Val-d'Isère

Val-d'Isère
A general view of Val d'Isère.
Location of Val-d'Isère
Val-d'Isère
Val-d'Isère
Coordinates: 45°27′02″N 6°58′41″E / 45.4506°N 6.9781°E / 45.4506; 6.9781
CountryFrance
RegionAuvergne-Rhône-Alpes
DepartmentSavoie
ArrondissementAlbertville
CantonBourg-Saint-Maurice
Government
  Mayor (20202026) Patrick Martin
Area
1
94.39 km2 (36.44 sq mi)
Population
 (2022)
1,572
  Density17/km2 (43/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
  Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
73304 /73150
Elevation1,785–3,599 m (5,856–11,808 ft)
(avg. 1,849 m or 6,066 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Val-d'Isère (French pronunciation: [val dizɛʁ], literally Valley of Isère) is a commune of the Tarentaise Valley, in the Savoie department (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region) in southeastern France. It lies 5 km (3 mi) from the border with Italy. It is on the border of the Vanoise National Park created in 1963, with good transport links in and out of Lyon, Geneva and Chambéry.

During the Albertville 1992 Winter Olympics, the Face de Bellevarde was the site of the men's downhill race. Other alpine skiing events held during those games included men's giant slalom and alpine combined. Val d'Isère regularly hosts World Cup alpine events, usually for the men in early December, and hosted the World Championships in 2009. The ski area of Val d'Isère and Tignes forms the Espace Killy, named after the triple Olympic champion Jean-Claude Killy who grew up in Val d'Isère. There are two mountain huts (called “refuges” in French) owned by the Vanoise National Park on the territory of Val d'Isère: le Refuge du Prariond and le Refuge du Fond des Fours.