The Landmarks Of Tignes
There are numerous reasons why Tignes is such a fantastic resort to visit. Not only do you have the entire 300km of the Espace Killy to explore, you have numerous excursions, exciting opportunities for off-piste skiing and boarding and, of course, a wealth of interesting landmarks, showcasing Tignes fascinating history and even an appearance in a movie!
My favourite is the striking rock formation sitting at 2800m called the eye of the needle; a huge rock with a hole worn right through the middle. It is a perfect place for picnics on a sunny day and you cannot miss out on getting a picture sitting inside the eye itself! This landmark can be reached by taking the Aiguille Percée chairlift up by Tignes Le Lac. You may recognise this formation from the James Bond film ‘ A view to Kill’, where Roger Moore skis through the eye of the needle!
Tignes also boasts one of the longest black runs in Europe, called La Sache, which actually starts from the eye of the needle and runs all the way down to Les Brevieres, the lowest village in Tignes. Running an impressive 10km long, this is not one for the faint hearted, particularly on an icy day! Parts of the run are fairly tame, however there a few gnarly sections of steep moguls and ice where you have to have your wits about you! Still an exhilarating way to eat up 10km of piste in one go!
A new find of mine that I wanted to mention is the hidden valley; more like a hidden gem if you want something totally different! Starting from just under Tommeuses chairlift and ski through trees, narrow (and I mean narrow!) valleys, under rocks and through caves! It really is its own mini adventure in its own right.
Finally, a huge landmark with a ton of history attached is the Lac de Chevril, an impressive dam built in 1952. Based in La Boisses, the dam provides us with some stunning views from various points in resort. It wasn’t always seen as such a beautiful phenomenon however, the decision to build the dam was met with much opposition from the local people, as it was going to destroy an entire town. Every 10 years, the dam is drained and you can see the old village – quite a spectacle!
So if the huge ski area of the Espace Killy isn’t quite enough to fulfil you on a ski holiday, there are many other exciting and fascinating landmarks to explore in Tignes, so we look forward to seeing you picnicking at the eye of the needle in the fabulous sunshine!
