admired.

Bessans is the official training centre of Biathlon french teams and receives regularly foreign teams.

Bessans benefits from exceptional snow coverage as winter lasts for more than five months there.

Here is the point for the practice of the gliding sports in their purest of forms...With its 80 kilometres of cross-country skiing tracks, Bessans is one of the capitals for this family and sports orientated discipline, accessible to all.

Its marked and well maintained slopes mean that large areas of countryside can be discovered amongst the larch trees : from green tracks (very easy) to black tracks (very difficult)!

Bessans also has 3 kilometers of Alpine skiing slopes with 2 ski lifts. Ideal for children and beginners, the slopes are fully south facing.

15 kilometres of Discovery Trails (marked and secured) are at your disposal for relaxing strolls through snow dusted larch trees. Snowshoe hikes (alone or in groups) are moments of complete liberty for the viewing of the fauna and the magnificent mountain scenery.

You can also benefit from your weekly ski-pass in order to discover the neighbouring Alpine resorts of Val-Cenis and Bonneval, linked by quick and regular shuttle bus services.

After skiing, you will always find something in Bessans to entertain or educate you. Every Sunday evening, a welcome drink is offered at the Espace Albaron so that you can familiarize yourself with the resort.

Every week, a varied event programme: films, conferences about mountain life, sport tournaments, special evenings about the Vanoise National Park, dance evenings, shows, concerts.