On the edge of the world's largest ski area with slopes up to a lofty 3,230m, the village seamlessly blends old-world authenticity with a touch of understated luxury. Sounds pretty epic, right?
Get to know St Martin de Belleville
St Martin de Belleville is a quintessential French alpine village nestled between Meribel and Les Menuires in the Three Valleys’ heart. Offering unbeatable access to some of the best skiable terrain, St Martin is not to be overlooked. If you’re looking for extravagance and wild parties, this quiet, serene spot isn’t going to cut it.
For a peaceful retreat surrounded by natural beauty, there is no better place. There are all the basic amenities you would expect from a small French village, along with some of the sunniest lunch terraces in the alps. Not forgetting St Martin is home to Jerusalem, one of the best pistes in the Three Valleys! Please don’t take our word for it; go and try it for yourself!
Why you might love it
Families
Non-Skiers
Beginners
Great Food
Peaceful Escape
At a glance
Ski area
Three Valleys
Resort altitude
1450m
Piste range
600–3230m
Lifts
156
Green runs
48
Blue runs
135
Red runs
119
Black runs
33
More about St Martin de Belleville
Why we love St Martin
Perfectly placed to explore all corners of the Three Valleys with ease, St Martin is ideal for mixed ability groups and anyone looking to cover as much ground as possible (there’s 600km to explore). Slap bang in the middle of the largest skiable area in the world, you’ll have plenty of choices to make each morning as you decide to head to the peak of Le Bouchet in Orelle (3230 m) or La Saulire in Courchevel (2738 m). The Edelweiss Hotel has a small bar which is often busy with a good atmosphere and sometimes live music.
The snow front is a sun trap, and we recommend any of the terraces for some traditional Savoyard food. Done skiing for the day? Bake in the sun with a glass of wine or head down into the village to walk around the old, narrow streets.
Après ski
For a small village, St Martin has a surprising amount of bars and restaurants. There’s no late night nightclub but there is a little life straight off the slopes. And you can always catch the early afternoon at Ronnies in Meribel and catch the last lift back over.
La Dalia at the bottom of the piste is a great start with deck chairs spread across the snow in front. A nice spot to watch the last skiers come down with a vin chaud or glass of wine in hand. Or down by the drag lift L’Eterlou has more of a French feels and a decent terrace to catch the afternoon sun.
P bar (piano bar) is the best spot for live music straight off the slopes. It does have an English feel but is worth stopping by.
A traditional mountain village
St Martin still very much has the traditional farming village feel. The cobbled streets surround the old 16th century church in the village centre and is one of the prettiest spots in the three valleys.
Recent years have seen many of the older chalets and barns being turned into luxury accommodation. So there are some rather swanky places to stay here now, still in keeping with the traditional architecture and atmosphere.
What we like
- Traditional village full of cobbled streets and quaint church bells
- Vast ski terrain (largest linked ski area in the world)
- Fantastic accommodation including some seriously luxurious farmhouse makeovers
- The food is a highlight, great restaurants
Worth knowing
- At one end of the 3 valleys, it's a long ski to get to Courchevel but a huge ski area
- You can get the train from Kings Cross to Moutiers and then it's just a 25 minute transfer to make your journey a little greener
- The atmosphere is more serene than raucaus, enjoy escaping the city. Though you will still find live music and cosy bars
Hidden gems
Best Bite
Overlooking the village, Le Montagnard has a rustic charm with amazing Savoyard dishes and top-notch coffee. A great spot just off the beaten track and well worth booking.
Best Piste
Come up the Olympic chairlift from Meribel and you have the fantastic blue Verdet all to yourself. No one seems to come this way and there’s some amazing side country if you’re keen.
Apres Ski
The piano bar just behind the church is a bar you might not find at first but is a great little post ski stop. Live music is often on and it’s always buzzing, it gets a little steamy but is worth a pop in.
