Morzine

Morzine is certainly the most active of the Portes du Soleil resorts, with plenty of good restaurants and a lot more bars and nightlife than nearby Chatel and Les Gets. Much more a town than a resort in truth, Morzine spreads out into far-reaching suburbs. Despite this however, it has still managed to maintain its traditional feel. It is mostly characterised by chalet style buildings and thankfully you won't find any high rise blocks here.

Due to its size it can be inconvenient depending on the location. Choose the right place and the slopes are just a stroll away, the wrong place will require you to use a car or bus, though property prices tend to reflect this. For many dedicated fans Morzine and its active, dual season nature make some slight inconveniences worthwhile.

For a delicious dinner head to the L'Atelier and Chamade or for some wine and tapas Le Coup de Coeur. Then get down to the Cavern bar for a few drinks and, should you not wish the night to end, the Opera club is right next door. If you don't feel like skiing, you can always go to the Parc des Dereches to relax in the pool and spa.

As part of the Portes du Soleil ski area you essentially have 650km to explore. Morzine is also part of the main circuit thus, unlike some other PDS resorts, you can access the majority of it without having to take your skis off. 

On heading out in the morning, you can either choose to explore the local slopes which are, on the most part, very pleasant and quite beautiful wooded runs. These are not too steep and include a couple of bowls. You have to walk/get a tractor train over to Les Gets but together these villages share around 120km of slopes.

Alternatively you can head up the Super-Morzine lift to access Avoriaz. From there you can ski the huge variety of slopes all the way to Chatel as well as the many resorts on the Swiss side of the PDS. Some Alpine resorts lack access to huge amounts of skiing, Morzine is not one of them. The whole area is also well catered for with plenty of mountain restaurants. The Chez Nannon in the Vyon/Chamossiere sector is rated particularly highly.

Morzine is a proper town and, as oppose to a seasonal resort, has a real year round feel to it. Not only does this mean that most of the bars and restaurants stay open during Summer, but there are also plenty of activities to enjoy.

The main one being hiking, as the Portes du Soleil offers no less than 800km of marked trails, taking you through forests and lakes all the while surrounded by spectacular views. Mountain bikers are also well catered for, with 130km of trails and downhill slopes with something to suit every ability.

If walking and biking isn't your thing, then you can go for the more extreme options like canyoning, kayaking and rock climbing. If they're a bit too adventurous then you can always head over to Les Gets for some golf, find a lake to fish in or even peruse the weekly Morzine market to sample the local produce.

Morzine has been a very popular resort for a long time now, thus it did appear at one point that all the space had run out and most of it's developments had already been built. Recently very little has come on market here, however in late 2018 a number of new apartment developments have begun to pop up. 

Despite the fact it seemed like most of the spare space was gone, these developments are all well placed either near the centre and/or the slopes. Over the past few years, buyers who frequent the resort have often been left disappointed with the lack of good available properties. So if you're one of them, make sure not to miss out on one of these new opportunities.