Landmark · Tignes

Les Brévières — The Authentic Village Tignes Forgot

This preserved medieval hamlet near Tignes offers authentic Savoyard architecture and culture frozen in time—a stark contrast to the modern ski resort that nearly consumed it.

What to do there

TourLes Brévières — The Authentic Village Tignes ForgotWhile Tignes Le Lac and Val Claret are purpose-built concrete ski stations, Les Brévières at 1,550m is the real deal — a traditional Savoyard hamlet with stone houses, a church, and locals who remember when this was farming country before the tourists arrived. Ski down to Brévières (the lowest point of the Tignes ski area), find the village restaurant, and taste local Beaufort cheese with Mondeuse wine. This is the Tignes the brochures don't show.

Places to see and wineries nearby

Landmark The Drowned Village of Old Tignes March 1952: 473 Tignards watched 300 police occupy bell tower, water rising 1m/day, villagers sabotaged trucks, journalists captured French hydro tragedy—France's highest dam (181m) drowned Tignes for Lac du Chevril (235M m³, 270ha), only 15 families rebuilt at 2100m ski resort.
Winery La Folie Douce Tignes — Après at 2,100m Après-ski institution at the peak of Tignes' ski-in season — cabaret lunch at 1pm, then house and techno parties until 7pm at 2,400m altitude on the La Daille gondola.
Winery Sunset Wine Walk Around Lac de Tignes Walk around Tignes' crystalline glacial lake at sunset with 12,000-foot Glacier Grande Motte reflected in bluish waters—Savoie wines optional, views non-negotiable.