Tignes & the Espace Killy

Lac du Chevril

The old village of Tignes disappeared beneath the waters of the Lac du Chevril when the valley was dammed in 1952. The ski resort of Tignes 2100, is now made up of many smaller villages at varying altitudes. Tignes Les Brévières (1550m), Tignes Les Boisses (1850m), Tignes Le Lavachet (2100m) and Val Claret (2100). Tignes-Le-Lac is generally classed as the main village of Tignes.

Although having spent millions in improving its visual appearance, the architecture of Tignes is some what more synonymous with a collection of high rise housing estates, than your typical traditional Savoyard chalet village. There are few trees at this altitude so Tignes isn't the most visually appealling of resorts. However, beauty is only skin deep, so if you’re there for the skiing and not fussed about your outside appearance of your accommodation then Tignes is the place to go. ... see "Tignes - The Local Area" for more

The old town is submerged beneath Lac du Chevril

Historically, Tignes was made up of two villages – Les Brévières, and Tignes itself. Rumours started circulating in the late 1920s that a dam was to be built in the valley covering the original old town of Tignes. This was met with strong opposition from the locals (Tignards) who fought bitterly to keep their original village. Unfortunately rumours became reality in 1952, when the original old village of Tignes was flooded as part of a hydro-electric power scheme which created the new "Lac du Chevril" over the old site. It has been said that locals tried for many years to disrupt building works using a "resistance" style movement. Today in Tignes, it is still possible to meet with some of the old Tignard characters who were sent to jail for their part in attempting to blow up the dam that caused their homes to be flooded!!

Tignes DamThe Tignes dam, which depicts a giant figure of Hercules on the front, had been designed to generate power for up to 10% of France. However, France developed nuclear power a few years later and ironically the Tignes dam which has never been used became redundant. It now serves as a huge 'battery' with the ability to supply power to the ski resort in the winter if required, and in the summer if the resources are low. (Every 10 years the lake is emptied for maintenance work to be carried out on the dam and it is possible to see and even walk around the remains of the old village - the lake was last emptied in the spring of 2000 so there’s a short wait to do this again.) ... see "Tignes: From Past to Present" for more

Tignes' nightlife is almost as exhausting as its mountain pursuits! With a wide range of restaurants, bars and cafés to keep you well fed and watered there is also a plentiful array of opportunties for a bit of après or late-night venues for a spot of clubbing. The countless terraces ensure that you can always find a sunny spot to relax in... ... see "Tignes Food & Drink" for more

The Vanoise National Park is one of the highlights of the Tarentaise region; a haven for all sorts of wildlife as well as a magnet for outdoor sports enthusiasts, it is well worth a visit at any time of year. Access is free and it is open year-round. ... see "Vanoise National Park" for more

For anyone that spends time in the mountains, be it summer or winter, the weather is a constant topic of conversation. And it is easy to understand why, as a change in the weather can impact so dramatically on your day. Should I take a coat? How many layers should I wear? Am I going to burn? Is it going to rain? These are questions we ask ourselves daily and normally the answer is based on a lucky guess, or perhaps on judgment gained from experience and/or the weather forecast. However, by acquiring some knowledge of local weather patterns and understanding how and why systems develop, along with a few bits of weather terminology, you can certainly reduce that element of luck, and learn to make a more educated decision on your days activity and clothing requirements with the information at your disposal. ... see "The Alpine Climate" for more

Here is collection of general resort knowledge compiled from years of responding to email enquiries, getting ourselves lost, finding ourselves, late-night bar conversations, your feedback, plus translations of French brochures. We have put this resource together to help you out when you are planning a trip to the resort. Updating this section is a never-ending task so if we have missed anything out, or you spot that we are out of date or just plain wrong, please do let us know!

The Tignes ski App is now available on your iPhone! Everything you need to know and more about the Tignes resort on the new iPhone application. Download it here or read on for more information >>> ... see "Tignesnet.com iPhone App" for more