Alpe d'Huez is a winter ski resort city in the French Alps. It is a popular resort for cycling fans as in many years one of the most important stages of the Tour de France ends at the ski station.

Understand

The 21 hairpin turns on this stage of the Tour de France are a challenge to any level of cyclist and some of the cycling greats of eras past have won or lost the Tour on this ascent.

Local information

• Alpe d'Huez City Council website

Get in

Alpe d'Huez is southeast of Grenoble. Head south from Grenoble on the E712 to Le Pont-de-Claix, take the D1085 heading east and then join the D1091. From the other direction, you can take to D1091 from Briançon.

A good way to get to the top of Alpe d'Huez on Tour de France race day is to drive in the morning to Oz en Oisans and ride the ski lift. It goes up to the top of the mountain and then back down into Alpe d'Huez. The lifts runs again after the stage to take the fans back to Oz en Oisans.

For a taxi in Alpe d'Huez, try Accueil Allo Taxi on +33 476802900, Chalvin Stephane on +33 476803344, or Alp Taxi on +33 476807243.

Understand

The road the cyclists take is approximately 13 km (9 miles) long and consists of 21 hairpin turns. The road is packed with cycling fans, as many as 500,000 of them every time the Tour de France passes through.

For fans of cycling history, a unique feature of Alpe d'Huez is that each of the 21 hairpin turns is numbered from 21 (at the bottom) to 1 (at the top). Each of these numbered signs also has listed the names of one or two of the winners of the stage to Alpe d'Huez and the year they won the stage.

• Tourism Office, Place Paganon Maison de l'Alpe, ☏ +33 4 76 11 44 44. 

See

In medieval times there was a silver mine, and the coron is preserved in its entirety. There are traces of copper mining already from the bronze age.

Downhill sports

Alpe d'Huez is one of Europe's premier skiing venues, having gained popularity when it hosted the bobsled events of the 1968 Winter Olympics.

With 249 km of piste and 84 ski lifts, the resort is now one of the world's largest. Extensive snowmaking facilities helped combat the ski area's largely south-facing orientation and helped Alpe d'Huez appeal to beginner skiers, with very easy slopes. There are also good intermediate-grade slopes, but the resort is mostly known for freeskiing.

Aside from the Tunnel and Sarenne black runs, the latter the world's longest at 16 km, many off-piste opportunities exist both from the summit of the 3330 m Pic Blanc and the 2808 m Dome des Petites Rousses. These include the 50-degree Cheminees du Mascle couloirs, the open powder field of Le Grand Sablat, the Couloir Fleur and the Perrins bowl. Up to 2200 m of vertical descent are available with heli drops back to the resort's altiport. The proximity to the exclusively off-piste resort of La Grave as well as tree skiing at Serre Chevalier and the glacier and terrain parks of Les Deux Alpes have made Alpe d'Huez a popular base for skiers looking to explore the Oisans region.

Sleep

• Ecrins Lodge. A beautiful chalet on the outskirts of town, providing catered accommodation in the winter and summer. 
• Résidence La Géode - Alpe d'Huez. Comfortable space for 12 persons in 3 apartments near the ski runs in the heart of the resort. (updated Oct 2021)
• Résidence Pierre & Vacances Les Bergers - Alpe d'Huez (Les Bergers district), ☏ +33 1 58 21 55 84. This comfortable, friendly residence faces the resort on one side and the valley and the Massif des Ecrins on the other. It offers a restaurant, bar, lounge overlooking the heated outdoor swimming pool, bodybuilding room and saunas. Hamper delivery service and meal cards available. 
• Résidence Pierre & Vacances L'Ours Blanc. Wood-decorated building with superb views over the valley of the Massif de l’Oisans. Has direct access to the Olympic skating rink via a shopping arcade. Services include a children's area, hamper delivery service and an underground car park.