Luxury Ski Chalets in Morzine

As with most settlements in the Alps, the inhabitants farmed and lived off the agricultural produce of the land, long before luxury ski chalets were even thought of. Later, the mining of the slate quarries provided further revenue, especially during the winter months, however, it was often necessary for the men of the village to search for work in Geneva, as stone-cutters, or as far away as Paris where work was easier to find.

In the 1920s, when the Alps started to be the fashionable place to visit for wealthy Europeans, the opening of the Grand Hotel under the ownership of François Baud became the first establishment built to welcome tourists. The summer visitors provided an additional income for the locals. Farming and slate mining were in decline, so the arrival of tourism was a most welcome shot in the arm for the local economy. 

As winter tourism began to take off and travel for the less well off became an attractive and affordable option, the ski industry exploded into life. The great and good of Morzine were not slow to wake up to the opportunity to cash in. In 1934 the construction of the Pleney cable-car, the 2nd constructed in France, opened up the valley further. 

At first, it was mainly hikers and mountaineers who used the facility, as skiing took place on the gentler slopes further down the valley. Over the next few decades skiing became more popular. As people grew more daring, they naturally developed a thirst to go higher and ski steeper.

In 1960 Jean Vuarnet won the Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley and went on to become the director in charge of transforming Avoriaz into a ski resort. He was in the vanguard of developing the Alps into the skiing mecca that it has since become. Jean Vuarnet realised his dream and created a mini Savoyard Colorado, with its avant-garde architecture. Thanks to the collaboration with Champery and Les Crosets in Switzerland, the Portes du Soleil was formed and gave Morzine its double identity, Morzine Avoriaz. 

Since those early days Morzine has become a superb destination for ski enthusiasts as the vast Portes du Soleil offers endless skiing opportunities and a wealth of pistes to suit every conceivable level of ability. Along with the growth of the area, Morzine began to attract many discerning ski tourists who demanded the highest standards of luxury ski chalet. Morzine has definitely risen to the challenge and provides todays visitors with some of the finest luxury ski chalets that the Alps has to offer.