Avoriaz
Space age Avoriaz may be at the centre of the massive Portes du Soleil ski area, but its modern architecture and high altitude location provide a very different ski-in, ski-out experience to the other resorts to which it’s linked by lift.
At 1800m Avoriaz dominates the valley above Morzine and its modernist buildings seem to grow straight out of the sheer cliffs below. It was designed in the 1960s by architects who wanted to make a statement and their fantasy-inspired, wood-clad, angular apartment blocks certainly achieved that, but if you want traditional Alpine charm, you should stay in other Portes du Soleil resorts such as Champery, Chatel or Les Gets.
Unlike them, Avoriaz was purpose-built at altitude on a slope and offers plenty of ski-in/ski-out accommodation, with pistes and lifts crisscrossing the resort. It’s also car-free: visitors coming by car either park at the edge of town or beneath it. Ski transfer services from Geneva airport are therefore an easier way to get to Avoriaz than hiring a car. And for a major ski resort, it’s very compact, with everything you need just a short walk or glide away. Whilst this is wonderfully convenient – it’s said that you never have to walk uphill to a ski lift in Avoriaz – there are some drawbacks. For non-skiers, there is less to do than lower down the valley in Morzine, and prices tend to be higher (although Avoriaz is still cheaper than more fashionable high-altitude resorts like Val d’Isere or Courchevel).
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