Including celebrating 10 years of Gourmet Mountain Ski Experience, Design Week and festive traditions

 

Courmayeur Mont Blanc will launch the eagerly awaited 2024/2025 ski season on December 5, 2024.

 

Nestled in the heart of the Italian Alps, Courmayeur offers more than just thrilling slopes. This charming ski resort boasts a rich calendar of delightful culinary and family events set against a backdrop of breathtaking snow-capped mountains, enhancing its renowned skiing experience.

 

Courmayeur Mont Blanc warmly invites guests to embrace the beauty of the great outdoors this winter on the Italian side of Mont Blanc. As the ideal destination for those in search of adventure and outdoor activities, Courmayeur offers a profound connection to alpine nature, all complemented by exquisite dining and traditional Italian alpine cuisine.

 

From December through the UK's drearier months, Courmayeur becomes an alluring destination, boasting fresh powder-covered slopes, pristine trails, and breathtaking views from the highest peaks. Ideal for mountain lovers, Courmayeur features a diverse range of activities, including heliskiing, off-piste and cross-country skiing, ice skating, fat biking in the scenic Val Ferret, hiking, dogsledding, snowshoeing, and climbing, ensuring there's something for everyone, even non-skiers.

 

The Italian ski resort is conveniently accessible from major airports in Geneva, Turin, and Milan. With over 43 km of pistes and elevations approaching 2,800 meters, it's an ideal choice for a quick weekend getaway. The resort features enticing ski packages from top tour operators like Momentum Ski, Ski Solutions, and Inspiring Travel Company. Additionally, a regular Eurostar service connects London to Chamonix Mont Blanc, making it possible to enjoy this journey by rail and bypass the hassle of flying, with an average total travel time of around 20 hours.

 

Celebrating 10 years of Gourmet Ski Experience

 

Continuing its partnership with UK based ski specialist tour operator, Momentum Ski, the highly anticipated Gourmet Ski weekend returns to the resort for its 10-year anniversary. Featuring two internationally renowned Michelin-starred chefs to curate a programme of gastronomic encounters this upscale culinary event promises an exceptional dining experience.

 

For the past decade, Courmayeur's Mountain Gourmet Ski Experience has been hosting outstanding chefs to Courmayeur's gourmet haven. Created by Momentum Experiences and Heston Blumenthal OBE, this leading gastronomy event will take place on 27th – 30th March 2025, and will include two incredible meals prepared by Michelin starred chefs as part of the programme.

 

This year will see the return of Jean-Philippe Blondet, the three-star Michelin Executive Chef of Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, who with his team will prepare a gastronomic experience like no other. Alongside another chef, to be announced soon, he will also prepare an alfresco BBQ in the mountains, followed by performances from top DJs.

 

Peak of Taste

 

The Courmayeur event, Peak of Taste, celebrating haute cuisine is returning, offering visitors a comprehensive immersion into the culinary world. Taking place in March 2025, with a rich program of events from breakfast to aperitif, attendees can engage with both “ambassadors” of Italian and Aosta Valley flavours and participate in discussions with internationally renowned star chefs, emerging culinary talents, bartenders and mixologists.

 

Previous editions have included aperitifs at Skyway Monte Bianco, a state-of-the-art cableway reaching Italy's highest point at 3,446 metres and cooking classes with Aosta-Valley Michelin-starred Chefs, such as Paolo Griffia and Ugo Alciati.

 

First Polo Challenge in Courmayeur

 

For the first time, Courmayeur will host the winter stage of the stages of the Italia Polo Challenge tour. Taking place 14th – 18th January, six teams from around the world will compete in the snow polo challenge in a series of three vs three heats across four days.  Visitors to Courmayeur, will be able to enjoy watching the unique and ancient sport taking place for first the time under the gaze of Mont Blanc.

 

Welcoming Winter 2024

 

Winter in Courmayeur is exhilarating, stimulating and action-packed, and for this reason, locals and holidaymakers welcome the beginning of winter with open arms, starting with the return of 'Welcome Winter 2024' between 5th – 8th December. In collaboration with Italy's major all news channel, Sky TG24 and the municipal administration, the city will host a series of guests to give talks on their Courmayeur and current issues.

