Some people say that the summer is for the seaside. In our family, we choose to spend the summer months in the mountains. Cooler temperatures, fresh mountain air and stunning scenery mean that the French Alps are a great place to be when the mercury rises.
Typically we head to Morzine and Les Gets, part of the Portes-du-Soleil ski area in the Haut-Savoie but recently we navigated several valleys over and spent part of the summer in France’s Belleville Valley, a stunning stretch of Alpine gully filled with summer activities for the whole family to enjoy.
Belleville Valley
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La Vallée des Belleville sits in the Tarentaise Valley in France’s Savoie department. It stretches from the pretty, traditional village of Saint-Martin-de-Belleville through the ridge lines of 1970s Les Menuires and up to Europe’s highest ski resort Val Thorens.
During the winter months, these three resorts form part of the world famous Les 3 Vallées, the Three Valleys, the largest ski resort in the world and one of the best places to ski in France with kids. Altogether the Three Valleys is made up of seven official ski resorts (the other four are Courcheval, Méribel, Bride-les-Bains, and Orelle).
Once the snow melts, however, the stretch of valley between St Martin de Belleville and Val Thorens is known as the Belleville Valley.
We spent several days in the Belleville Valley, based in the heart of the area staying in Les Menuires. Over the course of three days we hiked, went mountain biking, visited a bee museum, enjoyed a torchlit walk and more, quickly discovering that this really is a fantastic place to spend the summer.
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Highlights during Summer in France’s Belleville Valley
- Locally made ice cream at the weekly market in Saint Martin de Belleville
- The treetop adventure park, Forêt des Aventuriers
- Hiking in the Vallee des Deux Nants
- Mountain biking along the river
- Soirée altitude
- Lunch at Chez Pepe
- Mellifera – Museum of Nature and the Black Bee
Saint-Martin-de-Belleville
Perched at 1,450m above sea level, the resort of Saint-Martin-de-Belleville is undoubtedly the prettiest of the Three Valleys ski area. Often called the gateway to the Three Valleys (or, at the very least, Les Menuires and Val Thorens), Saint Martin is also the most exclusive.
Yes, it might still look like the traditional farming village with picturesque wooden and stone buildings but this resort is where you’ll find the Belleville Valley’s most high-end accommodation; a new M Lodge & Spa recently opened in the community and restaurant René et Maxime Meilleur boasts three Michelin stars.
That said, Saint Martin is not brash or showy and values its heritage and history; the village only joined the 3 Vallées ski area in 1982 and continues to value its authenticity.
Things to do in Saint Martin de Belleville in summer
St Martin is deceptively large. Its narrow streets and small village square bely a village jam-packed with a huge range of activities, everything from guided local heritage tours to paragliding.
One of the highlights for us was the weekly market held Thursdays from 9am to 6pm. Stalls selling everything from natural soaps and traditional digestifs to honey and cured meats pop up in the heart of the village. Not surprising given that I was travelling with my three children, our favourite stall was La Ferme de Rose, a local artisanal ice cream maker.
One afternoon we visited the Forêt des Aventuriers, a fun treetop adventure park and obstacle course with several different routes to try. On another, we went for a guided hike in the neighbouring Vallee des Deux Nants.
Myriad walking trails of varying lengths and difficulties crisscross the Deux Nants valley, including the challenging Cheval Noir. With three recalcitrant walkers in tow, we opted for a more gentle stroll along gravel paths, occasionally ducking in to the forest in search of mushrooms growing among the tall spindly pine trees.
In contrast to the hustle and bustle of Belleville Valley (even during the summer season), the Deux Nants feels wonderfully remote and isolated. Snowfall in winter months means that parts of it are cut off and access is only by snowshoe.
For lunch we stopped in the tiny village of Les Denants and the Refuge Le Nant Brun. Newly opened in the summer of 2023 in an age-old alpage (mountain hut), the refuge is run by two friends, Amandine and Violaine.
It’s an ideal place for those embarking on longer hikes with four bedrooms sleeping 15 people (there is one room for six people, another for five, one room for four and a double with cute wooden baby bed for tiny trekkers). If you do stay overnight, they can pack picnics to take on your walk.
It’s also an ideal place for lunch and we enjoyed the excellent three course Menu du Jour, made fresh using local products.
Despite being accessible by car, the refuge feels gloriously detached from the outside world – and the world’s biggest ski domain next door – helped by the fact that they proudly have no WiFi whatsoever.
Les Menuires
Sandwiched between Saint Martin and Val Thorens is family-friendly Les Menuires, a collection of concrete buildings built in the 1960s as part of the Pompidou government’s drive to develop the mountains. The scheme, known as, Plan Neige (Snow Plan), gave birth to a number of ski resorts including Les Arcs, La Plagne and Avoriaz.
