Courchevel

• Courchevel

The word "Courchevel" was for a Russian household name, indicating at the same time "the place of bohemian get-togethers", "scandal within the elite community, which became known to the public" and "winter vacation oligarch". But even if we forget about a beautiful picture, which appeared simultaneously Prokhorov, his friends uneasy, prostitutes and alpine snow, there remains a lot of attractive things.

Boutiques, "shestizvozdochnye" hotels, the opportunity to shake hands with Beckham (for boys) or discuss with Katy Perry last leopard fashion (for girls) ... Yes, here it is possible, even on skis not riding!

According to the number of celebrities and all sorts of "VIPs", which it attracts, Courchevel is compared to Saint Tropez. People come here not only Russian oligarchs, but also members of the British royal family and many relatives of the Saudi king. What are they so attracted?

Courchevel few. To the resort are just five villages. The most famous and pretentious is located above the other. Now it is simply referred to Courchevel, before it was known as Courchevel 1850. In fact, it is at around 1750 meters, but he "threw a hundred" to compete with other well-known resorts.

In addition, there is Courchevel 1650 (Courchevel Moriond), Courchevel 1550 (Courchevel Village), Courchevel La Praz (or La Praz, at an altitude of 1300 m) and Courchevel Saint-Bon (the village of Saint-Bon-Tarentaise at a height of 1100 m).

Courchevel 1850 once was named Tove, but was renamed again, for commercial purposes - to be associated with the lower villages. Now he plays the role of "capital." Here are its main street, there are concentrated all the boutiques, and, therefore, our compatriots with you)

Promenade. Ahead visible lift.

In 1992, in Courchevel (namely in La Praz) passed competitions of the Winter Olympics in Albertville, ski jumping and Nordic combined. In Courchevel 1850, too, it was a springboard, but it was dismantled for safety reasons. Now, this is a purely tourist village, but there is an ice rink where the hockey matches are held and tested all sorts of shows on the ice.

Left - the chapel of Notre-Dame-de-l'Assompson (Assumption), built in 1950 in Neo-Romanesque style. Incidentally, in the neighboring village of French Archbishop refuses to come to dedicate a local chapel. He says that the church is no place here at all.

In Courchevel many hotels, including 11 five-star hotels. French authorities thought that was not enough, and in 2011 they introduced shestizvozdochny rating for the most luxurious hotels in the country, "palaces" (status "Palace"). Three out of 16 of these hotels are located here - a Cheval Blanc, Le K2 and Hôtel Les Airelles. Michelin restaurants in Courchevel just eight, they are divided between the 12 stars. Perhaps the most famous of them - Le Chabichou.

As I said, the price of accommodation in Courchevel start with 7, 5 thousand. Rubles per person in the "high season". This Two-Star hotel. In peak days, that is, on the winter holidays, when the resort is filled with Russian, even more expensive.

Average prices at the resort - in the region of 20-40 thousand rubles for two people per day.. For a five-star hotel right on the slopes will have to pay about 75 000 rubles.

Russian club. Cultural code does not corrode)

Local trash cans are perfect.

Real estate agencies are guided by the main customer.

Magazines also prudently translated into Russian.

MP Dream

Slopes. Trails in Courchevel generally broad, flat and smooth. Oddly enough, there are sometimes problems with snow. Generally, in the Three Valleys approximately one-third of all pistes are covered with artificial snow. At local resorts has over 600 snow guns.

Courchevel is considered the best ski resort in Europe and more thanks to the perfect system of ski lifts. Queues here is not even on peak days. More Courchevel - a favorite place of work of ski instructors. During the season, here come a thousand instructors, most of whom earn individual lessons.

For those who are not riding, there are horse.

Boutiques

Maternity capital works)

As if looked into a plastic shopping center near the metro ...

Courchevel Airport, opened back in 1961, among the ten most dangerous in the world due to the complexity of the takeoff and landing. He has a very short runway (525, according to other sources - 537 m) with a slope of 18, 6%, which is needed to help slow down the planes. The complexity also in the fact that the pilot is not possible to go to the second round by landing while she strip is not equipped with light signals, which makes landing in bad weather is almost impossible. In spite of this, before the airport took "full" turboprop aircraft for 50 passengers. Now it's only business jets and helicopters.

On the slopes are scattered chalets.

Some many years: the resort actively built up since the mid-40s.

By the way, Courchevel - record for the value of property in the Alps. It is more expensive than in Switzerland: in 2015 the cost per square meter reached 34,200 euros.