Val Thorens - Local History

In the 1960s the potential of Val Thorens to be transformed from a small mountain village into a location for a purpose built ski area was noted. The first area to be developed was the lower area of Les Menuires beginning in 1967. In 1969 the access road was extended up to Val Thorens so that development of the resort could start. In 1971 the first of 3 drag lifts was installed, followed in 1972 by the opening of the first ski school.

Year after year, Val Thorens continued to develop and gain international recognition. For instance, the opening of the cable car of Caron in 1982 was at the time, the largest cable car in the world. The construction of the cable car put Val Thorens in the category of tp European winter resorts. Thus in less than 10 years with an average annual investment of 10 million Euros saw the ski lifts of Val Thorens stand out as the most modern in Europe.

Like many 1960s purpose built resort in the French Alpes, Val Thorens suffered from lack of architectural guidance in the early days, leading to an over dependence on concrete. New and renovated development now has to meet a much stricter design guidelines and the use of traditional materials is sought. The resort took an architectural turn in the 1980s, the modern style of the 1970s is altered to create the architecture charm of a mountain village. Val Thorens has returned to its original Savoy style, covering the walls with stone and wood. To help achieve this change, a church was built in 1993 and the appearance of the new area was composed of only chalets.