This attractive 'pre-ski' Alpine town has been famed throughout France since antiquity for the curative properites of its thermal springs, with physichians prescribing up to 50 glasses per day for some ailments. During the 19th century, it was deemed that the waters' unique properties made them especially suited to fighting obesity - as part of a calorie controlled diet Alp Line presumes - and Brides subsequently shot to fame, entertaining guest after prestigious guest. It wasn't until the 1950s that skiing actually took off in here, the first runs being shaped along the les Allues flank of the mountain after nearby Meribel opened as a resort. Today, along with its spa and slimming clinic, Brides main attraction to vistors is its cable car link to Meribel and the Three Valleys ski area.
