Trip and Vacation in the French Alps in Morzine
For all Austria "alumni" looking for a new destination suited for an active summer family vacation with towering mountains, charming towns, and above all, plenty of active recreation and action in dramatic nature, set off for the perfect holiday in the ski town of Morzine in the French Alps, a beautiful town located at an altitude of 1000 meters above sea level. A stream crosses the town, spanned by a suspension bridge connecting its two parts. Beneath the bridge is a large complex of pools and an ice rink where you can spend time with the whole family. For lovers of extreme sports, a modern ropes course has been established on the lower part of the bridge.
The town abounds with high-quality restaurants, stylish cafes, children's play areas, bike paths, sports and gift shops at every turn, and a special holiday atmosphere that you will absorb at every step in this charming town. In the center of the town, you will find a charming carousel and a variety of inflatables and shooting stalls for children.
The town lies in a valley, and numerous cable cars are located on both sides of the town to transport skiers in the winter and cyclists and hikers up into the mountains in the summer. In the mountains, you will find a great variety of scenic hiking trails and challenging riding trails for mountain bikers.
It is very worthwhile to purchase a daily pass costing 8 euros, which allows free rides on all cable cars in the area, swimming in the pools, mini-golf, and a variety of additional family attractions. The pass also grants discounts for many other attractions.
The hiking season in summer in Morzine starts in mid-June and ends in late August.
Morzine is located about an hour and twenty minutes' drive (90 km) from Geneva Airport (Switzerland) and two hours and a quarter from Lyon Airport (210 km). To these destinations, you will find numerous regular and low-cost flight options.
You can spend several days in the town and its vicinity enjoying a wealth of action, adventure, and vacation activities that will be detailed later in the article. Within up to a half-hour drive from the town, many family attractions are located, allowing for many relaxing days in nature and an active vacation without the need for exhausting drives.
Recommended Hotels in Morzine
♦
Julianna appartements, free rides to the ski lifts and indoor heated pool
An apartment hotel featuring vacation apartments with 3-4 bedrooms, a living room, an equipped kitchen, and 2-3 bathrooms. The hotel has an indoor pool and gardens.
♦
Just
Morzine - Chalet Luna
A holiday home with 4 bedrooms, a living room, and two bathrooms. Centrally located in the town with a private entrance, suitable for up to 8 guests.
♦
Hôtel
Champs Fleuris
Morzine
A hotel in a central location in the town, featuring two pools, a spa, a restaurant, and a bar. Double rooms and family rooms for a couple + two children.
♦
Hôtel
La
Bergerie
A hotel in the center of Morzine, with double rooms and family rooms, featuring a pool, spa, fitness room, and bar.
♦ Vacation Chalets in Morzine
It is convenient for families to stay in pampering vacation chalets in the town of Morzine. Penguin Company offers a large selection of family vacation chalets, ranging from small chalets spanning 45 square meters suitable for families of 4-5 members:
Photo: © Penguin Tourism Services Ltd.
Through three-story chalets designed for up to ten guests
Photo: © Penguin Tourism Services Ltd.
And up to chalets with 6 bedrooms, five of them with separate toilets and showers, a kitchen equipped with all required tools, refrigerator, oven, microwave, coffee machine, dishwasher, and washing machine. Spacious living room and dining area. Jacuzzi and sauna.
Photo: © Penguin Tourism Services Ltd.
In some of the chalets, there is an option for a rich and pampering Israeli breakfast, and most have an equipped kitchen. Some chalets feature a Jacuzzi. There are chalets attached to each other that are particularly suitable for an extended family or two sets of friends traveling together.
Attractions in Morzine and its Surroundings
Short video about Morzine:
Action, Adventure, and Recreation Activities:
Action enthusiasts will be glad to discover that from the Evolution 2 Avoriaz Morzine center, you can go rafting and canyoning, and for those without a fear of heights, paragliding as well. A YouTube video illustrating the rafting experience.
Photo: © Penguin Tourism Services Ltd.
In the town, there is another recreation center called
Indiana’Ventures (which in winter is
of course a ski resort) featuring a treetop ropes course, paintball,
laser tag, a mountain bike park, scooter riding, rafting,
canyoning, paragliding, "Speleo" - crawling, caving and climbing, and more.
Morzine also features a cool alpine slide called: Luge d'été MORZINE and a sports center with ice skating alongside an indoor pool.
Photo: © Penguin Tourism Services Ltd.
If you have dreamed all your life of doing paragliding, Morzine is one of the best places for it! At any given moment in the summer months on days with favorable weather, you will see flyers around you among the mountains above the town - at least 8 parachutes simultaneously! Even those who skip the pleasure will enjoy watching them from below.
