Courchevel
Courchevel (French pronunciation: [kuʁʃəvɛl]) is a French Alps ski resort located in the Tarentaise Valley. It is a part of Les Trois Vallées, the largest linked ski areas in the world.
This article is about the ski resort. For the poker game, see Omaha hold 'em § Courchevel. For the commune in Savoie, see Courchevel (commune).Courchevel
2,738 m (8,983 ft)
1,100 m (3,600 ft)
- 96 total
- 19 beginner
- 35 easy
- 34 intermediate
- 8 difficult
58 (Capacity 67,254ph)
Courchevel also refers to the towns of Courchevel 1300 (Le Praz), Courchevel 1550, Courchevel 1650 (Moriond), and Courchevel 1850, which are named for their altitudes in metres. The resort centre of Courchevel is at 1,747 metres (5,732 ft).[1]
Sports events from the 1992 Winter Olympics and the 2023 World Ski Championships took place in Courchevel.
The ski resort is considered exclusive, attracting wealthy clientele including royal families. It hosts one of the largest concentration of 5-star ranking luxury hotels.
Location[edit]
Courchevel used to be part of the commune of Saint-Bon-Tarentaise but in 2017 it was merged with La Perrière into the new commune of Courchevel. In spite of the name, the commune's administrative offices are not located in Courchevel, but still in the nearby village of Saint-Bon-Tarentaise. Courchevel is in the Tarentaise Valley, Savoie département, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Courchevel is part of the Trois Vallées, which comprises the resorts of Courchevel, La Tania, Méribel, Les Menuires-Saint Martin, Val Thorens and Orelle.[2]
Resort[edit]
Courchevel is the most eastern resort of the Three Valleys, the biggest connected ski area in the world. It consists of four satellite villages: Courchevel Le Praz, Courchevel 1550, Courchevel 1650 and Courchevel 1850. Its highest resort, Courchevel 1850, is considered exclusive, attracting wealthy clientele including royal families. In the 2011–2012 season, Courchevel rebranded, changing the names of each of the four villages in a move away from the association with altitude. Courchevel 1850 is now known simply as Courchevel, Courchevel 1650 was renamed Courchevel Moriond; Courchevel 1550 is now called Courchevel Village and Courchevel 1330 was renamed Courchevel Le Praz.[8]
Courchevel has 24 luxury hotels with a 5-star ranking. In 2011 France introduced a 6th star ranking for hotels, named "palaces". Eight hotels in France have received this rating, of which two are in Courchevel's Jardin Alpin area.[9] The resort has seven restaurants with Michelin stars, of which four have two stars, including Le Chabichou.[10] It also hosts a variety of luxury shops including Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Valentino, Loro Piana, Prada, Cartier, Fendi, Dior and Chanel. The majority of Courchevel's visitors are Gulf Arabs and Russian all of whom are considered luxury clientele. Many Russians visit during New Year and Russian Orthodox Christmas on 7 January. As a result, the first two weeks of January are high season weeks in Courchevel. The resort is also very popular with Arabs, especially those from the Middle East. As a result of this popularity the resort's name is now associated with the super-rich in Russia and Middle East.[11]
Courchevel has one of the largest bases for ski instructors and other seasonal workers due to the size of the three valleys area. Courchevel's couloirs are considered some of the most difficult black runs in the world.
Courchevel's sister city is Park City, Utah in the United States, and it has a red-graded ski piste named "Park City".
