Good to know
Good to Know
- Val Thorens has established itself as an attractive destination by focusing on buildings in the local architecture and chalet style, giving the feeling of being in a true Alpine village
- The town has lots of shops, boutiques, bars and more than 50 restaurants, many accessed directly on your skis, and suitable for all budgets
- Heritage tours can be organised through the tourist office
- Most museums and cultural attractions are concentrated in adjacent Saint-Martin-de-Belleville village rather than central Val Thorens resort itself, requiring a short journey
- Val Thorens is largely pedestrianised, but you will need to pay for 24 hour parking
Must See Sites
- Cost
- €0.00
- Name
- Burdin Mill (Moulin du Burdin) - a perfectly preserved witness to agro-pastoral activity in the Belleville Valley, a water mill typical of mountain areas, activated by a system of horizontal wheels, intended to grind crops of rye, barley or oats
- Highlights
- Recently restored with free guided tours. An exhibition integrated into the site offers a historical and technical approach to the mills and traces the different stages from grain to bread.
- Access Info
- Free guided tour every Wednesday and Friday at 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Open mill doors with free access from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Located near the village of Saint Marcel, you can reach it by enjoying a pleasant 30-minute walk along the water.
Located in Saint-Martin-de-Belleville village
- Cost
- €5.00
- Name
- Saint Martin Museum - situated in the heart of the village in an old Bellevillois farm, retraces one hundred and fifty years of this high Savoyard valley's history. From the height of the agricultural civilisation in the 19th Century to the tourist revolution in the 60s, passing by the industrial changes at the beginning of the 20th Century
- Highlights
- In the old stables of the building, winter living quarters have been reconstructed where the Bellevillois lived together with their animals during the coldest months. Cattle rearing was the main activity in the commune, and the valley was well known for its huge high altitude pastures. Equipped with two video rooms : one showing traditions through images of today's Bellevillois and the other showing the development of Les Menuires and Val Thorens through eye witness accounts and authentic photos. Headphones are available for English speaking visitors.
Cime De Caron (Caron Peak)
- Highlights
- A mountain in Savoie, France lying in the Massif de la Vanoise range with an elevation of 3,195 metres above sea level. Accessible via cable car with panoramic views.
- Access Info
- Accessible via Cime de Caron cable car from Val Thorens centre
Aiguille De Péclet, Refuge Du Lac Du Lou, Pointe De Thorens
- Highlights
- High alpine peaks and mountain refuges in the surrounding area
- Access Info
- Day trips via mountain transport
Museums And Galleries
Burdin Mill Exhibition
- Cost
- €0.00
- Type
- Heritage/Industrial Heritage
- Description
- Historical and technical exhibition about mills and grain-to-bread processing
Saint Martin Museum (Musée De Belleville)
- Cost
- €5.00
- Type
- Local History Museum
- Description
- 150 years of valley history, agricultural heritage, industrial transition, tourist development
History Overview
Val Thorens began on 18th December 1971, when the first three draglifts were opened. There is evidence of human settlements from as early as 2000BC and remnants have been found from Iron Age communities. Over the years the valleys became quite densely populated and were sufficient to support a growing population of pastoral farmers. In 1972, Jean Berenger, a former coach of the French women's ski team, set up the first ski school, the Club des Sports and the tourist office. The Cime de Caron cable car was completed in 1982, then the largest cable car in the world. The resort hosted a Tour de France stage finish in 1994, where Nelson Rodríguez of Colombia won the stage. The Tour de France returned to Val Thorens for the Stage 20 finish on 27 July 2019 and won by Vincenzo Nibali.
Cultural Activities
Cultural Activities
- Concerts, cookery courses, library, guided tours of mountain villages and pastures, Burdin Mill, art and crafts workshops
- Heritage tours of the area can be organised through the tourist office and the back streets of St Martin are well worth a wander to get a feel of the original 'old town'
- In the summer a hike along some of the high mountain walking trails will lead you past old refuges and farm buildings from years gone by
Events And Festivals
Events And Festivals
- Ski cross championships and music festivals, a mountain bike race that takes place across the whole of the Three Valleys, the Trois Vallées Addict Tour, and the occasional Tour de France stage
- "La Grande Dernière may 2 & 3" a festive event celebrating the end of the season in a unique atmosphere
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this history, museums & sightseeing research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
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Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.