If you’ve got a trip to La Plagne lined up, no doubt you’re itching to get on the slopes and work on your ski or snowboard skills. Now, I know that kind of thing is what winter sports holidays are all about, but personally I think it’s well worth checking out what events will be on during your stay – especially since there are so many exciting ones held here.
I’ll list the selection that most caught my eye below, starting with the ones that are coming up soonest. Hopefully this’ll help you decide when to book your holiday accommodation in La Plagne for.
Etoile du Sports
When: Early December
If you’re keen to see the pros in action, it’s well worth timing your trip to coincide with Etoile du Sports. This awesome event welcomes 20 snow sports champions to La Plagne; each of these will pick 20 budding stars to compete in 20 challenges (20 seems to be a theme for this competition!).
Taking place each year, this event is an absolutely amazing opportunity to see some upcoming stars in the winter sports world – so keep your eyes firmly on the slopes!
Christmas
When: Events held throughout December
Of course, we all know when Christmas is, but in La Plagne the festivities officially kick off at the start of December, coinciding with when the festive lights are turned on. In fact, it’s well worth being here when they are, since the night is celebrated with a pretty lovely combination of music, hot chocolate and mulled wine.
Now, as you would expect, spending Christmas in the mountains is pretty magical, what with all that gorgeous snowy scenery around you. Another thing that attracts me, though, is that it’s a much less commercial holiday here than it is in England – and that’s particularly worth bearing in mind when you’re checking out what events you can go to.
Since it is less commercial, events don’t tend to be publicised as far in advance. So, if you don’t see much to start with, don’t panic – there will be things to do! On Christmas Eve, for instance, there are always carol concerts and parades.
New Year celebrations
When: New Year’s Eve
New Year is another fantastic time to visit La Plagne – and doing so will certainly mean you have a celebration to remember. Rather than organising one large event, this destination tends to feature lots of smaller ones – every bar seems to offer something of its own, for example.
And, when midnight approaches, people usually flock to the heart of the town to countdown together before toasting the new year with champagne.
Urban Plagne
When: August
Now, August may not exactly be a great time for enjoying winter sports, but there’s still heaps to do at La Plagne if you’re planning to come during this time. One of the top events is Urban Plagne – a mixture of extreme sports and music performances.
A three-day event, it usually takes place in August and, this year, it involved rollerblading, skateboarding and BMX events, to name but a few. The joy of coming to this is you get to see the pros tackle all kinds of sports and have the chance to try a few new things yourself. Plus, there’s loads of music in the evenings.
There’s actually a similar event held in April – Winter Plagne. This one does feature snow sports, including ski tests and a pro-rider comp. In fact, a big part of this festival is film-based – so much so that ten ski teams challenge themselves to make a movie in 96 hours, with the results being shown on big screens for a vote for the winner. This is an absolute must if you’re here at this time of year!
