The skiing resorts of Gréolières and Valberg

The Alpes-Maritimes play host to 15 skiing resorts sharing remarkable proximity to the shore and sunshine which is almost guaranteed. They include Gréolières-les-Neiges and Valberg, affordable family addresses, lively all year round.

A small winter sports resort for families in the Southern Alps with altitudes from 1400 to 1800 m, Gréolières-les-Neiges is the département’s closest skiing domain to the coast : its 60 km of slopes (downhill and cross-country skiing) are in fact only 25 km as the crow flies from the sea, or hardly an hour’s drive from Nice or Cannes, 45 minutes from Grasse or Vence. Its other assets : certainty of sunshine, satisfactory snow cover, activities proposed in summer (hiking, mountain biking, paragliding…) and very appealing prices…

“In the resort, you mainly find small pieds-à-terre of about 40 m2 - usually with 2 main rooms - priced from 80,000 to 100,000 €,” says Daniel Minassian, negotiator for Emmanuelle Minassian International Real Estate, an agency based for over 20 years in Cagnes-sur-Mer, specializing in houses of character from the coast to the mountains. Daniel Minassian thus covers the areas of Gréolières, an authentic mountain village 20 minutes below the resort (with several listed monuments), and Coursegoules, a pleasant commune with an equally remarkable architectural heritage (20 minutes from Gréolières). “In the villages, larger properties are available, such as one apartment of over 100 m2 currently up for sale at the heart of Gréolières, at 172,000 €.” Chalets can be found from 170,000 €. “Though our portfolio also contains charming properties at higher prices : for example, a house of 170 m2 in perfect condition in almost 1,650 m2 of grounds offering a superb view, at 439,000 €.” On the local market, Daniel Minassian receives enquiries from Côte d’Azur residents looking for small holiday homes easily reachable for weekends, others opting for the mountains in search of a better life-style (some of them still working down on the coast), and a few foreign clients.

Further north, 1 hour 15 minutes from Nice (85 km), one comes across Valberg, another family resort in the Alpes-Maritimes which is seeing real dynamism and growing popularity : spread over the communes of Guillaumes, Péone and Beuil, at altitudes of 1500 to 2030 m, it has hoisted itself to 28th place in the Top 50 of French resorts, published by Equipe-Magazine (ahead of Auron). Also listed as a “Village of Charm”, it offers 115 km of ski-runs (with those linking it to the resort of Beuil-Les-Launes), benefiting from exceptional sunshine and snow coverage (85 % of the domain is equipped with snow canons), a full range of amenities, and numerous summertime activities (hiking, mountain biking, horse riding, golf, summer toboggans…).

“It’s a lively and friendly resort that attracts families from Nice, Cannes, Antibes and even Monaco, who are particularly drawn by its proximity,” says Cyril Lhuilier, negotiator for Nicévallées, an agency founded in 2004 in Plan-du-Var (part of the commune of Levens), covering the hills behind Nice, the valleys of the Var, Estéron, Vésubie and La Tinée, and Valberg. “In the case of apartments, demand here is mainly for small surface areas in the centre, so that everything can be done on foot. Studios sell from 80,000 € for 20-25 m2, or 110,000 € for those with appointments of higher quality.” High-end chalets, in limited numbers, are also particularly highly-prized, especially for seasonal rentals : “Offering living space of about 200 m2, pleasant orientations and terraces for basking in the sun, they cost around 700,000 €”. In Cyril Lhuilier’s opinion, prices in Valberg enjoy relative stability due to a “popular market which is lively year-round”.

As for new developments, Mathieu Ancelet, manager of Axelium Invest (a firm created in Nice in 2011), is marketing a residence in Valberg for the developer Imodeus (founded in 1998 - 10,000 homes built in France, the majority in the Loire region, the South-West and PACA). Called “L’Argentera” (one of the highest peaks in the Southern Alps - 3297 m - which can be glimpsed from the resort) due to its elevated position and sweeping view of the skiing domain, this residence in chalet style (timber-clad façade) is scheduled for delivery in the 4th quarter of 2017. “It will consist of 41 apartments on five floors, all benefiting from lovely terraces. Studios of 25 m2 are priced from 99,000 to 120,000 € (parking places extra). 1-bedroom apartments 35 to 41 m2 cost from 157,000 to 185,000 €, 2-bedroomed apartments 53 to 66.5 m2 from 225,000 to 260,000 €. Finally, a split-level 3-bedroomed apartment of 62 m2 is available at 341,000 €. Covered parking places cost 18,000 €, single garages 24,000 €, and double garages 34,000 €.”