Colors of Albertville - traditions, festivals, mentality and lifestyle

Albertville is a popular winter resort in France. It lies in the northern part of the Savoy department, at the confluence of the rivers Izer and Shez. In 1992, Albertville was the major sports center and hosted the Winter Olympic Games, as well as the most convenient transport hub for trips to the resorts located at the foot of Mont Blanc massif. Albertville is a famous local ski resort but is little known beyond French borders. Since the mountains here are relatively low, it doesn't stop the French themselves coming here to live in quite familiar "flat" conditions and ride on the best slopes of Megeve and Paradiski.

Albertville resort is also a well-known cultural center. Local people respect and observe numerous interesting traditions and customs, as far as consider their culture very attractive and original. And that is true! Despite the fact that the national cuisine is not distinguished by the abundance of complex dishes, the art of cooking is treated with great attention here. The most important meal for residents is lunch. By tradition, you need to start it with a meat platter. The house owners, when inviting guests to dinner, serve the festive table with a large dish filled with lard, jerked beef, and slices of black bread.

No less popular dish, which is now known far beyond Albertville, is the fondue. Even if the original fondue recipe is quite complicated, you can try its simplest version in one of the local restaurants. Local people of Albertville are the real gourmets of traditional French wine. That's why, after a great ski pastime, they prefer to warm themselves with a delicious mulled wine, which is also a popular national drink. Residents call it "warm wine". In each restaurant and cafe, you will certainly be offered a mug of mulled wine, as far as there is simply no other way to keep warm after skiing. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Many tourists aim to organize their trip to Albertville on Christmas Eve. The fact is that the New Year holidays are always celebrated very magnificently here. For several weeks, the streets of the city are decorated with bright illuminations, lights, and festive decorations. Local people love to project and arrange solemn processions for the holiday. For example, in the evening you will be impressed by bright traditional pyrotechnic shows. In the afternoon, go to the main square and enjoy fairs and musical performances. The most anticipated festive event is the orchestra marches held along the streets of the city. On New Year's Eve, everyone is looking forward to the appearance of Santa Claus on the main city square. This is the best part of the holiday for children, as far as he presents nice gifts and sweets to them. In turn, children show him handmade ice figures and snowy cities.