Les Menuires is not the prettiest of resorts, particularly when compared to the French Alpine villages of postcards. But loyal fans have a deep affection for the concrete towers and urban-style buildings this resort. It’s also very popular with families and has been awarded France’s coveted “Famille Plus” label.
We stayed in a renovated apartment in the resort’s Sarcelles des Neiges (Sarcells in the Snow), a vast steamship-like building overlooking the base area. It was built in 1972 and is still home to hundreds of ski apartments and a handful of shops.
Things to do in Les Menuires in summer
Hiking and mountain biking are the two main pastimes in Les Menuires during summer months and we tried out both.
We met our mountain biking guide in la Croisette, the centre of the village, and warmed up our legs on the resort’s pump track before setting off for the morning.
There are trails to suit all levels of mountain bikers but given my first, rather unimpressive attempt, at mountain biking in Les Gets and with eight-year-old Sam still finding his confidence on two wheels, we opted for one of the more gentle routes.
Our trail followed the river Le Doron des Belleville, a gentle gravel path that runs alongside the milky blue water, the colour the result of limestone in the region. Gently undulating, it’s the perfect trail for beginner mountain bikers and took us from Les Menuires to Saint Martin de Belleville where we caught the free shuttle bus back up the mountain.
Later in the afternoon we met our mountain guide for that evening’s entertainment, the Soirée Altitude. Held four times during the summer months, this “evening at altitude” combines a gentle 45-minute hike with an al fresco dinner at altitude.
The sun hung low in the sky as we joined fellow diners walking up the mountain towards Lac des Echaud, a mountain lake lying at around 2,300m.
Large, colourful feather flags fluttering in the mountain breeze greeted our arrival. Wooden tables and benches stood in rows, a dozen deckchairs sat soaking up the spectacular views and a handful of wooden parlour-type games kept younger visitors entertained.
As the day slipped quietly into pastel sherbet shades dinner was announced, a buffet barbecue with sausages, salad and baguette. Wine was served and a band struck up, weaving between tables entertaining diners. After dessert an old school magician performed tricks before a delighted audience.
At the end, we were all handed flaming torches and walked together back down the mountain. This, hands down, was my favourite experience in the Belleville Valley.
If you are interested in taking part in the Soirée Altitude then you should book in advance via the Tourist Office.
Val Thorens
At 2,300m, Val Thorens is the highest ski resort in Europe. During winter months it draws a young, international crowd eager to make the most of both the slopes and the apres ski scene.
During summer months, things are markedly quieter and the lunar-looking landscape is largely empty save for some hardy hikers and mountain bikers. A new, car-free cycling route linking Val Thorens to Meribel and Courcheval will open in the summer of 2024, open to cyclists (and e-bikers) of all abilities.
Things to do in Val Thorens in the summer
Recently opened in the heart of the resort is Le Board, a new sports complex that also boasts conference rooms, a performance hall and work spaces. We spent an hour or two in the swimming pool that come with the ubiquitous bubbles, wave machines and mini waterfalls seemingly only found in French leisure complexes.
For us, however, our highlights of Val Thorens did not include outdoor activities.
The first was lunch at Chez Pepe Nicolas, a delightful family-run farm and restaurant that sits high above Val Thorens. Originally a small alpine farm, today the family still produce much of their own food including milk, cheese, and vegetables. Ducks waddle around the grounds alongside chickens and goats. It’s wonderfully bucolic and an afternoon can easily slip away on the sun-soaked terrace.
The food is as just as impressive as the setting with traditional Savoyard dishes served alongside more innovative fare and the kind of desserts that you’ll be dreaming about long after you’ve returned home; blueberry shortbread tarts, candied peaches with homegrown thyme and creamy chocolate ganache.
There’s is a kids’ menu too, the menu “des petits Bergers”.
The second highlight was the Mellifera – Museum of Nature and the Black Bee, a museum dedicated to the region’s black bees. While this might sound a little dry, the small museum is surprisingly good and very engaging.
Widespread throughout the Tarentaise valley, the black bee can spend up to six months beneath the snow during winter months while still producing honey. The museum charts this remarkable insect’s life cycle and details why we need to protect it. Although predominantly in French, there are some information boards translated into English plus plenty of fun interactive elements that anyone can enjoy.
The museum sits next to the Belleville Bike Park, which we didn’t try but would be an excellent place for novice cyclists to pedal around. It’s a popular picnicking spot too with a mountain stream for splashing in.
Getting to Belleville Valley
The nearest airport is Chambery (100km from St Martin de Belleville) although Geneva (143km) is a more popular option owing to the high number of international flights. Grenoble (180km) and Lyon Saint Exupéry (183km) are also options.
The closest train stations are at Albertville (46km) and Moûtiers (20km).
