Morzine Resort Information
Morzine is a traditional Alpine village which has succeeded where many other French resorts have failed – in maintaining its character and charm while developing in to a proper ski town. The town itself originally housed local farmers and miners, and this is still evident today. In the 1930s though the first lift was built in an effort to attract recreational skiers to the area.
Skiing remained just a small part of Morzine’s tourist offering until local racer Jean Vuarnet came home from the 1960 Winter Olympics with a gold medal. He was subsequently tasked with creating the ski station of Avoriaz above Morzine, and of fostering links with the other local ski resorts.
These links between resorts would eventually become known as the Portes du Soleil ski area. Morzine now sits in a perfect position within a huge 600km of skiable terrain which encompasses multiple towns both in France and across the border in to Switzerland.
Morzine itself is a bustling resort which benefits from having a decent-sized permanent population as well as being able to attract tourists all year-round with a multitude of mountain activities. There are plenty of local amenities to keep any group of skiers happy – with family-friendly restaurants and cafes as well as lively apres-ski bars and nightlife scene.
One of the other major attractions of Morzine to tourists is that it is one of the closest French ski resorts to the busy international airport at Geneva. Being located just 75km from this major transport hub provides short transfer times and makes Morzine an ideal destination for short breaks, ski weekends, and also for those people who don’t want to waste a second of their ski holiday travelling from the airport.
Skiing in Morzine
Although Morzine is known for sitting at the relatively low altitude of 1,000m it has a good snowfall record for the months of December through to April. The resort’s location at the heart of the 600km Portes du Soleil ski area also makes it a great base for exploring a variety of skiable terrain in both France and Switzerland.
The area immediately surrounding Morzine is predominantly filled with tree-lined blue and red runs which are perfect for intermediates and beginners. Those wanting more challenging pistes will find themselves taking the Super Morzine gondola up to Avoriaz and further afield in the Portes du Soleil where they can find almost limitless areas of off-piste skiing, and one of the most challenging black runs in the Alps – Le Pas de Chavanette.
Morzine and the surrounding area can provide whatever type of skiing experience you are after. A mixture of terrain set in an unspoilt environment and winding through snowbound forests is sure to delight every type of skier and snowboarder.
