La Rosiere Information

Apres-ski

La Rosière has a family onus, so it's not the best choice for those in search of hedonistic nightlife.

The main venues for après-ski in La Rosière are at their busiest straight after the lifts close in the afternoon. Le Petit Danois (tel: +33 479 068 317; www.lepetitdanois.com) has a sunny terrace and is one of the most popular for the crowds arriving from the slopes.

Arpin's Bar (tel: +33 479 068 139) offers karaoke, while Le Pub (tel: +33 479 401 924) is open late and is the place to let your hair down on the dance floor.

Eating out

Despite being a purpose-built resort that closes down through much of spring and autumn, La Rosière has built up a reputation for having some first-rate restaurants, providing quality French regional cuisine in atmospheric chalet-style surrounds. It's in these charming establishments that you'll find Savoyard dishes using local ingredients such as the region's hams and Beaufort cheeses.

The cosy Le Genépi (tel: +33 479 075 209), run by a French chef and his English wife, is known for high-quality Savoyard specialities and excellent service. Le Turia (tel: +33 479 061 365) specialises in fondue, and Les Marmottes (tel: +33 479 401 988), in the resort centre, is a small traditional restaurant with a good menu of regional favourites.

For an affordable meal, there are several choices for crêpes or pizza; the latter of which can also be found by popping over the border to Italy for lunch.

Resort Information

Beyond the slopes

There's a good and expanding choice of off-slope activities in La Rosière, with a sizable share of facilities in the newer Les Eucherts sector, where attractions were added to diversify the resort's appeal. These include a two-screen cinema, games room and indoor ice rink complex. There's also fitness centre with a sauna, hammam, hot tub, gym and weight training room in Chalet le Tyrol (tel: +33 479 068 055; www.letyrol.fr).

The modern Kitzbuhel Bowling complex is a major après-ski hub in the resort, being home not just to the 10-pin bowling lanes but also to pool tables, table football and pinball and other games machines. Equipped with free Wi-Fi and sometimes staging live music concerts, one perennially popular option is the "crêpe + bowling" offer that includes a pancake in the on-site cafe.

Back outdoors opportunities include: paragliding, dog sledding, helicopter tours, snowshoeing and winter hiking.

Family fun

La Rosière's Family Plus award from the French government means families will find the resort largely centred around them. Examples of this include unintimidating wide, gentle slopes by the resort and family-friendly accommodation and facilities in the village itself.

Among the child-only facilities is the excellent Galopins kindergarten (tel: +33 479 068 126) in the Les Eucherts development, which is open Monday to Friday (and some Saturdays). It provides indoor and outdoor play for children aged 18 months and older. Childcare can be integrated within ski school classes from age four and is run to the standard French system. The ski school has great facilities, including snow gardens with conveyor lifts.

Retail therapy

There are around 40 shops in La Rosière giving a moderate choice for dedicated shoppers, but enough to supply all likely needs for holidaymakers. More than a quarter of the outlets are ski shops, but amongst the others are purveyors of holiday essentials; including three small supermarkets, several souvenir shops, two bakers, a post office and a photographic store.

For a wider choice, it's worth taking the 20-minute bus journey down to the town of Bourg-Saint-Maurice, the major commercial and retail centre for the region.

Splashing out

Several different businesses offer kite skiing experiences, for which the wide, flat-bottomed and often very windy plateau above the resort is perfect. Evolution 2 (tel: +33 479 401 980; www.evolution2.com) offers classes for both first-timers and more experienced kite skiers.

Hotels

The attractive resort is built in a chalet style with the prettiest base being Les Eucherts, which boasts direct access to the slopes from most of the accommodation. There is an increasing choice of chalets offering both catered and self-catering accommodation in the village. A few apartments and moderate hotels can also be found in La Rosière and the surrounding valley.

Luxury

Moderate

Cheap