Avoriaz - The Local Area

Avoriaz & Its Surroundings

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

The region encompasses the best of the Alps from quiet little hamlets to bustling resorts, picturesque rusticana to lively nightlife and extreme sports. Avoriaz is probably the most distinctive of the Portes du Soleil ski stations, due to its futuristic design and dramatic cliff top location.

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. Jaques Labro built the Dromonts Hotel in March 1966, and his futuristic design set the tone for the rest of the resort. The architects of Avoriaz have embraced the bold lines and sharp angles of its cliff top location rather than the ‘chocolate box’ chalet design that we tend to associate with ski resorts. However, despite being built in the 1960’s (the same era when many ‘concrete jungle’ ski resorts were hastily constructed) the overall visual impact of the resort is surprisingly in keeping with its natural surroundings. The buildings are mainly fabricated from wood and slate and blend well into the colours of the cliffs. Many of the designers that have contributed to the development of Avoriaz have won prestigious awards ie Académie des Beaux Arts, the Equerre d’Argent and a silver medal from the Architectural Académie. In 2003 Avoriaz was awarded a prize by the Minister of Culture for being one of the great heritage achievements of the 20th century.

The resort of Avoriaz 1800 has no traffic apart from sleighs, thus preserving the environment and ensuring your well-being. This means that you are not able to drive to your accommodation or around town, but parking is convenient and plentiful. All amenities are close to many of the apartments and residences and most of the accommodation is, quite literally, ski in ski out. Its car-free policy is enhanced by the addition of horse drawn sleighs and it is a common sight to see people sledging home after a night out!

The Portes du Soleil region vies for the title "largest ski area in Europe," with 212 interconnected lifts servicing a mind-boggling 650 km of runs sprawling across 12 areas, eight in France and four in Switzerland. There are 273 marked ski runs as well as 216 km of cross-country trails. The Portes du Soleil region therefore offers a variety of skiing terrain to suit all abilities.

Circuits (taking approximately 2h 30 min) organised according to ski levels have been designed to give skiers access to the various areas. Itineraries (blue, red or black runs) are marked by a specific mountain animal such as a bear, white rabbit, jackdaw, ibex or reindeer!

Beginners are well served in both Châtel and Champery. In Châtel, a new lift is being installed at Pre La Joux which gives easy access to a high altitude beginner’s slope. In Champery, access is via the cable car from the centre of the village. In Avoriaz alone there are 150km of lift served runs and 45km of cross country trails, as well as two fantastic snow parks. Avoriaz also has the best snow conditions in the Portes du Soleil, due to its high altitude. To read more about the Avoriaz and Portes du Soleil ski areas please see here.

The Alps are not just for skiers and boarders though! When all that snow melts the landscape is transformed and a multitude of other activities become possible.

Avoriaz and the Portes du Soleil is a mecca for mountain bike enthusiasts. There is a plethora of marked trails and vertiginous downhill routes for you to test your nerves on and every summer in June the region plays host to the Passportes du Soleil VTT (Velo Tout Terrain) downhill mountain bike race. This two day event gives everyone the chance to get involved with three routes of varying length and difficulty as well as a kids race; the most challenging being the ‘Classic’ 80km route that takes in 6200m of downhill biking! See our What’s On guide to Avoriaz for more details of when, where and how. If that all sounds a bit too hardcore, there are plenty of more gentle routes throughout the region that you can tackle at your own pace and the mountain trails are accessible via the ski lifts. The Portes du Soleil does a lot to welcome mountain bikers with its ‘Pass Portes Kit’, which includes a summer lift pass (worth 20€, can be recharged if necessary), a bike number plate and a guide to the 650km of marked paths, 4 bike parks and 24 lifts that are all open throughout the summer season. To read more about mountain biking in Avoriaz please see here.

For those of you who would rather enjoy the surroundings at a less frenetic pace there are a multitude of other summer pastimes to enjoy; horse riding, walking, fishing, golf… With rolling pastures, fragrant forests and clear mountain lakes there is a lot to be said for the Alps in summer.

Food is a great part of life in the French Alps, and with all those outdoor pursuits to try you can rest assured it is all very hearty! Local specialities are often cheese or cream based (sometimes both…), featuring local meats, potatoes and green salad. The food in the Alps is often accused of being unadventurous and ‘lardy’ but there are plenty of delicious regional dishes besides the good old fondue. The emphasis is very much on fresh local produce and so cured and seasoned meats will have come from cattle grazed on Alpine pastures, the local cheeses of Abondance and Beaufort will be prevalent and although there isn’t a coastline in sight there is still a regional fish dish! The féra is caught in nearby Lake Geneva and is a popular dish served in many restaurants, alongside other lake fish such as Omble Chevalier (char), truite (trout), brochet (pike) and perche (perch). The Portes du Soleil issues a regularly updated directory of where to eat and drink, the Pass Gourmet, ensuring that you can sample all the local delights while you are here! The hamlet of Les Lindarets reportedly has the greatest concentration of mountain restaurants in the Alps, and is a good place to head to if looking for somewhere to eat in Avoriaz. You can ski the runs from the Pointe de Mossettes including the Abricotine before heading down Parchets past the rustic chalets before stopping off for a bite to eat.

last updated 19-Jun-2008