 

A highlight of the festival for all ages will take place on the 7th December, as Courmayeur's iconic Christmas Tree on the main square will be lit, along with musical performances to put on a major celebration.

 

Festive Adventures

 

On Christmas Eve, the children in Courmayeur can experience the traditions that pay homage to Rhémy de Noël, the protagonist of a legend whose roots lie in the link between the town and Mont Blanc and provide the area with its snow. On this day, there will be children's workshops, theatrical performances, special guest appearances with gifts and the lighting of lanterns to direct Rhémy de Noël down from the mountain to Courmayeur.

 

On New Year's Eve, the square at the Jardin de l'Ange will be at the heart of Courmayeur's New Year's Eve celebration. The square will come alive with music, DJ sets, entertainment and at midnight the arrival of the new year will be celebrated with fireworks. The evening will then also continue in the downtown venues to toast the new year.

 

On 14th February, Courmayeur comes alive with festivities, with shop windows and boutiques along Via Roma, the pedestrian shopping street, adorned in imaginative decorations, to celebrate its patron saint, St Valentine. The streets resonate with music, animations, gourmet delights, and traditional celebrations. It's the perfect day to enjoy a romantic stroll, discovering the town's most picturesque corners or joining the lively folk group Les Badochys, who parade through the centre with traditional dances and music, accompanied by the charming Beuffon, the colourful carnival figure heralded by the distinctive sound of bells.

 

Courmayeur Design Week

 

Returning for its fifth year, for one long weekend in February 2025, Courmayeur Design Week transforms the town into a vibrant hub where designers, companies, and design experts gather at the foot and summit of Mont Blanc.

 

Created by architect Paola Silva Coronel and organised in collaboration with Courmayeur Mont Blanc, the event features a range of conferences and an exhibition that spans the streets of the town and the Courmayeur Sport Centre.

 

Attendees can look forward to a packed program of talks, exhibitions, and events that connect the design world with the iconic locations and brands of Mont Blanc and Courmayeur.

 

Winter sports

 

With over 100 kilometres of slopes and off-piste terrain on both sides of the mountain, Courmayeur Mont Blanc is perfect for skiers of all levels, from beginners to experts. The resort features ski and snowboard schools to help refine your skills, along with a selection of cozy chalets and restaurants for accommodations and fine dining. An evening cable car service offers the opportunity for sunset aperitifs or dinners with stunning panoramic views of Mont Blanc. The slopes boast 33 runs of varying difficulty, with elevations reaching up to 2,755 meters, all supported by snow-making systems to guarantee consistent coverage. Adventure-seeking freeriders can explore thrilling descents through Val Veny's forested off-piste routes or tackle the challenging chutes of Vesses, Arp Vieille, and Youla. For those looking for even more fresh powder, expert guides are available for exhilarating skin-up hikes and heliskiing adventures.

For more information visit: https://www.courmayeurmontblanc.it/en, call +39 0165 841612 or email info@courmayeurblanc.it.

 

-ENDS-

 

For further press information please contact Vanessa Newland at Hopscotch Season on vnewland@hopscotchgroupe.com

 

About Courmayeur Mont Blanc

Courmayeur Mont Blanc, situated in the Italian Alps, is a traditional yet sophisticated resort full of history and charm and surrounded by spectacular scenery. Crowned the sixth best European ski resort in the 2022 Conde Nast Traveller Readers' Choice Awards, the centre of the village is car-free offering superb shopping, world-class restaurants and bars, a fantastic choice of accommodation for all budgets and a fabulous après-ski scene. Easily accessible with direct flights to multiple airports - including Turin and Milan which both less than a 2.5-hour drive from the resort - Courmayeur boasts world-class dining options and hold a reputation among foodies. Highlights include the hearty, local Valle d'Aosta cuisine, delicious local Mont Blanc wines, an abundance of local produce and traditional, alpine dishes. Courmayeur is ideal for skiers and non-skiers alike with a wide range of activities on offer such as snowshoeing and fat biking – as well as plenty of experiences for families and foodies alike.