Morzine, French Alps & its Surroundings
Morzine, French Alps and Avoriaz make up the Portes du Soleil area which spans across two countries and thirteen resorts. This huge area is an obvious rival to the Three Valleys for the title of largest ski area in Europe, but lift passes, hotels, chalets and restaurants are all cheaper here in Morzine, than in Meribel and Courchevel. At only approximately 50 miles from Geneva, Morzine is easily accessible for the British tourist and as such, its popularity has increased dramatically over the past few years and it is quickly becoming a favourite resort for those in search of winter snow.
Morzine the Town
Morzine itself is a busy little Alpine town with a lively spirit. Traditional wooden chalets with slate roofs and stone foundations ensure that the village retains is character and Savoyard charm. In the summer, Morzine offers mountain bikers some of the world’s best mountain biking terrain, boasting up to 380kms of marked trails with varying degrees of technical skill required. With such variety on offer, Morzine has been proud to be a venue for the Tour de France and host to Mountain biking championships. Just a few of the other options on offer include: paragliding, golfing, fishing, canyoning and tennis.
In the winter, the Portes du Soleil area links together up to 14 resorts spanning across two countries, France and Switzerland. There is enough variety across the skiing domain to entertain both strong skiers and snowboarders during the week. Runs descending from Pointe de Nyon, and Chamossiere are challenging and the black runs from Mont Chéry are not for the faint hearted.
In addition to pisted runs and off piste routes, there are snowparks throughout the Portes du Soleil including the Burton sponsored “Stash” and one of the best half pipes in France. If you don’t ski yet still want to be active try snowshoeing or take a ice dive into the chilly Lake Montriand.
Morzine Nightlife
Morzine French Alps is a town full of life offering a range of sporting and cultural activities. There are plenty of excellent restaurants and bars for you to enjoy the après ski during the winter. The most well known apres ski hangout is Bar Robinson’s. Robbo’s is a traditional French cafe run by three locals who remember Morzine before it was so busy. Although the bar has no music or entertainment it offers a super strength lager that has made it a popular destination for anyone who’s spent the day on the hill. For a little more sophistication there is the Coup de Cour wine bar and for late night parties the Crepu, Cavern, Tibetan Bar and Opera are all grouped together just below the Pleney Cable car.