Avoriaz is a ski resort located in the heart of the famous “Gate of the Sun” ski area, Port du Soleil. It was built about half a century ago, and unlike its traditional French and Swiss neighbors, it looks very modern. The architecture of Avoriaz is a fine example of modernism inscribed in the countryside. The resort consists of five districts (De la Falaise, De Crozat, De Roche, De Dromones, De Weed Fort, Du Festival).
Avoriaz is a ski resort in France , located between Mont Blanc and Lake Geneva, in the Chablais mountain range.
Avoriaz is not a geographical point, but a special philosophy. “The creators of the resort were in no hurry, they did not start to include concrete boxes in the race,” says Anne-Sophie Khazar, press secretary of the tourism office. A person who did not interfere with these mountains, he asked and promised that he would not distort the wonderful landscapes.”
One of the 14 and the highest (1800 m above sea level) ski resort of the Port du Soleil ski area. The most unusual resort of the French Alps thanks to its architecture. Multi-storey buildings, covered with wood from top to bottom, sloping facades and roofs that descend almost to the ground, as if repeating the surrounding landscape…
Car traffic is prohibited at the resort, all cars remain in the parking lot upon entering the village, and tourists with luggage are delivered to their accommodation by horse-drawn sleighs or snowmobiles. Instead of streets, there are tracks, you can approach each house on skis. All the principles underlying the organization of a modern ski station are perfectly observed here. The resort was originally designed, built and sharpened for skiing. Good conditions for children.
Characteristics of tracks
Avoriaz is famous among skiers all over the world for a reason – the location of the resort guarantees the availability of snow throughout the ski season; on average, the cover is eight meters.
Championships and stages of the World Cup are held here, just meetings and take-offs. The resort is suitable for all types of skiing. “Carvers” are guaranteed access to any tracks without bugels (though only on the French part). Freeriders are provided with jumps from rocky islands, a huge selection of off-piste skiing and races among Christmas trees. You won’t find queues here thanks to modern lifts with high capacity. Helicopters fly over the resort, trying to pass at a sufficient height. They pick up freeriders from “wild” routes (the service is budget for companies with several people), take them on excursions above Mont Blanc.
The most interesting skiing areas are Haut Forts and Pas Chavanette, from where you can descend the famous black “Wall” to the Swiss resort of Champer and.
Another interesting route of the French ski resort of Avoriaz , designed by the founder of the famous Burton company, deserves attention. The Stash track is the best track in all of Europe. Its location in the middle of a forest and a slope with this natural snow makes it possible to ride any extreme with different levels of training, for this there are three descents.
Let’s not forget about special devices for extreme stunts, there are about 90 objects here. Another novelty awaits you in The Stash area, this year a slalom track has been laid here.
The “First Exit” track is a 1.2 km long track designed exclusively for training beginners, protected and fenced off from other skiers, with an entrance right in the center of the station. Outlines have been specially added to the track, allowing you to organize training at various stages of getting to know skiing.
With a single ski pass, you get access to:
– 650 km of tracks – 2 countries – 14 resorts
– 195 lifts.
– 266 marked routes: 36 green, 106 blue, 124 red and black.
– 214 km cross-country.
– 10 snow parks, 3 halfpipes, 4 bordercross zones.
– 89 restaurants on the slope
The longest is the Chamoiser track in Morzyna – 11 km. There, the lower 500-meter slope is illuminated and open until 9 p.m.
The location of the resort allows you to ski to any hotel.
Snowboard parks
Avoriaz is the first European resort where the Burton Stash park with natural obstacles and freestyle figures was built.
The track with a height difference of 450 meters and a length of 1,800 meters will be a dream come true. It will allow to completely reevaluate the concept of freestyle park and reveal all the creative potential of riders. The Stash concept was developed by Jake Burton and members of the professional Burton team. The track is designed for the strongest riders. Stash consists of various natural obstacles – snow drifts, springboards, road gaps, wall rides, trees that act as jib figures, drops from cliffs, descents between trees and a one-of-a-kind wooden house that is an obstacle. In the production of the track, only natural components were used – no metal or plastic, only wood, earth and stones.
