Off-piste entertainment, from sculpture to cinema
What to do when you leave the slopes in France
As skiing has evolved from being a niche sport to a leisure activity enjoyed by the whole family, ski stations have widened the scope of their attractions. At first it was all about soothing away those sprains and pains in a sauna, which naturally evolved into spas and wellness centres. Then gyms, fitness and other sports were natural additions, as were traditional snowy activities like building igloos, climbing and sledging. Meanwhile après-ski has also become more sophisticated and resorts built cinemas and cultural centres and now many ski resorts are becoming fully-fledged cultural hotspots offering fascinating museums, land art, film festivals and a mass of musical events. Here is just a small selection of what’s on this coming season:
December 9-10, : Brand new for this year, the Mountain Geek and Tech Fest weekend will focus on technology and gaming: video games, concerts, plus retro-gaming and a simulation space.
December 16-23, includes screenings of 120 films in various venues, and a host of roundtables, conferences and muscial events.
January 6-13, : Les 70 ans de la station is basically a week-long birthday but it will include historical re-enactments, explaining the history of skiing and the ski station.
January 16-21, Alpe d’Huez: The jury at the is headed by actor Franck Dubosc, best known for starring in the ‘Camping’ franchise.
January 18-24, offers a week of wine-tastings, talks and informal instruction about wine making. There are also, of course, gastronomic soirées and foodie workshops.
January 23-26, has been going strong for 35 years. Artists compete to produce the most extraordinary works of art completely sculpted out of snow.
February 10-17, is just what it says; seven nights of jazz concerts including open mics, jam sessions, tributes and more. This festival has been running for 29 years and would be a notable event, even if it wasn’t held in a ski resort.
March 18-24, has been entertaining skiers with rock and pop concerts since it started back in 2011, and has now become an attraction in its own right.
