High up in the French Alps, it's enthralling to imagine the forces that shaped these colossal peaks. The African and Eurasian tectonic plates collided some 35 million years ago, forcing the land skyward into a 1000km chain of saw-edged mountains. Rumbling across seven European countries, the Alps reach their maximum height in France, at Mont Blanc (4810m). Buckling northwest along the Swiss border are the less mighty Jura Mountains, where life unfolds along slower rhythms: winemaking, cross-country skiing and tinkling cow bells. Routes into the Alps’ otherworldly realms are many: aboard cable cars that fly to knee-trembling heights, or in the company of mountain guides who set out into wintry oblivion. Europe's biggest, and arguably most prestigious, ski resorts are here, melting into meadow-draped hiking country each summer. Winter or summer, this forbidding terrain commands respect: the French Alps’ mirror lakes, ice-cold rivers and crevasse-scarred glaciers form one of Europe’s true epics.

Courchevel is a French Alps ski resort. It is a part of Les Trois Vallées, the world’s biggest skiing area. The resort is spread over 5 altitudes and each village presents a different face, offers a different view and a different way of approaching the mountain. The vast array of non-skiing activities is another plus point for a resort which constantly strives to satisfy and amaze its visitors. Treat yourself to the best skiing possibilities on the slopes of Courchevel or the 3 Valleys. The 3 Valleys ski area is an exceptional, internationally-renowned playground. It is simply the biggest interconnected ski area in the world. Mountains loom large almost everywhere you look in Chamonix. Skiers and sightseers are launched by cable car to heights of 3842m on the Mont Blanc massif, while the glacial void of La Vallée Blanche – one of Europe's most fêted off-piste adventures – beckons to the brave. Skiers and boarders have a choice of pistes along the valley, while in summer the same lifts access hiking and biking trails.