The last weekend in June will, from now on, be remembered as "the weekend when you absolutely must go to the French mountains. From the Pyrenees to the northern Alps, there is something happening in nearly every village, every French ski resort, in every region – from free activities and accommodation for only 1€, to sporting and cultural events, everyone has come together to make this an unforgettable weekend. Large companies, local businesses and associations have all got involved to offer a plethora of activities all based around the theme "celebrate the mountains". It's celebration time everywhere…
More than 150 events are already planned in the Pyrenees, the French Alps, the Massif Central, Jura, and in the Vosges. You will be spoiled for choice and astrounded by the array of proposed activities on offer:
Sporting activities such as introductions to hiking, mountaineering, mountain biking or airborne sports such as paragliding, will be hosted by professional trainers and mountain sports enthusiasts. Cultural activities including visits to historical sites, museums with guided tours and galleries with the possibility to meet with artists will also be organised. Worth mentioning, in particular, are a couple of not to be missed events that caught my eye: an invitation to the observatory at the Géoparc des Bauges in Saint-François-de-Sales for an afternoon entitlted “L'astronomie pour tous!“ - Astronomy for everyone ! From 2pm onwards you are invited to « discover the sun like you’ve never seen it before »… The second is a film premier - “Valgaude-mar - un siècle d'alpinisme“ which will be shown on Saturday the 29th of June at 11am, at La Maison du Parc National des Écrins inside the Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar. Watch this Dailymotion clip for a sneak preview of this breath-taking film.
Not forgetting, of course, the gastronomical events and festivals where you will have the opportunity to taste some wonderful local produce... I bet your mouth is already watering? From the youngest to the oldest member of the family, whether sports enthusiast, food or nature lover, travelling alone, in a couple or on a summer holiday with family or friends, everyone can find an event that matches his or her interests and tastes in the region of their choice. The official website gives a geo-reference and more information for all of the events – unfortunately, there is not an English version but I’m sure you will manage to get by using a translation tool…
A vast network of mountain actors have mobilized their efforts to launch this ambitious idea: from alpine associations, mountain climbing, hiking and mountain biking clubs, local companies, tourist offices, holiday centers, etc. to institutional actors such as the different region’s municipalities and communities. Everyone has put their efforts together to provide this wide choice of entertainment in all of the French mountain ranges, with the aim of introducing the mountains and the numerous activities on offer to a wider audience. At the same time, local companies, hoteliers, local producers have seized this opportunity to also provide entertainment and introduce their products or services. The link between all these events is, of course, the charter and the dates, but also simply the willingness of all these different players to restore the image of mountain holidays. The main the aim is to creat a more positive image of the mountain - that of mountains accessible to everyone, regardless of age, motivations, practices or financial means… It’s all up there just waiting to be discovered!
Leave a comment or join us on Facebook and let us know if you're planning to go along to any of these events - we might see you there...
The last weekend in June will, from now on, be remembered as "the weekend when you absolutely must go to the French mountains. From the Pyrenees to the northern Alps, there is something happening in nearly every village, every French ski resort, in every region – from free activities and accommodation for only 1€, to sporting and cultural events, everyone has come together to make this an unforgettable weekend. Large companies, local businesses and associations have all got involved to offer a plethora of activities all based around the theme "celebrate the mountains". It's celebration time everywhere…
More than 150 events are already planned in the Pyrenees, the French Alps, the Massif Central, Jura, and in the Vosges. You will be spoiled for choice and astrounded by the array of proposed activities on offer:
Sporting activities such as introductions to hiking, mountaineering, mountain biking or airborne sports such as paragliding, will be hosted by professional trainers and mountain sports enthusiasts. Cultural activities including visits to historical sites, museums with guided tours and galleries with the possibility to meet with artists will also be organised. Worth mentioning, in particular, are a couple of not to be missed events that caught my eye: an invitation to the observatory at the Géoparc des Bauges in Saint-François-de-Sales for an afternoon entitlted “L'astronomie pour tous!“ - Astronomy for everyone ! From 2pm onwards you are invited to « discover the sun like you’ve never seen it before »… The second is a film premier - “Valgaude-mar - un siècle d'alpinisme“ which will be shown on Saturday the 29th of June at 11am, at La Maison du Parc National des Écrins inside the Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar. Watch this Dailymotion clip for a sneak preview of this breath-taking film.
Not forgetting, of course, the gastronomical events and festivals where you will have the opportunity to taste some wonderful local produce... I bet your mouth is already watering? From the youngest to the oldest member of the family, whether sports enthusiast, food or nature lover, travelling alone, in a couple or on a summer holiday with family or friends, everyone can find an event that matches his or her interests and tastes in the region of their choice. The official website gives a geo-reference and more information for all of the events – unfortunately, there is not an English version but I’m sure you will manage to get by using a translation tool…
A vast network of mountain actors have mobilized their efforts to launch this ambitious idea: from alpine associations, mountain climbing, hiking and mountain biking clubs, local companies, tourist offices, holiday centers, etc. to institutional actors such as the different region’s municipalities and communities. Everyone has put their efforts together to provide this wide choice of entertainment in all of the French mountain ranges, with the aim of introducing the mountains and the numerous activities on offer to a wider audience. At the same time, local companies, hoteliers, local producers have seized this opportunity to also provide entertainment and introduce their products or services. The link between all these events is, of course, the charter and the dates, but also simply the willingness of all these different players to restore the image of mountain holidays. The main the aim is to creat a more positive image of the mountain - that of mountains accessible to everyone, regardless of age, motivations, practices or financial means… It’s all up there just waiting to be discovered!
Leave a comment or join us on Facebook and let us know if you're planning to go along to any of these events - we might see you there...
Being lucky enough to have parents who were crazy about skiing, my love for the mountains started when I was 4 years old on our first family ski holiday to Austrian ski resort of Obergurl. One ski holiday a year was never enough and tears rolled down my face as I looked out the back window of the car on the drive down the valley on the way home!
