High valley

Life in the mountains

In Haute Maurienne Vanoise, the inhabitants have several occupations: ski patrollers, ski lift attendants or ski instructors in winter, carpenters, machine operators or guides in summer.
The farmers work all year round, tending to their animals while also having a winter job in the ski areas. This effort invested by each inhabitant is what gives Haute Maurienne Vanoise that little extra soul: Haute Maurienne Vanoise has less than 10,000 inhabitants, with the two villages of Modane-Fourneaux and Val Cenis Lanslebourg-Val Cenis Lanslevillard accounting for half the population. Yet from Villard to Ecot, virtually every little village is inhabited all year round.

For example, in summer, go hiking in Le Villaron in Bessans. At the end of the trail, you will discover a postcard image of stone houses with stone-slate roofs, and busy locals making the hay to be fed to the animals in winter! Because even here, in this magical place far from the world, people actually live all year round. An attachment to their hamlet, village and valley is what makes each inhabitant a true ambassador of Haute Maurienne Vanoise.

Here holidaymakers are welcomed by professionals who can tell them the secrets of each village, valley and trail. It is not uncommon to have the opportunity to share their way of life or to be told the legends and history of this high valley. In Valfréjus, La Norma, Aussois, Val Cenis, Bessans and Bonneval sur Arc, sharing and hospitality are part of the heritage, all year round.