Posted on 10 April 2017
You’d be forgiven for assuming any ski resort in the Tarentaise Valley that boasts altitude, spectacular views and authentic charm would demand sky-high premium prices for the property on offer there. Especially when you consider the precedent set by some of the region’s world-famous salubrious destinations: Val d’Isère, Courchevel, Méribel and Les Arcs. But hats off to La Rosière, which not only breaks the financial mould, it has an enviable position on the French-Italian border on the Petit St Bernard pass, linking it with the Italian resort of La Thuile in the Aosta Valley. Meaning you could find yourself scoffing pasta for lunch in Italy having woken up in France.
Sky-high skiing
As a member of the exclusive ‘Club of 1800s’ – with an altitude of 1,850 metres – along with Val d’Isère and Courchevel, minus the queues, La Rosière offers skiers of all abilities sunny snow-sure descents along its 150 kilometres of south-facing pistes. And with work well underway on a £9 million project to build two new chair lifts by December 2018 that will extend the supply of slopes by 28 miles and raise the altitude to 2,800 metres, they’ll have to create a ‘Club of 2800s’.
Traditional charm
The resort itself comprises two pine tree lined villages, just 10 minutes apart on foot. The old village, La Rosière Centre, is lined with rustic chalet-style properties and contains a selection of excellent shops, bars and restaurants. The more recently constructed Les Eucherts area has stayed true to this traditional Savoyard blueprint, while also offering an ice rink and a slightly more contemporary bowling centre. Skiers are whisked up the local slopes in lifts that depart from both bases.
Fun in the summer sun
La Rosière can confidently claim to be a successful year round, multi-purpose resort. When the snow eventually melts and the white slopes transform into verdant valleys, activities centre on hiking and biking trails and a nine-hole golf course. A constant flow of visitors travelling through La Rosière to Italy via the St Bernard mountain pass ensures the majority of the resort’s 13 restaurants remain throughout the year.
Live the alpine dream for less
Typical property prices in the highly competitive La Rosière area are a quarter of those in Val d’Isère. For less than £350,000 you can call this fabulous resort home, as you ski-in and ski out of your very own new build two-bedroom apartment, complete with private parking. Built on the edge of a picturesque forest this property is located just 400 metres from the main ski lifts and just a few minutes from the local amenities.