Stash is the result of two years of joint work between Burton and Avoriaz. Burton chose Avoriaz for its commitment to freestyle and a strong team of park employees, which has created one of the best resorts in Europe. Avoriaz park staff and Burton riders jointly designed the course and placed the obstacles so that riders could easily connect tricks on different obstacles throughout the descent. This park has a perfect location. When the clouds thicken over the mountains, you can have a photo shoot in the park without any visibility problems.
Where to stay in Avoriaz?
Almost all hotels in Avoriaz are 3-star. In the very center of Avoriaz is the famous hotel Les Balcons du Soleil , next to which there are many bars, restaurants and shops. The windows of this hotel offer a magical view.
The hotel mainly consists of apartments designed for 4-8 people. You will have a bathroom, a telephone and even a vacuum cleaner with a microwave at your disposal. The nearest lift is 150 meters away. There are many sports shops near the hotel, for those who came without equipment or forgot to buy something.
Also, 20 meters from the ski school, there is the Rsd Cedrat hotel , which is a 3-star hotel. It is 40 km from the railway station to the hotel, and 95 km to the airport. You can start skiing directly from the door of the residence.
In your apartments you will find: telephone, TV, equipped kitchens and bathrooms. The rooms are designed for two to seven people. The following services are provided to those staying at the hotel: a ski storage room, a luggage room, a bar, a disco, a Turkish bath, a restaurant and a sauna. Numerous entertainment programs are provided for children. You can go to school and take skiing lessons or take forest walks in the picturesque Avoriaz area .
Other accommodation options:
Résidence Pierre & Vacances Saskia Falaise 3 star hotel
Résidence Saskia Falaise offers ski-to-door access in the Avor 1800 ski resort. The apartments feature a private balcony with panoramic views of the Morzine Valley.
Guests of the Saskia Falaise complex apartments have a full kitchen with all utensils, a microwave oven and a dishwasher. A flat-screen TV with satellite channels is installed in the living room.
In the La Falaise restaurant, you can order traditional French cuisine and visit the bar. The hotel has a children’s club, and in the winter there is a 24-hour reception desk.
In winter, for an additional fee, guests can use the service of delivery of purchases, and order delivery of bread and pastries at the reception desk. When booking in advance and depending on the date of stay, guests will be offered discounted rates for buying ski passes and renting equipment.
The Saskia Falaise complex is located near the Swiss border in the Haute-Savoie region of France. The distance to Lake Geneva is about 40 km.
Next to the complex is the L’Aquariaz Mountain spa center with an area of more than 2,000 square meters. m with swimming pools and water slides. In addition, guests can enjoy a climbing wall, an outdoor hot tub overlooking the valley and a “lazy river” in the pool.
Maeva Particuliers Résidence Les Ruches
The Maeva Particuliers Résidence Les Ruches complex is located in Avoriaz , 600 m from the Ecole and Tour ski lifts.
All apartments have a living area with a sofa, a dining area and a fully equipped kitchenette with a microwave oven, a refrigerator and a stove.
The apartments have direct access to the ski slopes and a ski storage room. Guests can go skiing in the surroundings.
In the vicinity of the Résidence Les Ruches complex are the ski lifts of Sainte-Chapelle, Threshers and Dromont. The distance to Meitet Airport is 98 km.
Well, the most popular accommodation among tourists are apartments, the best of which you will find at the entrance to the resort, in the Fali area. The most significant difference from other resorts, all hotels and apartments, is their architecture. All buildings are finished with wood and fit perfectly into the local landscape. Some buildings are sixteen stories high. Accommodation prices range from 500 euros per week and above.
Restaurants and entertainment
- Bars:
After skiing – Le Fantastic bar: its name comes from the festival that has been held at this resort for 20 years. Legendary place, meeting of regulars of the resort. Located in the very center of Avoriaz.
“Le Bowling”: a bar with bowling alleys, billiards, karaoke, many video games and slot machines.
“Le Yac”: Modern nightclub with a DJ podium in the center of the dance floor (free entry)
“La Caban”: a mountain pub, a place with a chic interior, modern and cozy, with a restaurant, pool tables, a lounge bar, a huge bar and a dance floor with a stage for a DJ or live concert. Various programs: from 5 p.m., a cozy atmosphere for those who have returned from skiing, with light snacks and music, after dinner – an evening with DJs or live concerts (admission is free).
