Client review: discovering La Rosière in summer

Our client Nadine headed to La Rosière in the summer with her son. Find out how she got on.Read on to find out how she got on.

My 12-year-old son, Elias, has a special fondness for La Rosière. It’s where he first learned to ski and where he’s returned several times since, but it wasn’t until his ski instructor mentioned last December that the lifts operate in summer for mountain biking that he ever considered visiting outside of winter. 

I looked into it and thought it would be a good place to go for an active summer holiday.

Eight months later, on a hot Saturday in August, Elias and I arrived by train in Bourg-Saint-Maurice. From there, we took a bus to La Rosière (€3 for an adult and free for a child), and less than 1 hour later, checked in at Les Cimes Blanches, a CGH residence. Les Cimes Blanches is made of several chalets, matching the pretty alpine architecture style of La Rosiere. 

Our apartment was spacious, with 2 bedrooms, an open kitchen/ living room, and a terrace. Les Cimes Blanches has a very nice indoor pool and a spa, as well as a terrace with deckchairs and a breathtaking view of the mountains. It is the perfect place to unwind after a busy day!

Hiking

There are many signed hiking tracks in La Rosiere. We did two of them: 

For our first hike, we took the Roches Noires chairlift, then walked to the Fort de la Redoute Ruinée, at 2,400m. The Fort was built in 1630 by the House of Savoy, then rebuilt in 1892. There is then a long walk down to the resort, with beautiful views all the way!

For our second walk, we did Le Chemin des Bergers, which is a very pleasant 3 hours circuits with a climb of 350m. 

Mountain biking and e-biking

Elias is a keen mountain biker, and I booked him into a downhill biking camp with Arpin Sport. The camp is 3 half days (every other day) and it costs €55 per session (equipment included). 

E-biking is also very popular in La Rosiere.

Other activities

While Elias was mountain biking, I did a yoga class at the stylish 4-star hotel Le ILY. Another day, I went to the spa at another beautiful 4-star hotel, the Alparena. 

During the summer, the ski school Evolution 2 organises children’s activities. Elias did the ‘Accrobranche’ with them one afternoon and loved it!

Plan de l’Arc is a leisure area, close to Les Eucherts, a multi-sport court and a pump track. It also has an archery field, playground and children’s climbing wall. We hired a scooter one day (at SkiSet in Les Eucherts), and Elias spent hours on the pumptrack while I read my book in the sun. 

Like in the winter, La Rosière’s ice-rink hosts ice-hockey match every Wednesday evening. Book in advance and come early as it is really popular!

The Food (and drinks)

Most bars and restaurants are open in the summer, and there is a vibrant atmosphere.

Le Tout Poudre by the Plan de l’Arc Leisure area has excellent salads. We also went to the Flocons twice, as it was close to our apartment and has a good menu with burgers, Poke Bowls, and mountain specialties. It also has excellent produces from Italy. On our last night, we treated ourselves to a delicious dinner at Le Boreal, in the centre of La Rosière.

It was a brilliant week, with a mix of activities and relaxing time. We are already talking of a return trip with the whole family and explore more - perhaps white-water rafting in Bourg Saint Maurice next time!