The Europeans invest massively in recent years in “alternative Alps», the picturesque villages south of it Grenoble which promise plenty of snow, lots of sunshine and, most importantly, lower prices than the posh and expensive resorts of North. Forget the eye-popping Courchevelthe Verbier in Switzerland and Kitzbühel of the Bavarian Alps, where prices for a newly built apartment reach 45,000 euros per sq.m., and meet the pop-up Alpe d’Huez at south-east Francewhere buyers can find houses with prices up to 6,577 euros per sq.m.
The ski resort, which had the world’s first ski lift in 1936, is now managed by the group SATAcombined with the nearby resorts Les Deux Alpes and La Grave. “The promotion of SATA in international markets such as BrazilThe Canada and the China contributed to the increase in tourism,” says Laura Ertlup of Alpe d’Huez Tourism. There were 23% more winter visitors in 2022-23 compared to the 2019-20 season, while the music festival Tomorrowland Winterin March, attracted 22,000 visitors.
The resorts of the South offer plenty of snow, plenty of sunshine and affordable home prices.
For decades, the French have been choosing the less glamorous snowy destinations in the South, but recently a growing number of overseas buyers are following suit, lured by the sunshine and lower prices. The high altitude remains high on buyers’ wish lists despite a poor start to the season last year due to unpredictable weather conditions. And the relative affordability of these resorts has become important, emphasizes Mr Gilles Gall her Alpine Property Findersas property prices in the best-known ski resorts in the northern French Alps have soared since the pandemic.
“Many want the elevation, but cannot afford it Three Valleys (Three Valleys)”, says. Eight out of ten of its buyers – who usually come from Belgiumthe Netherlands and United Kingdom– they want to rent out their homes when they are not using them. THE Carolyn Tear from the Zurich he bought a house in Alpe d’Huez: “We saw the 1970s cements … being refined and two new five-star hotels and we thought ‘why not buy here?'” he says. THE Philip Catanellas based in Nice bought a three bedroom flat in Serum: “It’s a family place, not fancy, but ideal for us, as I can have a meeting in Nice and immediately afterwards be on the mountain to have lunch with my family,” emphasizes the founder of the restaurant group Gusto.
The ability to rent the property when not in use by the owner also convinced the skier Winston Clark from Derbyshire to buy a small property to benefit from the VAT discount. “I have real estate investments in United Kingdom, but I wanted to expand overseas and use it myself,” says Clark, who works for an American biotech company. “I have skied in all the Alps, but I see Alpe d’Huez rising in value.” It is not only private individuals who invest in the “alternative Alps”. The largest residential project in the area is currently the Vivaldiwith her signature Three Valleys Rising Stonewhich, when completed in 2025, will offer five-star amenities in its 48 apartments.
