06 ski resorts are attracting more and more French and foreign investors with their 460 kilometres of downhill ski slopes, 153 kilometres of cross-country ski trails, and modern equipment. You’ll find the most popular resorts and successful developments in the Mercantour area.Auron is the village resort that’s very popular with Riviera locals and Monegasques — Christian Estrosi and Princess Stephanie of Monaco are regulars there — and offers the biggest alpine ski area in the department.  It’s here that some of the finest luxury mountain developments are springing up. Le Monde des Neiges,  the 25,000m² apartment and chalet complex offering 5-star hotel service representing a €45 million investment, is a case in point. Delivery of the various buildings in the resort began in Q1 2020 and the rollout will continue until Q4 2021. You can expect to pay between €485,000 and €535,000 for a 2-bedroom apartment, €1,220,000 for a 3-bedroom apartment and from €2,500,000 for a chalet. Another new Auron development is Riviera Réalisation’s Crystal Lodge — the foundation stone was laid last September. It offers an indoor space with a heated swimming pool and sauna. As of now, you can buy off-plan a 1-bedroom apartment for €236,000 and chalets from €1,253,000 for delivery from the 1st half of 2022 onwards.

A resale market
Isola 2000, another beautiful resort with 42 ski slopes on the Italian border, between 1,800 metres and 2,610 metres above sea level, is one of the snowiest ski areas in the region. You’ll find more of a resale market here at very affordable prices. You can buy a small ^15m2 studio apartment for €80,000 and a 30m2 one-room apartment for €140,000. Valberg, situated 86 kilometres from Nice and perched at an altitude of 1,700 metres, has 23 lifts, 56 ski runs covering a total of 90 kilometres (56 miles), 25 kilometres of groomed trails for cross-country skiing and the same again for snowshoe hikes. Also very popular with a Côte d’Azur and Monegasque clientele. Several new developments are in the offing, one of them being Valberg Horizon in Péone. There are currently 16 apartments available with delivery scheduled for Q4 2021. The accommodation is divided into studios (from €149,000), 1-bedroom apartments (from €183,000) and 2-bedroom apartments (from €238,000). In the luxury category, a 6-bedroom chalet in Valberg with 1,080m2 of liveable space is being offered for sale by Barnes for €6,500,000. It’s currently the most luxurious and expensive chalet in the Mercantour resorts.

Snow and sun guaranteed
The family resort of Valdeblore/La Colmiane and the charming villages in the surrounding area is called the “Suisse Niçoise” because of the magnificent scenery. The 30 kilometres of slopes will delight young and old, from beginners to advanced skiers, not forgetting the Snow Park for freestylers and thrill-seekers. For the winter season, La Colmiane also offers its famous giant zip wire, the longest in France (2,663 metres). Recent years have seen the construction of beautiful luxurious chalets and even the arrival of Russian investors. As a proof, the large wooden Chalet Galina, a very comfortable and cosy, top-of-the-range rental for €300 per night with high-quality services. Snow guaranteed thanks to machine-made snow production covering 85% of the ski area. Everything in one place to make your stay unique with up to 300 days of sunshine, and a successful family holiday thanks to dedicated children’s areas and facilities, and the Family Plus label guaranteeing a special welcome for the youngest: Club Piou-Piou for learning to ski, the P’tits Poucets crèche, the Family Park for having fun sliding, the safe and marked toboggan run. In June 2018, Isola 2000 was awarded the «Flocon Vert» (Green Snowflake): the mountain resort label of the future and the first resort in the Southern Alps to be presented with it.