“Baguette, ba-guette! Croissants, café au lait and tartelette” my mind was singing, on repeat, in the airplane going to Lyon. I really didn’t know where this song came to my head, or maybe I had just invented it? I was tired. I was a bit stiff and my back was hurting bad, I was trying to get rid of my 2-3 kilos (yes, I know, you are going to raise an eyebrow now) and I had some unfinished work deadlines. Of course I have never thought that all my problems will be solved in four days in a trip to an very unknown (till then) place in the middle of France. I was going to see Brides-les-Bains. And it was a total surprise. Below, the story of an unexpected Brides-les-Bains. Who can go? What to eat? Where to exercise? When to Spa? Why to go? How to relax. Read until the end and share the story.
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Briefly, it was one of the most relaxing experiences that I had in years. And definitely the funnier one. And for all that I should thank to all my girls companions, for all the endless talks, for the laughters and for the stories. Should we do it again? 🙂
Brides-les-Bains is probably the best kept secret of Les 3 Vallées…
Of course, because we are always thinking about glam glitzy ski resorts in the 3 Vallées, of champagne and Chanel ski suits. But there is more than that to explore in this region, and Brides-les-Bains is he perfect example!
Where it is? On the edge of the Vanoise National, in a quiet and relaxing place (to be more specific, between Courchevel and Méribel).
What it is? A small lovely little town that is a wellness destination, that combine sport and health with nutritional expertise.
What can we do here? Spa (one of the best Spa destinations in France), walking, hiking, Yoga and… try some restaurants that have awarded “Label Diététique” – healthy, tasty nutritious cuisine, in line with the menus prescribed by spa doctors for the spa goers, while maintaining a high standard of food quality using fresh, local produced.
The holy trinity of a perfect stay: Sport. Food. Spa.
Well, when you are on a holiday, you hardly think about sport (if you are not a cardio junkie, who cannot live without the gym). But there is a good part of practicing sport every day – it makes you fit an able to eat more than one croissant per day (jokin’… or not) and there is a fun part, especially when sport is practiced outside – seeing all the wonderful views during the walking, trekking, cycling. And, more important, there is human part of it – you get to know other people during the Nordic Walking sessions or Pilates classes, to listen their stories. And that is what I did.
First, I have to say that I have nothing more than respect and cherish for all the people involved in Brides-les-Bains activities. With no fee, if you are guest in the resort, you can sign up for Nordic Walking or Sylvotherapy sessions in the woods, for Pilates classes at Dova Hall or dance lessons in the kiosk at the Parc des Thermes.
I first heard about Nordic Walking from my friend, Barbara, some years ago, and just now I had the opportunity to practice, on the trails in the beautiful forest, next to a noisy river, in the small village of 3 Les Trois Vallées. Shall I tell you what it is good for? Improves the functioning of the cardiovascular system; helps with weight loss and muscle toning; increases resistance to effort; improves physical and mental balance (well, Barbara would tell me there are more benefits than that, but I let you discover by yourselves).
I did Pilates, Yoga and dance, of course – me, my friends and a dozen of very nice (not so young) ladies. And I tell you, nothing felt better and nothing was more funnier than that!
But I was really impressed by Sylvotherapy. Nop, is not another word for Hug a Tree; Shinrin-yoku, or Forrest Bathing was developed in Japan during the 1980s, in response to a health crisis caused by mass urbanisation, and a culture of extreme stress – and now is the newest and the hottest (or maybe I could say coolest) trend in wellness. It implies meditation, walk in synch with your breath, embrace the nature, connect with the healing power of the trees, listen to the sound of the river and the forrest, relax and find your peace. Benefits? It can provide cognitive relief, it can boost immunity, it can reduce stress, it can aid depression, it can boost creativity. Well, pretty much we all need it.
When it comes to food, the question here, in Brides-les-Bains is… to eat or not to eat… diététique? In Brides-les-Bains there are 10 restaurants (of which 9 belong to the hotels in the city) where the menus are set by the chefs in collaboration with nutritionists and doctors so that everyone who comes here for treatment can have of balanced, tasty, and at the same time low-calorie menus.
