The cold season means one thing: Europe's ski season is in full swing. Alpine resorts across the continent have opened up for visitors to enjoy a ski down the stunning slopes. While prices might be on the expensive side for many, that's not the case for all places.

One ski resort in the French Alps is offering visitors the chance to ski for free. Located 1,100 metres above sea level, Colomban-des-Villards, a small village in Savoie, has free skiing for everyone, and Brits can take direct flights to Chambéry-Savoie Airport, which only takes around two hours.

The reason behind the ski-free experiment is that the resort is experiencing financial difficulties, with its deficit worsening over the past two years. Therefore, in an attempt to avoid further damage, the region has decided not to sell lifts throughout the winter, reports Euro News.

Mayor Pierre-Yves Bonnivard revealed that the ski area has been running a deficit for around 25 years, which initially was estimated at between 400,000 and 600,000 euros (£348,990 to £523,485) per year. Still, due to various reasons, primarily including unreliable snowfall, the deficit has grown, and in 2025 it had reached one million euros (over £872,000).

Mr Bonnivard told Euronews Travel: "Almost 40% of the town's budget was being used to cover a loss-making activity".

As a result, an order to drastically reduce operation costs, even if that meant partially or fully closing ski lifts, was made, and the link with the Les Sybelles ski area, of which Saint-Colomban-des-Villard has been a part of for more than 20 years, was also closed.

While it may sound bizarre to offer skiing free of charge, when the resort is suffering financially, it would actually cost more to charge for the lift passes. Selling the pass would require running a ticketing system and staffing ticket offices, which would incur costs of tens of thousands of euros. In contrast, projected revenue from beginner passes would amount to only 18,000 euros.

Officials estimate that the free skiing being offered this season will cost around 150,000 to 200,000 euros, which is approximately five times less than last winter, resulting in a still-present but more manageable deficit.

The small area that will remain open will feature two drag lifts and a spot designed for beginners and families. It is hoped that this experiment will attract more visitors.

The mayor believes this marks a transition rather than a long-term solution. Savoie is also working to diversify its tourism offer, with snowshoeing and winter walking routes also available.

He said: "The challenge now is to reinvent the future of medium-altitude mountain villages by diversifying their tourism offer, a painful but necessary shift for communities long dependent on skiing."

The free-ski period will be completed with an assessment of the rrsults at the end of the season, which will include a full financial and visitor review scheduled for April.

Local authoriries will then decide whether it should be repated or adapted in future winters.