A ride around L'Aiguille Grive, through the highland pastures of Peisey-Nancroix and the bike park of Les Arcs.

Le Col de la Chal (2457m) relie la nature sauvage et la nature aménagée par l'Homme de la station des Arcs. C'est un des plus beaux panoramas de Peisey-Vallandry. Au nord, au dessus des espaces réservés au ski de la vallée de l’Arc, il est possible d'admirer la chaîne du Mont Blanc, versant du Val d’Aoste. Au sud, il offre un magnifique point de vu sur la face nord du glacier de Bellecôte et sur les alpages qui viennent mourir dans les roches du Mont Pourri. Au sud est, le contrefort que l’on peut apercevoir s’appelle l’Aiguille du Saint Esprit. L’alpage qui se situe à son pied appartenait autrefois à la confrérie du même nom, dont la vocation était le secours aux plus pauvres. Les fromages faits sur ces herbages étaient vendus à leur profit.

Follow this discovery trail through the Alpine scenery and enjoy a gorgeous view over the Arc Valley. Thematic panels tell you about the mountain fauna and flora.Remember to bring your binoculars so you can spot them for yourselves!   This is a family-friendly route. Free to access at your leisure. Takes 30 mins.

Culminating at 3,226m, the Aiguille Rouge peak overlooks the Arc Valley. Would you like to know what the view's like from the top? Well, take the gondolas and cable car up and see for yourself!  Once at the top, a breathtaking vista sweeping the full 360° awaits you! A platform has been installed to be able to take in the Italian, French and Swiss Alps. Prices and times: enquire at the Tourist Offices of Bourg-Saint-Maurice / les Arcs.

Overlooked by the Aiguille Rouge peak (3,226m), Arc 2000 was designed like a high mountain refuge by its architect Bernard Taillefer. The roofs, which look like ship's sails, mirror the slopes and peaks of Mont Blanc. An idyllic playground for freeriding and extreme sports, during the Albertville Olympics (1992) the resort hosted the speed skiing competitions.

As you go, don't miss the best view to be had over the Mont Blanc mountain range: right here! You'll be able to glimpse the famous Mont Blanc (4,810m) as well as a few of the the range's other 23 summits culminating at more than 4,000m!

Inaugurated in 1968, the resort of Les Arcs provided an exciting testing ground for many architects, the likes of Charlotte Perriand, Guy Rey-Millet, Gaston Regairaz and Bernard Taillefer. They have designed buildings in altogether innovative shapes, such as the slanting façades of the Cascade residence. The glulam structure of the Dome, designed by Pierre Faucheux, would be chosen as the logo of the Les Arcs resort. For two decades, Charlotte Perriand shared her brilliant, cutting-edge ideas with the multidisciplinary team (architects, urban planners, landscapers, carpenters and technicians among them) that created Les Arcs out of a pristine area with almost no urbanisation. Still today, this collective achievement inspires a mix of reactions, often admiration, and continues to pay undeniable witness to a time of great freedom when creative and visionary mindsets set the stage for all manner of big and bold designs. The award of the “Heritage in the 20th century” label recognises Les Arcs' unique place on the French architecture scene. For guided tours of the resort, enquire at the Tourist Offices of Bourg St Maurice les ArcsThere is an architectural trail you can follow at your leisure in the resort.

Do stop off at this authentic farm dating back to last century, where you can buy its farmhouse cheeses made from cow's or goat's milk directly. You can watch the cows being milked every day around 4 o'clock in the afternoon and butter being made on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays around 2 o'clock in the afternoon.

You can rent e-bike :  Arc Mountain Bike+33 (0)4 79 07 21 70+33 (0)6 18 02 12 74Motion+33 (0) 6 45 13 21 94Skimium Snowpro Charvet+33 (0) 9 52 34 57 72

Inaugurated in December 1974, Arc 1800 comprises four village resorts perched on the edge of the forest overlooking the Haute-Tarentaise Valley below. Its innovative architecture follows the slope to free up space and provide views over the surrounding mountain ranges. In winter, this is where Paradiski, the world's second largest ski area, converges. In the summer it is buzzing with all kinds of outdoor activities including hiking, paragliding, archery and cycling! For guided tours of the resort, enquire at the Tourist Offices of Bourg-Saint-Maurice / Les Arcs

With Italy right on the doorstep of the Haute-Tarentaise, just the other side of the Col du Petit Saint-Bernard mountain pass, the region needed careful surveillance and protection. This is how a series of barriers, defence and observational structures came to be planned and built at the end of the 19th century. But the construction in 1913 of the Courbaton and Les Têtes batteries, to counter the rise in Fascism and Nazism, meant wider access than the lone track running from Montrigon to Courbaton had to be provided. So two strategic roads were opened up, one from Peisey-Nancroix and the other from Hauteville-Gondon, to enable men, provisions and ammunition to reach the batteries… These structures were built by veterans of the Spanish civil war who, on fleeing the advancing pro-Franco troops, crossed the border in early 1939 and were rounded up in Argelès-sur-Mer internment camp. Supervised by army officers based in Bourg-Saint-Maurice, they were used all year round as additional labour for the defence and road construction works. This explains why one of these access roads is still referred to as "the Spanish Road" to this day.

La chapelle fût bâtie en 1684, et d'abord dédiée à Saint-Guérin, protecteur des bêtes à cornes, et Saint-Antoine de Padoue, le plus grand prédicateur du Moyen Âge. La chapelle dispose d'un beau chancel en bois d'arolle tourné, d'un retable simple avec un tableau au centre duquel trône une étonnante vierge noire à l'enfant, sans doute celle du sanctuaire d'Oropa en Piémont, où des habitants de Peisey-Nancroix travaillaient comme drapiers. Sur le tableau, on voit aussi Saint-Jacques le Majeur avec une coquille sur l'épaule, pèlerin dont la sépulture est à Compostelle. Vous remarquerez la belle serrure de la vieille porte, le bénitier dans la fenêtre, le petit clocher avec sa flèche de tuf.

Au pied de la forêt, la Chénarie était autrefois une montagnette, souvent menacée par le torrent de Poncette.  Les habitants ont alors construit la chapelle sur les hauteurs, près du vieux pont. Elle est dédiée à Sainte Marguerite, invoquée pour la protection contre les crues torrentielles. On y disait la messe chaque printemps et automne, quand le hameau était occupé par les bergers et troupeaux en chemin pour l'alpage.Le hameau de la Chénarie est habité toute l'année, la chapelle est ouverte en saison touristique grâce aux bénévoles du voisinage.L'existence de la chapelle est signalée lors de la visite pastorale de 1661 mais elle est sans doute plus ancienne.Son chancel bleu pâle, son petit clocher de tuf et sa porte ouverte sur le soleil couchant lui confèrent un charme particulier.On remarquera la qualité des statues de Saint Roch et Saint Sébastien, protecteurs de la peste, ce qui porte à penser que la dernière grande épidémie (1630) est à l'origine de la construction de la chapelle.