Sports & leisure
Winter sports are a very important part of the economy of Savoie, which boasts 60 ski areas and resorts. The development of winter sports was a natural step for Savoie to take, as the area has excellent winter conditions and perfect terrain for skiing.
After the Second World War, Savoie "Départemental" Council took the decision to actively develop winter sports resorts: a policy that bore its first fruit in 1946 with the building of Courchevel. More recently, the 1992 Olympic Games in Albertville focused attention on the area and strengthened the international reputation of its resorts. 
Summer tourism is also an important part of the local economy and a wide range of outdoor activities have been developed, including water sports on the area's lakes, via ferrata and rock climbing in the Maurienne Valley (the gateway to Italy), canyoning in the Bauges, mountain biking in the Tarentaise Valley and summer skiing on the glaciers of the Vanoise National Park... not to mention hiking, fishing, cycle touring, etc.
For more information on tourism in Savoie, visit the website http://www.savoie-tourisme.com/
Nature lovers have three national and regional parks to explore:
- The Vanoise National Park, which lies between the Maurienne and Tarentaise Valleys, was the first area to give protection to one of Savoie's emblematic animals - the ibex. Contiguous with Italy's Grand Paradiso National Park, the Vanoise's remarkable fauna and flora reflect the area's varied climate.
http://www.vanoise.com/
- The Bauges Regional Park rises above Savoie's two great lakes, Bourget and Annecy. It is an area of country traditions, famed for its cheeses and craft industries, particularly woodworking.
http://www.parcdesbauges.com/
- As well as providing a peaceful retreat for its eponymous order of monks, the Chartreuse is also a haven of peace for mountain animals, such as goats, crested grouse, Tengmalm's owls, and many others.
http://www.parc-chartreuse.net/
Not all sports are outdoor sports!
Savoie also provides excellent facilities for a full range of team and indoor sports (e.g., squash, bowling, karting, fitness). Many sports have teams that compete at national level, for example, handball, basketball, rugby, water polo, ice hockey, athletics).
But Savoie don’t forget the other sports!
All collective sports are represented on the agglomeration, as well as indoor activities (squash, bowling, karting, fitness …) and some teams even reach a national level (hand ball, basket ball, rugby, water polo, hocky ice, athletic sports …).
Chambéry's Handball team, Chambéry Savoie Handball, plays in France's first division. In 2005, the team recruited the French team captain, Jackson Richardson.
