La Forêt Blanche, or ‘The White Forest' is just that. A massive ski area set in the beautiful Hautes Alps, surrounded by towering mountains and dotted with powder coated trees. Its high altitude offers snow-sure slopes, and it's one of the sunniest ski fields in France. The area boasts two main ski resorts, Risoul and Vars, which combined give you access to almost 200 km of pistes and a top station of 2,750 m.
The region is best suited to beginner and intermediate skiers, with fantastic learning facilities right near the resort at Risoul, long gentle greens to progress to, and as many long, cruisy blue runs in snowy bowls and on tree-lined tracks. Experts aren't left out though, with some more challenging terrain at Vars, and good off-piste powder high amongst the trees. Risoul's sunny terrain is in a vast snow bowl, with runs radiating out in all directions. Warm up here and then hit Vars for some of the harder slopes.
The whole region is pretty compact and easy to navigate, meaning you can get from your apartment to the lifts, to the ski school and the bar with relative ease. It's a quiet, relaxed vibe here, meaning less queues and a more relaxed après-ski scene - although some of the bars can still get lively, especially on weekends. And snowboarders - La Forêt Blanche is home to Surfland, the largest snowboard park in Europe, with a 100m half pipe and an 800 m terrain park.
This large ski domain in a stunning setting is perfect for families with beginner and intermediate skiers, wanting to head to the French Alps and not blow the budget.
