5 exciting new additions to family ski resorts for 2019-2020

From new ways to admire the views to clever technology and artistic touches, look out for these novelties adding extra sparkle to the Alps this season.

A spectacular footbridge in Les Arcs

A new footbridge suspended at 3,226m has opened to both skiers and pedestrians (including children) at the summit of the Aiguille Rouge cable car in Les Arcs (External link) . The bridge is 35 metres long with glass walls at each of the overhangs, boasting panoramic views over the French, Swiss and Italian Alps as well as the Villaroger Nature Reserve, an unspoilt site with protected plants and wildlife. After the experience, you can either redescend in the cable car or ski down one of Europe’s longest runs, measuring 7km.

Art on the slopes in Le Grand-Bornand

The 55 gondolas of the Rosay lift in Le Grand-Bornand (External link) have been upgraded into a mobile art gallery. Local artists and performers have come together to decorate the cabins with original artworks inspired by the resort’s photographic archive. With the help of poems on the walls inside, each one shows users an aspect of Le Grand-Bornand’s history and culture – including ski scenes from the early days of the 1950s to the present. There’s artwork depicting the famous local Reblochon cheese-making, portraits of local ski champions when they were children and old views of the village with its preserved wooden chalets.

A new way to pay in La Plagne

‘Plagne Access’ is a new-generation client experience unique in a ski resort. The innovative payment and loyalty system allows you to pay for your activities and purchases from the resort’s partner retailers simply by scanning your ski pass – all you need is an app. For use in both winter and summer seasons, you also benefit from exclusive deals only available with this payment method. La Plagne has become the first mountain resort to develop this cashless, contactless technology, in collaboration with PayinTech.

A dizzying cable car rooftop in Tignes

The new Grande Motte cable car (External link) has a new summertime roof terrace, capable of accommodating 20 people as it travels 1,000 metres up through the mountain from the village of Val Claret to the Grande Motte glacial plateau. From the rooftop spot, you can enjoy 360-degree views of a sea of peaks: Grande Casse, with its imposing summit ridge and broad, steep face and, in the distance, Mont Blanc. This is the second-highest cable car in France after the Aiguille de Midi in Chamonix – not for the faint-hearted!

An extended ski area in La Rosière

La Rosière-Espace San Bernardo (External link) has expanded its ski area with a new sector named Mont Valaisan opening in December. Situated on the French side to the right of the Redoute Ruinée Fort, five new red pistes have been created, served by two six-seater chairlifts: the Moulin and the Mont-Valaisan. The area to skiers’ left remains largely off piste, but will be easier to get to, and freeriders can either descend to the bottom of the new lifts, or continue down the valley to a lift at Le Vaz, 1,515m. The expansion has cost €15m and offers a more technical ski area with greater freeride opportunities.

Further information for your skiing holiday:

The French Alps