Sainte Foy
Sainte Foy - The best kept secret in the Tarentaise valley
Sainte Foy is a luxury winter sports resort in the French Alps, close to Italy and Switzerland. Located in the Savoie department, Sainte Foy lies in the Tarentaise valley, close to some of Europe's most famous ski resorts such as Val d'Isère, Tignes and Les Arcs. For this reason, it is often referred to as the 'Jewel in the Crown'. Sainte Foy's stunning location gives breathtaking views of the valley below while the impressive Mont Pourri towers above. Unlike many larger resorts, Sainte Foy remains true to its roots, with plenty of alpine charm, uncrowded pistes and fantastic skiing.
The resort, which is found at an altitude of 1550m above sea level, was developed as a ski area in 1990 when the first three chairlifts were opened. Being a relatively new resort, the chalets and the resort centre have been built in a style very sympathetic with the old, local buildings. Traditional stone and wood finishes give the resort its authentic feel and there are no unsightly tower blocks which have become commonplace in so many ski resorts.
Continuing Sainte Foy's gradual, well-planned growth, a fourth, high-speed chairlift was installed for the winter of 2006-2007 and opened up a whole new area of new ski runs and off-piste. The highest lifted point is 262 0 metres so there are more than 1000 vertical metres to be skied from top to bottom. Off-piste enthusiasts can take advantage of even larger descents, some of which extend for 1700 vertical metres.
There are currently 35km of piste (ski runs which have been route-marked and prepared by grooming machines) at Sainte Foy. Whilst the larger local resorts may have more pistes, one of Sainte Foy's key attractions is the fact that the chairlifts, the slopes and the off-piste are uncrowded. Even during peak weeks, such as school holiday weeks, there is rarely a queue to be seen at a chairlift and ski runs are often empty. It can sometimes feel as if you are skiing or snowboarding on your own private ski resort!
Resort Information |
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| Altitude of resort: | 1550 metres | |
| Top elevation: | 2620 metres | |
| Largest vertical drop: | over 1000 metres | |
| Total length of slopes: | 35 kilometres | |
| Longest run: | 8 kilometres | |
| Beginner: | 36% | |
| Intermediate/Advanced: | 64% | |
| Number of lifts: | 4 | |
| Snowboard: | Yes |
