Alpine World Ski Championships for connoisseurs in Courchevel and Méribel

700394

[Translate to en:] Courchevel

700394

[Translate to en:] Villa Florentine , (c) L.Vella

700394

[Translate to en:] Villa Florentine, Terrasses de Lyon © Alexandre Moulard

For connoisseurs, there couldn't be a better venue for the 2023 Alpine World Ski Championships. When the best skiers in the world race down the World Cup slopes in the French Alps in February, connoisseurs will be able to stay in the utmost comfort and enjoy delicious food to the right and left of the slopes.

Courchevel 1850, the highest part of the World Cup resort, is for me the St. Tropez of the Alps. When Savoie is covered in snow, the high society from Paris, who flock to the Cote d'Azur in summer, make a pilgrimage to the ski resort near the Olympic city of Albertville. Some of the lucky ones own luxury chalets here, which stretch up the slopes in magnificent south-western locations. But other guests don't have to go without either, as Courchevel is a place where you can truly stay in style. Around half a dozen excellent top hotels outdo each other with comfort and luxury

One of these is the Annapurna ( www.annapurna-courchevel.com), which is almost adjacent to the legendary Altiport above the village. At 2006 meters, the small airport of Courchevel is the highest airport in Europe. The short runway, which drops steeply into the valley, is almost as spectacular as runways in the Himalayas. The five-star Hotel Annapurna belongs to the family of Courchevel's local ski hero Alexis Pinturault, one of the best slalom and giant slalom skiers in the world.

A little lower down is the somewhat playful five-star hotel Les Airelles ( www.airelles.com), the puristically designed Aman Le Melezin ( www.aman.com/resorts/aman-le-melezin) and the Cheval Blanc (www.chevalblanc.com), which is also home to one of the most famous gourmet temples in the French Alps. At Le 1947 à Cheval Blanc, three-star chef Yannick Alléno celebrates sophisticated dishes with unique sauces.

Le Chabichou by Stéphane Buron in the luxury hotel of the same name from the Relais & Châteaux association ( www.chabichou-courchevel.com) is also top class. The Chabichou is very close to my favorite mountain lodge in Courchevel, which together with Méribel and Val Thorens forms the largest interconnected ski area in the world. Les 3 Vallées offers around 600 kilometers of pistes and endless freeride opportunities, mainly at snow-sure high altitudes between 1800 and 3230 meters.

Racers can cover an almost infinite number of kilometers of pistes in Les 3 Vallées, but for connoisseurs I would recommend stopping for a hearty lunch at La Cave des Creux ( www.cavedescreux-courchevel.com) above the Altiport or at my favorite hut, Chalet de Pierres ( www.chaletdepierres.com), near the Chabichou. This gourmet hut with its fantastic terrace is located directly on the valley descent to Courchevel 1850.

Although the village center in Méribel is more charming than in Courchevel, there are far fewer top hotels and gourmet restaurants. However, Le Grand Coer & Spa Méribel ( www.legrandcoeur.com) is highly recommended. This cozy four-star chalet hotel in the heart of the village belongs to the Relais & Châteaux group, as does my insider tip for getting there.

On the way to Courchevel by plane, TGV or car, I always make a stopover in Lyon at the Villa Florentine ( www.villaflorentine.com). The five-star boutique hotel extends over several buildings of a former nunnery above the old town. There is no better place to stay in Lyon. In the city of the chef of the century Paul Bocuse, who died in 2018, you can of course eat great food in many restaurants. However, one of the top addresses is undoubtedly the Michelin-starred restaurant Les Terrasses de Lyon by chef David Delsart in the Villa Florentine. You absolutely must try his signature dishes: the langoustine quenelles and the squab smoked with vine shoots. Delicious! And nowhere else in Lyon can you enjoy a more beautiful view of the old town while dining than in Delsart's restaurant, which is built into the hillside in a glass cube. At Villa Florentine, you can really feast and dine like God in France!

Text: Bernhard Krieger


Ski travel magazines by Bernhard Krieger:
SKI KANADA: www.ski-kanada.net
SKI USA: www.ski-usa.net