Top free summer activities in Les Menuires

Hiking on waymarked paths 🥾

With a multitude of waymarked trails, the region offers a variety of hikes for all levels, from beginners to the most experienced.

For fans of breathtaking scenery, the Lac du Lou hike is a must. This walk, which lasts around 2 hours, takes you along an easily accessible path offering breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and the famous Lac du Lou. For the more adventurous, the Mont de la Chambre hike is a more demanding but equally rewarding excursion. This 5-hour trail offers panoramic views of the French and Swiss Alps from its summit.

Les Menuires also offers hiking trails suitable for families with children. The Vallée des Encombres hike is an easy 2-hour walk that takes families to a stream and then a waterfall, while the Pierre à Laya hike is also a 2-hour walk that offers a geological curiosity and a botanical trail.

Organising a bivouac near the lake

If you hike to the Pierres Blanches lake, bivouacs are permitted in summer. Bivouacking in the mountains is a unique experience that allows you to reconnect with nature and enjoy an unforgettable adventure. To ensure that everything goes smoothly, it's important to prepare your equipment well, choose a suitable location and comply with local regulations. It's also advisable to bring enough food, water and warm clothing, and to take the weather conditions into account. Finally, it's essential to respect nature and avoid leaving litter in the mountains.

Visit a permaculture garden

Have you heard of permaculture? Its aim is to produce fresh fruit and vegetables by taking care of nature and its ecosystem. A few years ago, Pépé Nicolas in Val Thorens started a permaculture garden at an altitude of almost 2000 metres.

If you don't opt for the guided tour, which is well worth it if you want to find out more about permaculture techniques, you can enter and visit the garden on a self-guided basis.

You can find a map and lots of information on the Chez Pépé Nicolas website https://www.chezpepenicolas.com/?utm_source=easyvoyage

The heritage trail

The two villages of Saint-Martin-de-Belleville and Villarenger are offering two tours to discover life in the past and the local heritage. Two free tours to take with the tour maps available from the tourist offices.

📍 Les Menuires Tourist Office

1269 avenue de La Croisette

Les Menuires

73440 Les Belleville

📍 S aint-Martin-de-Belleville Tourist Office

54 rue du clocher

Saint-Martin-de-Belleville

73440 Les Belleville

📍 Le Moulin de Burdin

Recently restored, the Burdin Mill offers free guided tours every Wednesday at 10am and 11am. Children and adults can learn more about its history as well as the techniques used to grind grain and turn it into bread.

To get there, there's a lovely 30-minute walk along a stream.

For more information, contact the Saint-Martin-de-Belleville tourist office.

Three areas of the Les Menuires bike park are freely accessible. There's plenty of fun to be had with the kids, including mountain bikes, scooters and draisienne bikes for the little ones.

The Ludizone, in the heart of the Croisette, is a great place to practise before heading off to the bike park, with its short descents and wooden modules. There's also a draisienne area for children aged 2 and over.

The mountain bike Kidzone has been laid out around the Les Bruyères lake, with small bridges, stream crossings and more technical single tracks. This zone is accessible from the age of 7.

The pumptrack, meanwhile, is a closed loop circuit with bumps and bends on tarmac that lets you pick up speed and do laps without needing to pedal. It's also accessible by rollerblade and skateboard.

This area is located at La Croisette.