Born in 1938 out of the mountain and the meeting of three men, Peter Lindsay, a British army colonel, Christian Durupt and Paul Grillo, both architects, Méribel has developed over time in perfect harmony with the hamlets of the Allues Valley and its natural beauty.
Downhill skiing, snow-shoe walking, hiking, golf, fishing, shopping, well-being, gastronomy and more, whether you are looking for thrills or more relaxed activities, everything is done here so that your stay will exceed your greatest expectations.
The Meribel resort centre is a little more laid back than Courchevel, with shops full of every kind of skiwear from the latest equipment to the obligatory French fashion boutiques! Equally there are bars to suit every taste. For a quiet drink head to Le Poste, for a civilised cocktail try the opulent lounge at the brand new 5 star Kaila Hotel. If you have a more raucous evening planned then you’ll want to start off at the Rond Point or at the new Folie Douce which opened last year at the mid station of the Saulire Express. Many places in the village offer live music most evenings, such as La Taverne, Le Pub, Barometer, Jack’s or Evolution to name just a few, while die-hard partygoers will inevitably end up at Dick’s Tea Bar or at Les Saint-Pères, the two Meribel nightclubs.
Getting around is easy - the free shuttle service stops only 50 meters away from Chalet Oddiyana, runs until 1am, and will drop you off in the centre of Meribel in about 5 minutes!
Chandon is a picturesque small Savoyard hamlet in the Meribel Valley, only 5 minutes away from the centre of the resort, at an altitude of 1,250 metres. The hamlet has preserved its Savoyard heritage, as can attest the 200 year old listed barns arranged around the communal bread oven and water fountain. Chandon is also a little different than others parts of the Meribel Valley in the sense that most of its inhabitants are locals who live there year-round. Staying in Chandon is like being part of a small community where the neighboring families will most likely invite you for a drink and share their stories and experiences around a rumbling fire. If you pay attention, you will see that most houses in Chandon also bear the name of a “Ministère”, or Ministry, such as “Ministère de l’Apéritif” or “Ministère des Affaires Etranges”. These are amusing references to the closeness of the community within Chandon, where several times a year the village will gather around the communal oven to share food and drinks.
The 3 Valleys are home to eight internationally renowned ski resorts at an altitude between 600 and 3200 metres - a winter sports paradise with 200 ski lifts and 335 slopes.
Firstly, the Saint-Bon valley. It was the first to offer winter sports facilities and is also the one in which the largest number of ski resorts are linked by ski lift and by ski run. There are four resorts altogether, located at an altitude of 1300 to 1850 metres and between them forming Courchevel.
In the second and neighbouring valley, the Allues Valley, at an altitude of 1450 metres, lies a family resort with character whose authentic architectural charm has remained intact through the generations. It comprises two resorts that make up the heart of Les 3 Vallées, Méribel and Méribel-Mottaret, located at an altitude of 1450 and 1700 metres, respectively.
Next is the largest valley in the ski area - the Belleville valley is home to three resorts: St-Martin-de-Belleville (1400 metres), Les Menuires (1850 metres) and Val Thorens (2300 metres), the highest ski resort in Europe. In this valley alone, (which is one of the largest districts in France) one day is simply not long enough to explore all of the different skiing possibilities…
Les 3 Vallées are home to eight ski resorts that are linked together by a unique network of ski lifts and ski runs. The resorts and villages lower down in the valley should also be added to these : Brides-les-Bains (at an altitude of 600 metres) is a spa resort that is linked by cable car to Méribel, the main town in the Allues valley, and Orelle (at an altitude of 900 metres) in the Maurienne valley which enabled the southern slopes to be equipped for skiing, providing access to the top of Les 3 Vallées: la Pointe du Bouchet (3400 metres).