Bicycles:
The town of Morzine is truly built around the sport
of cycling in the summer. In the mountains
surrounding the town, there is a large variety of challenging trails at various levels.
Numerous cable cars transport riders with
their bikes to mountain peaks, from where they
ride down winding trails back to the town. You can also take
nice, easy scenic trails along the river away from cars.
Many riders arrive in the area with their bikes
even by flight. But you don't
have to bring bikes from home; the town has many shops renting various types of bikes, mountain bikes, and electric bikes.
Even
hotels are equipped to accommodate cyclists with dedicated
bike storage rooms and cleaning and washing stations for bikes
and equipment. The "Club Giraffe" company
specializes in cycling trips in Morzine and will take care of all your needs
https://club-giraffe.co.il
Families not looking for extreme activity are also recommended to rent electric bikes and ride along easy trails by the river.
Short video about cycling trips in Morzine:
The Town of Les Gets
This town also offers a variety of successful chalets for families, located about 13 km
southwest of Morzine. It is also a resort town with numerous cable cars around it,
abounding with attractions, activities, and hiking trails. Its streets feature restaurants
and souvenir shops, and its center features a large carousel for the delight of the little ones.
It is especially recommended to visit its large mechanical music museum. There you will see
an enormous variety of antique music boxes ranging from tiny ones to giant ones
the size of a room. Some are manually operated and some with an electric motor. The town
hosts a colorful mechanical music festival in the summer (lasting two days) where
many music boxes of various sizes, stationary and mobile, are brought out to the street,
and near some of them, people sing songs accompanied by the music box melodies while
the operators and singers wear traditional costumes. The town is then exceptionally bustling with tourists, and bars and restaurants are full.
The town also features a
bowling club, a cute lake abounding with facilities, and opportunities for horseback and pony riding.
Short video about the mechanical music festival in Les Gets:
Trip to Lac De Montriond
The lake is located about 6 km north of Morzine. In the western part of the lake, there is a small tarn bounded by buoys suitable for swimming. You can kayak on the lake and walk along a trail that circles it.
The Goat Village of Les Lindarets
From Lake Montriond, continue about 5 km east and arrive at the pleasant village of Les Lindarets, whose special feature is the goats wandering freely through the village streets. At the shop on the small main street, you can purchase a bag of food for the goats for a euro and feed them. The village is also a starting point for many family trips and adventures in the surroundings, some of which can be reached by cable cars departing near it.
Cable Car Trip from Les Lindarets
From Les Lindarets, you can take several cable cars: it is highly recommended to ride the "Chaux Fleurie" cable car, which goes up to the "Fantasticable" attraction where you glide in a "Superman" position, or as they call it, FLYING FOX, over spectacular scenery at a speed of 100 km/h.
Short video about the "Superman" glide:
From there, you can descend via another cable car named Rochassons to an intermediate station with play areas for small children at restaurants.
From this station, you can descend via another long cable car, Pierre Longue, which passes over magical landscapes and arrives at the town of Chatel, which features alpine slides known as "Lodge" and downhill go-karts.
From Les Lindarets, another cable car departs to the other side of the mountain to
Avoriaz.
During this cable car ride, you can view the beautiful scenery
around and the silence of riding above the treetops, as well as see
mountain bikers speeding down mountain slopes. From the endpoint of this cable car
departs a successful hiking trail with wonderful views and a waterfall.
Avoriaz
About twenty-five minutes' drive east of Morzine up the mountain is a special town named Avoriaz. All houses and hotels in the town are built of dark wood, giving it unique character and charm. Vehicles are not allowed into the town; you park in a lot at the entrance. In winter it is a popular ski town, and in summer a wonderful destination for active vacation. It features an indoor water park, Aquariaz (especially suitable for rainy days), mini-golf, trampolines, lovely playgrounds for children, bike paths, and of course cable cars. It is recommended to dedicate at least half a day to it.
Short video about attractions in Avoriaz:
Star Trips in the French Alps:
Morzine serves as a starting point for star trips to the most famous tourist sites in the French Alps:
"MONT BLANC"
The highest mountain in the Alps, featuring an ice cave and amazing view viewpoints, is located about an hour and a quarter (75 km) south of Morzine. All cable cars and attractions depart from the city of Chamonix.
♦ Attractions and Guided Tours from Chamonix:
The most popular and famous cable car of all, which reaches the impressive glacier and spectacular viewing balconies, is the Aiguille du Midi. The daring
among us set out from here for snow hikes, equipped of course with appropriate clothing and safety gear including helmets, ropes, proper shoes, etc. Mountain climbers can also be seen on the steep cliffs.
From the other side of the town, another cable car climbs called Le Brevent
(composed of three cable cars). From the mountain heights, you can view Mont Blanc
in all its glory and overlook the numerous paragliders (very popular!
