Walk above the treetops facing the Vanoise glaciers: Val Cenis french ski resort opens a panoramic walkway at 2,000 meters

MBS, subsidiary of French industrial group MND specializing in mountain leisure infrastructure, has built a panoramic treetop walkway for SEM de Val Cenis, named “Vanoise Experience”. Accessible from the top of the Roches Blanches chairlift at an altitude of 2,000 meters, this 126-metre panoramic walkway offers exceptional views over Vanoise National Park. It will open to the public on 19 December 2026. The investment amounts to €2.4 million.

A new way to experience the mountains, in the heart of the canopy

Designed to blend into the landscape through an architecture combining wood and steel, the Vanoise Experience panoramic walkway follows the natural terrain from the mountain restaurant to a 23-metre observation tower. Three meters wide and with a maximum gradient of 4%, it is fully accessible to people with reduced mobility.

Along the route, visitors pass through themed areas dedicated to biodiversity, the forest, Alpine landscapes and glaciers, as well as relaxation and contemplation. A suspended net offers visitors a unique moment above the forest, facing Grand Roc Noir (3,582 m). To round off the experience, visitors can descend from the tower via a spiral slide wrapped by a staircase.

A fun and educational trail rooted in its surroundings

Designed for visitors of all ages, Vanoise Experience turns a walk into a genuine journey of discovery. The educational content, developed in collaboration with the French National Forests Office and Vanoise National Park, explores glaciers and their retreat in the face of climate change, the water cycle, larch trees and the forest. Interactive discovery games complete the experience. At the entrance, each visitor can receive a wooden token that activates hidden mechanisms along the route and can be kept as a souvenir.

The walkway route was also designed to manage visitor flows and limit off-trail access to the surrounding natural environment, thereby helping to preserve the site.

Open in both winter and summer, Vanoise Experience helps diversify Val Cenis’ tourism offering and strengthens the resort’s year-round appeal.

“This project is the result of several years of discussion, particularly with the local community, to jointly imagine an activity that complements skiing in winter and enables as many people as possible to enjoy this exceptional high-altitude site all year round, amid a magnificent forest and facing the Vanoise massif. It also continues our collaboration with MND, with whom we already shared the wonderful “Canopée des Cimes” adventure overlooking Mont-Cenis lake, and with whom we have built a genuine relationship of trust. Our close relationships with Vanoise National Park and the French National Forests Office are also an important part of our approach. They support our aim of combining tourism development, discovery and respect for our natural heritage. I am convinced that the future of our mountain resorts does not depend solely on creating new facilities, but on our ability to imagine experiences that showcase what is already most precious in our region. This is exactly the spirit in which we conceived Vanoise Experience.” Yves Dimier, Director of Val Cenis ski resort.

A project delivered with local partners

From design through to handover, MBS, a subsidiary of the MND Group, managed the entire project as the single point of contact, drawing on its Made in France industrial expertise developed in Savoie, at the heart of the French Alps. Civil engineering, transport and crane operations, as well as land surveying, were entrusted to local companies, while the installation teams were accommodated in Val-Cenis Termignon, generating direct economic benefits for the valley. The foundations were subject to specific geotechnical supervision, and the structure, made of wood-clad galvanized steel, was engineered to withstand mountain conditions, including snow and wind.

“At MBS, we help resorts diversify by designing and building facilities that make a difference all year round. Vanoise Experience is a great example: a new way to discover the mountains at Val Cenis.” Frédéric Lahaye-Goffart, Managing Director of MBS.

“We would like to thank SEM de Val Cenis for the trust it has placed in us for this unique project. Vanoise Experience perfectly reflects our conviction that memorable leisure experiences can enable visitors to discover and understand the mountains while respecting their environment. The MND Group has already delivered iconic projects, such as the world’s longest pylon-supported zip line in Chamrousse, Isère. This new treetop walkway further strengthens this expertise.” Xavier Gallot-Lavallée, Chairman of the MND Group.

Key facts:

• 126 m panoramic walkway, 3 m wide

• 23 m observation tower

• 5 themed areas dedicated to discovering the Alpine environment

• 1 spiral slide

• Accessible to people with reduced mobility

• Starting point at the top of the Roches Blanches chairlift (2,042 m)

• Project owner: SEM de Val Cenis - Contractor: MBS, a subsidiary of the Savoie-based French industrial group MND

• Investment: €2.4 million

• Opening to the public: 19 December 2026

A new project supporting Val Cenis over the long term

Vanoise Experience is one stage in the investment program undertaken by SEM de Val Cenis to modernize the resort, alongside the construction of the new Grand Coin detachable chairlift. Through this project, the MND Group, via its subsidiary MBS, demonstrates the strength of French industrial expertise and its ability to design sustainable leisure infrastructure that respects the natural environment, developed and managed from Savoie to enhance the year-round appeal of mountain resorts.