The Beaufortain and Val d’Arly, between Mont Blanc and Lake Roselend

Living in the Beaufortain and Val d’Arly

Between the Mont Blanc massif, visible from Crest-Voland, and Lake Roselend, the Beaufortain and Val d’Arly range from 300 metres to nearly 3,000 metres above sea level. The Roignais, the highest point of the Beaufortain, overlooks alpine pastures and valleys, while the Cormet de Roselend, on the road to Les Chapieux, reaches 1,968 metres.

A cheese-making identity

Beaufort cheese, made with raw milk from Tarine or Abondance cows, was granted its appellation d’origine by decree on 4 April 1968. Its production area covers the Beaufortain and part of the Val d’Arly. The commune of Beaufort has 1,989 residents according to INSEE, Hauteluce 734 and Villard-sur-Doron 702 at the latest census.

Activities and leisure

In winter, the Espace Diamant (Les Saisies, Hauteluce, Notre-Dame-de-Bellecombe, Crest-Voland-Cohennoz, Praz-sur-Arly and Flumet) links its villages directly on skis, over 192 kilometres of pistes according to the Val d’Arly tourist office. Arêches-Beaufort has its own ski area, with 50 kilometres of pistes.

The rest of the year, around 500 kilometres of trails open up around Arêches. The alpine pastures produce Beaufort, whose “chalet d’alpage” label designates cheeses made above 1,500 metres, twice a day, with the milk of a single herd.

Heritage and culture

The maison forte Blanc, a fortified house listed as a historic monument in 2022, and the church of Saint-Maxime, rebuilt in the 17th century with a pulpit carved in 1722, give Beaufort its built heritage. The Roselend dam, 150 metres high and built between 1956 and 1961, holds back a lake of 320 hectares. The Beaufortain dairy cooperative, in Beaufort, can be visited freely all year round.

If the massif holds on to its residents first through its alpine pastures and its cheese, it will also win you over with a ski area linked to the Espace Diamant and the cross-country skiing at Les Saisies. To take your property plans further, our estate agency in Megève is here to help and invites you to discover its prime properties currently for sale in the Beaufortain and Val d’Arly.

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Settling in the Beaufortain and Val d’Arly

Settling in the Beaufortain and Val d’Arly means living in a mountain village between 25 and 35 minutes from Albertville, with skiing on an area linked to the Espace Diamant, in the heart of Beaufort cheese country.

Transport and access

From Albertville station, line 21 runs to Arêches-Beaufort, line 22 serves Hauteluce and Les Saisies in winter, by reservation, and lines 23 and 24 climb into the Val d’Arly. The Y83 line arrives from Sallanches via Combloux, Megève, Praz-sur-Arly and Flumet.

Trains stop at Albertville, 30 kilometres from Les Saisies and 26 kilometres from Crest-Voland, on a journey of a little under 4 hours from Paris. There is no railway station in the massif, but the coach takes around 40 minutes to Crest-Voland and 1 hour 30 to Les Saisies, so it is possible to arrive from Paris without a car.

Geneva airport is 103 kilometres from Crest-Voland and 108 kilometres from Les Saisies, Chambéry airport 85 and 92 kilometres. The Cormet de Roselend, towards Bourg-Saint-Maurice, is closed in winter by departmental order, as it has been since 31 October 2025, to protect the road surface from freezing and thawing.

Education and schools

The Le Beaufortain secondary school, in Beaufort, presents on its official website a Sport-études Ski class, a Montagne et Métiers option (mountain trades) and boarding facilities. Beaufort has two primary schools, and there are others in Hauteluce and Villard-sur-Doron. The nearest sixth forms (lycées) are in Albertville, Ugine and Moûtiers.

Healthcare and services

At Les Saisies, a medical practice (general and mountain medicine, trauma care, radiology), a pharmacy, a physiotherapist and a practice of independent nurses are based in the resort. The Albertville-Moûtiers hospital has an A&E department and a maternity unit. In Beaufort, the Croc’Local grocery, devoted to local produce, opens every day.

Living in the Beaufortain and Val d’Arly: three places to live

Choosing to live in the Beaufortain and Val d’Arly means first choosing between a valley village and two resorts. Three places serve here as reference points, Beaufort in the Beaufortain, Les Saisies between the two massifs and Crest-Voland in the Val d’Arly, though the territory also includes Hauteluce, Villard-sur-Doron, Flumet and Notre-Dame-de-Bellecombe.

Beaufort

Beaufort gives its name to Arêches-Beaufort, a village resort at 1,080 metres whose first ski lift dates from 1947. The Arêches mines operated until 1951, the hamlet of Boudin is a protected site, and the Bois gondola, opened at Christmas 2019, serves the ski area. Discover our high-end properties available to buy in Beaufort.

Les Saisies

At 1,650 metres, between the Beaufortain and the Val d’Arly, Les Saisies hosted the cross-country skiing and biathlon of the 1992 Winter Olympic Games. The pistes were laid out 4 metres wide instead of 7, to preserve the peat soils. The cross-country area has 120 kilometres of pistes, the alpine area 84 kilometres, linked to the Espace Diamant. Browse our prestige homes for sale in Les Saisies.

Crest-Voland

A Val d’Arly village of 346 residents at the latest census, Crest-Voland stands at 1,230 metres, with Mont Blanc, the Mont Charvin and the Aravis as its view. Its ski area, shared with Cohennoz, has 34 kilometres of pistes and connects to the Espace Diamant. Explore our luxury properties on the market in Crest-Voland.

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