For those interested in this activity, booking in advance is recommended!). From the mountain top,
numerous hiking trails lead to a picturesque lake called "Lac Blanc" and the surrounding mountains.
Short video about the cable car ride to Mont Blanc:
Grotte de Glace Ice Cave
The ice cave in Chamonix is reached by a train ride ascending to the top of the mountain, followed by a cable car descent, and then about 480 steps down to the ice cave.
You ride the train for about twenty minutes to the cable car along a scenic route; it is advisable to sit by the window on the left side in the direction of travel. At the final station at the top of the mountain, you take a cable car descending toward the glacier. From the end of the cable car, you must descend over 480
steps (which you will also have to climb back up...) to the ice cave. The cave is artificial and carved into the glacier. It features several corridors with ice sculptures.
Every year the glacier melts further and retreats, so every few years new steps are added and a cave is carved in place of the one that melted. When descending the steps
toward the cave, there are signs marking the glacier's location by year, showing that its retreat is rapid and significant.
The streets of the city
of Chamonix are bustling as befits a popular tourist destination, featuring many restaurants, bars, and cafes where you can eat and drink between trips to various attractions while enjoying the surrounding mountain and glacier scenery.
The Picturesque Town of Annecy
The town is known as the "Venice of France" and lies on the shores of a postcard-like lake, located about 1 hour and 20 minutes (90 km) southwest-south of Morzine. In Annecy, in the narrow streets of the old town among the canals, a huge and colorful food market is held every Sunday. Lake Annecy offers a variety of active holiday options including cruises on large ships, kayaks, and pedal boats. Expansive gardens are located near the lake.
You should experience French food culture in Annecy by taking a food tour or cooking class.
To book food tours in Annecy on Viator:
Or take one of the guided tours offered on Viator:
Short video about Annecy:
Le Gorges du Fier Gorge and Montrottier Castle
If you are already near Annecy, not far from it, about 30 km south of it,
lies the narrow and deep Fier Gorge, which can be toured for a modest fee
via a railed walkway built onto the gorge walls.
Near the gorge is an ancient castle called Montrottier where you can take a paid independent tour.
The castle displays a collection of antique weapons and armor, rooms furnished with
antique furniture, and magnificent ancient halls.
The Accessible Glacier Glacier des Bossons
Featuring an easy and impressive hiking trail, it is located an hour and a quarter's drive (75 km) from Morzine.
"Devil's Bridge Gorge"
"Devil's Bridge Gorge" Les Gorges du Pont du Diable features a 45-minute guided tour through the gorge among giant boulders. The tour is conducted in English, but information sheets containing legend stories are even available in Hebrew! Located only about 20 minutes (17 km) north of Morzine.
The Town of Yvoire
On the shores of Lake Geneva (on the French side) lies a beautiful ancient town with a castle and special gardens attached to it called the Five Senses Gardens. In these gardens, you can touch, smell, and experience most of the plants, except for one section containing poisonous plants. It is recommended to descend to its small port and step onto the pier from which a magical view of the town with its castle and church unfolds. Another option is to take a scenic lake cruise. The town's picturesque winding alleys feature a variety of restaurants, shops, and galleries. The town abounds with flowers and is exceptionally well-maintained.
Horseshoe Waterfalls Le Cirque Du Fer a Cheval
The Horseshoe Waterfalls are located near the town of Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval, situated about 35 km south of Morzine. The Horseshoe Waterfalls are simply a panoramic nature film of over a dozen high waterfalls descending from cliffs standing before the hiker in a semicircle, and you can see all of them simultaneously from the viewpoint adjacent to the parking lot. The site offers plenty of successful hiking trails of various lengths in the forest at the foot of the cliffs and waterfalls and near streams. The site also features cute restaurants, both near the parking lot and along the trails. There is nothing like stopping mid-trail for coffee and the wild berry cake typical of the region.
Short video about the Horseshoe Waterfalls:
Waterfall - Cascade du Rouget
About four km south of the town of Sixt lies another impressive waterfall named Cascade du Rouget. This high waterfall is divided into two stages and is very close to the road running beside it. Next to the waterfall there is also a restaurant named Auberge de la Cascade du Rouget with a beautiful view overlooking the waterfall.
Amusement Park
Those who must have a
huge amusement park with dizzying roller coasters can travel to the park
Walibi
Rhône-Alpes, located about a two-hour drive (160
km) southwest of Morzine towards Lyon.
Day Trip to Switzerland
The tourist sites and attractions of French Switzerland (including cheese and chocolate factories you can tour, alongside cities, towns, lakes, castles, and St. Bernard dogs)
Are located about an hour and a half's drive from Morzine. It is definitely worth taking a day trip from it to Switzerland (without the need to stay overnight or have dinner in the expensive country).
