Local ski resorts go from strength to strength
The ski resorts that staged events at the Olympic Winter Games Grenoble 1968 also gained international visibility and developed in the years afterwards, helping the local tourism industry to blossom.
Isère is now France’s fourth most popular tourism destination, attracting 21.4 million overnight stays in 2018 and generating EUR 1.3 billion in turnover for the year. This popularity is partly founded on the ski resort of Autrans, which hosted the cross-country and biathlon events at Grenoble 1968, and Chamrousse, the venue for the six men’s and women’s Alpine skiing competitions.
Autrans is now firmly established as France’s cross-country skiing capital. Its cross-country trails were created specially for the Games, as was its biathlon stadium. As part of the 50th anniversary celebrations in 2018, the course used in 1968 was opened up to the public. The resort’s 180 kilometres of trails are popular with skiers of all levels and provide the venue for the week-long Foulée Blanche, which has been held every year since 1979. This demanding cross-country event attracts nearly 5,000 participants, who compete in races across various distances. Autrans also hosted the 2019 World Intellectual Impairment Sport Skiing World Championships, while its Maison des Sports caters for many other sports, including tennis, mountain biking and hiking, throughout the year.
Easily reached from Grenoble, Chamrousse attracts tourists all year round. It was remodelled for the Games, with new ski slopes created and six new chairlifts installed. Famed as the place where French skier Jean-Claude Killy won his three Olympic gold medals in 1968, the resort has continued to grow and develop over the years, thanks to the Grenoble to Chamrousse 2030 project. In recent years, new apartment hotels, gondolas and chairlifts have been built and the resort’s youth and sports centre refurbished, along with other developments. In 2018, Chamrousse staged light and sound shows on the history of skiing as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations.
The resort has 41 pistes and is spread over three different levels, from Chamrousse 1650 to Chamrousse 1750. Home to a number of ski parks, it caters for families and skiers of all abilities, and attracts tourists all year round. As well as skiing in the winter, visitors can also enjoy hiking, walking, climbing and mountain biking in the summer months. The resort hosts FIS-ranking events and the Stars of Chamrousse, an Alpine ski race for juniors.