These restaurants are awarded the Label Diététique (an award established here in Brides-les-Bains in 2013), and each restaurant has 42 different menus (so 420 menus to choose from in the whole city). To receive this award, each restaurant must tick 73 conditions (from the food aspect to the protein-calorie-fat ratio, while maintaining a high standard of food quality using fresh, local products).
I ate at the restaurants Hotel Golf, Chez Marielle, Les Cerisiers (Hotel Amelie), La Fabrik, Hotel l’Altis, Hotel Le Verseau. Excellent, dietetic & tasty (although, of course, we didn’t refrain from many fluffy French baguettes and café gourmand).For local wines from Savoie – try Relief bar.
The Spa. Brides-les-Bains is a spa village where health and well-being are at the heart of its DNA. The resort welcomes around 10,000 spa visitors every season. Brides-les-Bains is France’s No. 1 spa for slimming down and treating rheumatism. The thermal baths offer two ways to take charge of your health: subsidised thermal treatments and the Grand Spa with its short slimming and well-being treatments.
The spa establishments have treatment areas, particularly for rheumatology, but also a nutrition area, a place dedicated to physical activities and a thermal swimming pool. Derived from the Salins springs, this naturally warm water improves peripheral blood circulation, increases blood flow and balances blood pressure.
For French citizens – health cures supported (mainly) by the social & health national French system (medical treatments and so on) while the regular tourists can opt for payment of different treatment services and Spa facilities.
The Grand Spa offers both slimming and well-being breaks and à la carte treatments (massages, beauty treatments for the face and body, etc.). In summer and winter alike, hammams, saunas and steam baths with aromatic plants offer a haven of well-being. An 18-metre-long leisure pool with 2 indoor and 2 outdoor jacuzzis, 2 bubble beds, underwater jets, 6 swan necks and other water games, and a 25-metre-long swimming corridor. – thermes-brideslesbains.fr.
That is not all! Day trips to…
* Views to see: walking along theriver (Le Doron de Bozel or Le Doron des Allues), ortaking the Gorge aux Pigeons footbridge to enjoy theviews over the valley. For the best views in the region, choose Mont Bel Air, Col de la Loze, La Saulire, LeCheval Noir, Cîme Caron or the summit of Crève Têtefor breathtaking panoramas.
* A special destination: Tuéda nature reserve, 30 minutes from Brides-les-Bains. Stretching from Lac de Tuéda to the base of the Gébroulaz glacier, it is home to over 545 plant species and around 400 animal species. There are a variety of trails for gentle walks and hikes, which can include an overnight stay in a refuge.
* In the summer season – there are cultural and sporting festivities featuring music, comedy,cinema, and outdoor sports, including the not-to-be-missed Col de la Loze, the Tour de France’slegendary mountain pass.
* In the winter (and not only) – from Brides-les-Bains, with the cable car opening late August, you can have a direct transport to Méribel pistes (and the quiet and affordable prices at the restaurant in the evening).
Some practical informations…
* To stay – the best is Golf Hotel Brides-les-Bains, Savoie (named after a nine-hole golf course, which was closed in the 1950s and still features golf’s sophisticated elegance and relaxed atmosphere) – especially if you ask for a town’s view – the image of the mountain in the chilly morning is just awesome and add a bit of zen to the entire experience. https://www.golf-hotel-brides.com/en
Plus – if you are here in the winter for family ski, you can try the apartments from Alticîmes – https://www.alticimes.com/en/.
* To eat: anything, but if you are really looking for a health diet, in the restaurants marked with Label Diététique. In 2024, 10 restaurants are certified, amongst which 9 hotel restaurants. From my experience, tasty and very very good looking menus were at – Hotel Golf, Chez Marielle, Les Cerisiers (Hotel Amelie), La Fabrik, Hotel l’Altis, Hotel Le Verseau.
To arrive there… Tucked-away in the 3 Vallées, just a few minutes from Moûtiers station, Brides-les-Bains is the ideal base camp for a wide range of activities, all year round, suiting all tastes and abilities. From Lyon airport – around two-2 and a half hours by car.
P.S. Of course I had the croissants and tartlets, what do you think?!!
Photography: (c) Brides-les-Bains, personal archive.
