Sainte-Foy-Tarentaise
Encyclopedia
Sainte-Foy-Tarentaise is a commune
in the Savoie
department in the Rhône-Alpes
region
in south-eastern France
.
Sainte-Foy-Tarentaise is a village in the Tarentaise Valley
in Savoie, France. The old village itself lies on the main road between Bourg-Saint-Maurice
and Val-d'Isère. About 4 km above the village (turning left at La Thuile
) is the ski resort of Sainte Foy (referred as Sainte Foy Station). This is a small resort with 4 chairlifts, 15 slopes and accommodation for around 2,500 people. Sainte Foy has a good choice of well-groomed pistes which are often very quiet, but it is more famous for the off-piste skiing and snowboarding.
Sainte-Foy village is a Savoie style village, built from stone and wood. It has remained very unspoiled compared to many mountain villages and ski areas in France. The village centre is based around a cluster of bars and restaurants including Le Monal and La Grange. There is a good choice of accommodation in the main village including hotels and a number of chalets. There are further chalets offering accommodation in the satellite villages of La Masure and Le Miroir.
While the on-piste skiing is excellent for beginners and confirmed skiers, the resort is also famous for the off-piste terrain on offer. This varies from short runs between the trails to legendary descents such as the easy tour to the village of Le Monal or the fearsome north face of La Fogliettaz. The best thing about the off-piste in Sainte Foy is that the quiet nature of the resort means that there are always fresh tracks to be found somewhere, long after the bigger resorts in the valley are tracked-out.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Savoie
Savoie
Savoie is a French department located in the Rhône-Alpes region in the French Alps.Together with the Haute-Savoie, Savoie is one of the two departments of the historic region of Savoy that was annexed by France on June 14, 1860, following the signature of the Treaty of Turin on March 24, 1860...
department in the Rhône-Alpes
Rhône-Alpes
Rhône-Alpes is one of the 27 regions of France, located on the eastern border of the country, towards the south. The region was named after the Rhône River and the Alps mountain range. Its capital, Lyon, is the second-largest metropolitan area in France after Paris...
region
Régions of France
France is divided into 27 administrative regions , 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website...
in south-eastern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Sainte-Foy-Tarentaise is a village in the Tarentaise Valley
Tarentaise Valley
The Tarentaise Valley is a valley of the Isère River in the heart of the French Alps, located in the Savoy region of France. The valley is named for the ancient town of Darantasia, the capital of the pre-Roman Centrones tribe.-Description:...
in Savoie, France. The old village itself lies on the main road between Bourg-Saint-Maurice
Bourg-Saint-Maurice
Bourg-Saint-Maurice, popularly known as Bourg, is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It is the last large town along the Tarentaise valley in the heart of the French Alps.-History:...
and Val-d'Isère. About 4 km above the village (turning left at La Thuile
La Thuile, Savoie
La Thuile is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.-References:*...
) is the ski resort of Sainte Foy (referred as Sainte Foy Station). This is a small resort with 4 chairlifts, 15 slopes and accommodation for around 2,500 people. Sainte Foy has a good choice of well-groomed pistes which are often very quiet, but it is more famous for the off-piste skiing and snowboarding.
Sainte-Foy village is a Savoie style village, built from stone and wood. It has remained very unspoiled compared to many mountain villages and ski areas in France. The village centre is based around a cluster of bars and restaurants including Le Monal and La Grange. There is a good choice of accommodation in the main village including hotels and a number of chalets. There are further chalets offering accommodation in the satellite villages of La Masure and Le Miroir.
Ski resort
The ski resort sits high above the village at 1550m above sea level. There is a free shuttle bus during the summer and winter tourist seasons. The resort is based around an old farming hamlet, some of which survives as chalet accommodation. Most of the village has been built relatively recently, but in a sympathetic style using wood and stone. There is a wide choice of luxury apartments and chalets. There are two spas in the resort, both with swimming pools, jacuzzis, saunas etc. as well as a range of massage and beauty treatments. There are also 4 ski shops, 2 bars, 3 restaurants and a small supermarket.The Mountain
The mountain has four chairlifts and two magic carpets for beginners. There is a vertical drop of just over 1000 m from the highest point at the Col de l'Aiguille (2620 m). There are around 20 pistes, with a good choice for all ability levels. A green trail snakes through the trees back down to the resort while the new Grande Soliet run down from the Marquise chairlift offers a superb long, wide, swooping blue-grade trail. Red runs vary from the fun roller-coaster of Les Creux de Formeian to tight, steep challenges. There is only one groomed black run but also another 3 marked off-piste areas, also graded black.While the on-piste skiing is excellent for beginners and confirmed skiers, the resort is also famous for the off-piste terrain on offer. This varies from short runs between the trails to legendary descents such as the easy tour to the village of Le Monal or the fearsome north face of La Fogliettaz. The best thing about the off-piste in Sainte Foy is that the quiet nature of the resort means that there are always fresh tracks to be found somewhere, long after the bigger resorts in the valley are tracked-out.
