Facilities in Val Thorens

Val Thorens is a multi-sports paradise with on-snow sports available including snowmobiling or snowshoeing tours and there's the options of paragliding or microlighting above. With 20% of it's winter clients now non-skiers, Val Thorens has expanded and diversified its range of non-skiing activities on offer in recent years. Its center piece is the superb Val Thorens Sport Centre which reopened in 2004 following a 3.8 million Euro investment, with a new lay out and brand new installations. The Aquaclub, decorated in an "island" theme, is much more spacious, incorporating mosaic tiled steam room, saunas, solarium-relaxation area and especially unlimited use (together with the main pool) of a second fun pool, Jacuzzis and turkish baths. The Centre has a serene atmosphere with gentle music and an exotic decor which characterise the well-being area with comfortable treatment cabins, modelling, water massage beds, Australian saunas and sun beds. On the fitness side there's a 170m? weight training/circuit training room, a 110m? fitness room, stretching and relaxation programmes, courses and personalised lessons for holiday makers and the most motivated season workers. The centre has also got an area completely dedicated to leisure activities for old and young alike with the possibility to participate in tennis, volley-ball, football, squash, badminton, ping-pong, roller skating, hockey, street basket, rodéo toro, and, for the over twos, the biggest "Fun park" in the Alps with trampolines, bouncy castles and ball pool. Other indoor facilities include a cinema and the Bicicleta Bowling and leisure centre which opened in 2006. This contains eight lanes of bowling, seven pool tables, snooker, internet cafe and is open to 2am daily. Out on the snow Val Thorens offers the longest toboggan run in France, a fantastic six kilometre descent over 700 vertical metres. The run begins beneath the Péclet glacier at 300m and takes about 45 mionutes to make the full descent back to the resort. The run is open to anyone eight years or over and a glass of mulled wine is served at the end. The resort operates more than 40 snowmobiles which are available from 5pm for solo or joint excursions on a one hour circuit. More unusual is a 980m ice driving circuit, the highest in Europe. This offers courses under the eyes of a French racing champion in everything from the basics of driving on ice to competition standard. It's aimed at holiday makers as much as experts and a range of vehicles is available up from Fiat Pandas to Mitsubishi Evo 6s. For those wishing a cultural escape from the hi-tec colour of the winter sports world, a Guide from the Society of Natural Historical Monuments organises tours of Baroque sites in the Belleville Valley below Val Thorens every Thursday afternoon. In addition at least one jazz concert is performed every week in the church, with free admission. .