La Fouly, 13 km south of Orsieres, is a small ski resort with one chair lift and two t-bar lifts, several ski slopes, and a network of country-ski trails. It is the highest altitude settlement in the valley with year-around car access. In summer, La Fouly is an important starting point for hikes in the higher valley.
Originally, La Fouly was a meadow where shepherds with their cattle took a break on their seasonal tour from the lower villages to the high-altitude alpine pastures. Stone houses and wooden barns were to accommodate the shepherds and their herds.
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Glacier de l'A Neuve
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Grand Hotel du Val Ferret
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Old house in the fields of La Fouly
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Chalet on bank Dranse de Ferret
The scenery around La Fouly, including the Tour Noir (3,860 m) and the Mont Dolent (3,820 m) with the Glacier de l’A Neuve was starting point for the development of tourism in the area. The Grand Hotel du Ferret, situated on the north edge of the village, was built in 1925 and has later been converted from a hotel into apartments. The chapel of La Fouly which sits on the left bank of the Dranse-de-Ferret was built in 1945. The construction of the ski lifts as well as the development of chalets in the area took off in the 1960s. Improvement and pavement of the road from Praz-de-Fort to La Fouly was a main driver for the development of La Fouly. Several apartment blocks have been added to La Fouly in recent years, but protection of agricultural land and restrictions on construction of secondary residence held back further development.
A small commercial area was built next to the lower end of the ski slope, with a convenience store and a sports shop, as well as a tourist information in separate building. La Fouly is dominated by secondary residences but 65 permanent residents live in the village as of January 1st 2020.