Many of
Alpine Infusion’s guests return to our chalets during the summer
months of July and August to be greeted by a totally different kind
of playground. Laden with flowers, trees and dramatic
landscapes the valley provides the perfect environment for hiking,
mountain-biking, golf, climbing, parapenting, whitewater rafting,
canyoning, horseriding, tennis and much more.
The
Vanoise National Park, France’s first National Park, is a
boundary-less paradise of 140,000 acres, founded in 1963 to protect
animal life and wild flora. Hiking levels reach to 3,855m and
include 500km of maintained and marked trails which are not
difficult and are accessible to any good hiker with suitable
mountain gear. They lead through an extraordinary, natural protected
open space for day walks or several day treks (lodging at one of the
50 Park refuges) and some, especially the forest trails, are very
easily reached, even by young children. The ridges of Tougnete,
Saulire and Mont-Vallon offer fantastic views over the Alps, from
Mont-Blanc to the Les Ecrins mountain ranges. To reach the mountain
summits, visitors can also use the gondola lifts which are open
several days a week throughout July and August.
The
Tuéda Nature Reserve, located below the Vanoise National Park, was
created in 1990 and stretches from Lake Tuéda to the Gebroulaz
glacier along the Doron stream. The Reserve encompasses 2,700 acres
of natural preserved beauty including a marked botanical trail
allowing visitors to discover more than 100 species of Alpine flora
including Twinflower, a protected relic from the ice age, now only
found in the Savoie area.
In
addition to the outdoor activities, Méribel plays host to concerts,
recitals, street performances and jam sessions as well as various
internationally renowned events such as:
7th
and 8th July – Three Valley Mountain Biking Event
12th-14th
July – XVth Gourmets’ Drive Golf Competition
14th
July – Bastille Day
5th
August – Fanfoue village festival in Les Allues
12th-19th
August – Meribel Festival of Magic
Méribel
has many lovely restaurants, from relaxed crêperies to more
gastronomic finds that cater for families and groups of friends.
Many have flower-covered terraces where one can enjoy the sunshine
at lunchtime or for aperitifs
in the evening.
