St. Jean d`Arves, France guide
St. Jean d`Arves introduction
General Information
St. Jean d’Arves is a small traditional village which doubles as a ski resort that is located in the northern French. It is linked to the Maurienne valley; it is first ski region of the les Sybelles. The resort proffers striking scenes of the Arves peaks which are 3514 meters tall. The resort is close to the airports in Geneva, Grenoble, and Lyon. The village can also be reached by train. When the resort is not open, agriculture is the primary activity for the locals though tourists have many activities to pass the time. A great resort to plan family vacation and to taste Beaufort cheese is the specialty of the area.
Winter Activities
St. Jean is one among the ski areas of Les Sybelles which shares around 310 km of land with the adjoining resorts of St. Sorlin, Le Corbier and La Toussuire. Skiing here is great for intermediates and beginners, most pistes can be considered as simple and easy. For beginners there is great scope here, with slopes that are crèche and with subtle draglifts. Intermediates find great options here; the trails begin from Le Corbier and run down across St. Jean. And for expert skiers Le Grand Truc’s extended descents would surely provide the thrill. There are 2 terrain parks for those who like to snowboard here. And there is a snow park for children, so families can have a great time altogether. Santa Claus visits on Christmas Eve and the Tourist office performs a parade after which hot wine is served.
Summer Activities
Hiking is popular during the summer months. In August, there is Week Astronomi’cimo for each and all, who want to learn about the stars and have them identified in the night sky. There is paintball and a mini-golf course. For those who want to hike with a donkey, there are donkey rentals. There is an archery range as well as tennis courts and a bowling center. Other summer activities include rock climbing, mountain biking, horseback riding, fishing, dog sledging, and paragliding. There is an adventure park with zip lines and rope bridges for those who want to swing between the trees.
Other Information
There are a number of hotels, bed and breakfasts, hostels, and small furnished chalets. When the resort closes in April after the ski season and before it opens for the summer season, there is the Grolle cup which the locals put together even though everyone is welcome which includes contests involving the cleaning of the resort and honeymaking. There is a local museum with exhibits of local life and heritage tours are organized to learn about the history of the area. Every Wednesday during the tourist season there is a craft market where crafts, souvenirs, and local food are sold. Cattle day which occurs in August is the oldest fair in St. Jean d’Arves.