Avoriaz & the Portes du Soleil

Avoriaz is one of the most distinctive Alpine ski resorts you will probably ever visit; perched high on a rocky promontory it looks down over the mountains of the Portes du Soleil and beyond. Situated at the centre of the Portes du Soleil it falls within the Chablais region of the Haute-Savoie, bordered by Lac Leman (Lake Geneva), the River Arve and Mont Blanc - there is no shortage of stunning natural beauty!

The Portes du Soleil is renowned for being the largest international ski area in Europe, spanning both France and Switzerland and encompassing the eight French resorts of Abondance, Avoriaz, La Chapelle d’Abondance, Châtel, Les Gets, Montriond, Morzine, St Jean d’Aulps and the six Swiss resorts of Champéry, Champoussin, Les Crosets, Morgins, Torgon and Val d’Illiez ... see "Avoriaz - The Local Area" for more

Possibly the most modern resort in the Portes du Soleil, Avoriaz is instantly recognizable for its dynamic architecture, based on the concept that in nature there are no right-angles. However, back before winter sports transformed the resort Avoriaz, or ‘Avorea’ as it was known, was little more than a cluster of alpine chalets and high-altitude pastures. Farmers from the lower village of Morzine would bring their cattle up the mountain to graze during the summer months. When winter arrived the harsh weather drove them back down to more sheltered land leaving the higher ground deserted. Back then skiing was not the popular and accessible pastime that it is today; the few hardy souls that trudged up through the heavy snow to ski back down had the mountains to themselves. One of these men was future Olympic champion Jean Vuarnet.

Jean VuarnetIn 1960 Vuarnet became a local hero when he won the men’s downhill skiing at the winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, California. On returning from his triumph he was made director in charge of transforming Avoriaz into a ski resort. Together with friends and business partners Gerard Bremont and Jacques Labro, amongst others, Vuarnet set about creating a viable infrastructure and generating interest in the resort. From the outset their plans were considered avant-garde and drew much criticism. The idea of making the resort traffic-free seemed absurd in the 1960’s when environmental issues were not on many people’s agenda and owning a car was a sign of affluence. However, the concept of leaving your car at the entrance and getting about on foot, sledge or even pony and trap is what gives Avoriaz much of its charm to modern day visitors. Vuarnet’s vision of Avoriaz as a ‘small Savoyard Colorado’ was totally different to the ideas that other, larger ski resorts were developing along. However, he and his associates knew that they were with working with a relatively small village that, geographically, could not expand outwards and so a more lateral approach would be necessary to carry out the development. ... see "Avoriaz - From Past to Present" for more