Bring on the summer...

So the winter has finally come to an end after an unseasonably cold end to the season.

There were a few really good dumps of snow at the end of April and start of May which resulted in some fantastic end of season skiing on extremely quiet slopes.

The snow has mostly receded and the resort is starting to look green and summery once again as you can see from the Tignes le Lac webcam.

Tignes le Lac pano - courtesy of http://en.tignes.net/webcams

Tignes has a wealth of activities available once again this summer.
Come and experience some of the 20 FREE ACTIVITIES AVAILABLE FOR OUR GUESTS.

In addition, there’s also a host of professional athletes and sports teams setting up camp in Tignes this summer. The summer kicks off on the 24^th June with activities until the 1^st Septemeber.

There are over 20 activities in or around resort with all of the usual suspects in play.

Here are just a few activities you could be enjoying this summer…

Mountain Biking – Lift for mountain bikers are completely FREE in Tignes and Val d’Isère and access to the Bike Park is also FREE. Practical info can be found here - http://en.tignes.net/what-to-see-do/do-something/summer/bike-park-tignes/mtb-area

Road Cycling - Tignes and the local area has some great road cycling on offer; although not famed for its road cycling like some of the other famous routes in the Alps there is some fantastic cycling on offer to suit all abilities, and with access to a vehicle Tignes is a great hub for keen cyclists of all abilities.

Sailing on the lake in Tignes - picture courtesy of http://en.tignes.net/what-to-see-do/do-something/summer/water-sports-centre

The water sports centre offers access to FREE activities with the My Tignes Open card including pedal boat, canoe, kayak, and stand up paddle board. There’s also catamarans and sailing dinghy’s available with courses running each day through the summer.

Summer skiing on the Grande Motte glacier, Tignes - picture courtesy of http://en.tignes.net/what-to-see-do/skiing/summer-skiing

There’s also skiing on offer during the summer with over 20kms of piste on the Grande Motte glacier.

Summer Skiing/Snowboarding, more info here - http://en.tignes.net/what-to-see-do/skiing/summer-skiing

Tignes summer walking

Stunning walks - for those thrill seekers looking for a little time-out there's plenty of stunning walks on offer to take in the scenery at a slower pace. Theres also some challenging walks on offer for those that wish to challenge themselves on more diffcult trails, it's possbile to scale the heights of the Grand Sassiere (3751m) which can be seen in the distance from Tignes, the view from the top offers stunning views over the French & Italian Alps and beyond.

Please click here for more info on the Tignes Sport card which is provided free by the Tignes Chalet company - http://en.tignes.net/what-to-see-do/do-something/summer/my-tignes-open

 
http://www.thetigneschaletcompany.com

The History behind Tignes....

For those of you that know Tignes will know that modern day Tignes is made up of five villages: Le Brevieres, Le Boisses, Lavachet, Le Lac and Val Claret. In the 13th century, however, only Le Brevieres, then called Les Brenieres, and Tignes itself existed. These two villages were farming communities that also profited through smuggling from nearby Italy.  Rumours started circulating in the late 1920s that a dam was to be built in the valley covering the original old town of Tignes. This was met with strong opposition from the locals (Tignards) who fought bitterly to keep their 900 year old original village. Unfortunately rumours became reality in 1952, when the original old village of Tignes was flooded as part of a hydro-electric power scheme which created the new "Lac du Chevril" over the old site. It was said that for many years locals tried to disrupt building work using what was referred to as a ‘resistance’ style movement. It is still possible to meet with some of the old Tignard characters who were sent to jail for their part in attempting to blow up the dam that caused their homes to be flooded.

The Tignes dam, which depicts a giant figure of Hercules on the front, had been designed to generate power for up to 10% of France. Ironically, France developed nuclear power a few years later and Tignes dam which has never been used became redundant. It now serves as a huge 'battery' with the ability to supply power to the ski resort in the winter if required. The lake is emptied every 10 years for maintenance work to be carried out on the dam and it is even possible to see and even walk around the remains of the old village.

The resorts of Val Claret, Le Lac, Le Lavachet and Le Boisses were built in the late 1950s, early 1960s, and the French architecture is wholly alien in comparison to the spectacular mountain setting at the foot of the Grand Motte and Grande Casse.

The new Tignes was created at an altitude of 2100m, with the main settlement at Tignes Le Lac. Government contributions meant that Tignes could re-invent itself as a ski resort. In April 1967, the developer Pierre Schnebelen and the Savoie Department were able to use funds originally intended for a 55,000 m2 development at Lavachet, to develop fully the resort at Tignes.