“Le Shooter”: a huge bar with a central dance floor surrounded by sofas and tables, a stage for a DJ. Very popular among foreign youth (admission is free). Many other bars with very different atmospheres allow vacationers to choose a different style for every evening. Many bars are concentrated around the showground, so you can easily move from one bar to another during the evening!
- There are many restaurants in Avoriaz (25 in the resort itself and 21 on the ski slopes) with different types of cuisine. Here are some examples:
“La Caban”: a restaurant with a special atmosphere, open until 2 a.m., offers French and Asian cuisine. Dinner in the form of a cocktail or at separate tables.
Les Entres: a traditional restaurant with a variety of cuisine.
“Le Bistro”: Inventive and refined mountain cuisine, French gastronomy, Savoyard cuisine, wine bar – all this in a new modern “mountain” decor. Cozy atmosphere, bright fabrics, carpet on the floor specially designed for this restaurant. At noon: sushi, baked goods. Prices: from €20. 3 halls on two floors. A large outdoor terrace with a beautiful view of the valley.
La Tableau du Marche by Christophe Leroy (Hotel Dromont restaurant): the famous chef from Saint-Tropez welcomes you to this snowy paradise in the shape of a pinecone … A legendary place where movie stars like Robert De Niro visited , Steven Spielberg, Isabel Adjani. Gastronomic cuisine that goes beyond the usual. Complex lunch – 45 €
“Le Chalet d’Avoriaz” – U Lanvena. Located in the upper part of the resort. Traditional Savoy cuisine. The oldest restaurant of the resort, located in an old shepherd’s chalet. It is kept by one family from generation to generation. The only triple fondue in France is served here: divided into three parts of cauldrons, in which fondue is offered according to three different recipes from the following: natural, with pepper, with chanterelles, with herbs, with wrinkles and with porcini mushrooms. You can enjoy them either in a “rural” atmosphere or on one of the two terraces overlooking the tracks. This restaurant specializes in mountain cuisine and uses high-quality products. All specialty dishes are prepared with cheese from a nearby Swiss farm.
155 Steakhouse: wine bar with a wide selection of sandwiches. Signature meat dishes: beef steak tartare, Italian-style beef fillet, beef ribs, risotto with wrinkles. Signature desserts. Everything is prepared on site from fresh products, the kitchen opens into the hall, the terrace faces south.
“Le-66”: Gastronomic restaurant in the new quarter of Amara. The terrace offers a wonderful view of the valley. Ski-in/ski-out access. Avoriaz novelty.
On the tracks (afternoon):
Restaurant “La Cremayer”: right on the ski slope, specialties with mountain chanterelles: omelette, veal ribs, spaghetti. In the heart of the small mountain village of Le Landard, Ski-in only access.
“U Koko” (in Champer, Switzerland): a mountain gastronomic restaurant on a ski slope. Features of mountain cuisine in an updated form (soup with hay, leg of lamb with herbs of alpine meadows …); an impressive wine cellar. Two lifts away from Avoriaz. Gastronomic discovery of your vacation. Pre-ordering of tables is recommended.
Entertainment and sports
In addition to skiing and snowboarding, in Avoriaz you can ride snowmobiles, ice skates, snowmobiles, work out in the gym of the sports center, go for a walk on snowshoes, try your hand at winter scuba diving; there are 3 snow parks and a superpipe.
For those who want to learn to ski, 5 sports schools are open, where 270 certified instructors provide training.
The club “Les p’tits loups” (“Little Wolf”) has been created for children from 3 to 5 years old.
In December 2012, Aquariaz was opened in Avoriaz – the largest water entertainment center in the mountain region, built according to the Center Parcs project.
Aquariaz is designed as a water paradise in a mountain area, where you can relax in the middle of luxurious vegetation and stones: a water stream, a slide, an underwater tree, a frog pool, a large pool with climbing walls, hydromassage benches and an outdoor spa with a temperature of 34 °, which requires an absolute visit!
This sweet word is Shopping
There are about 40 shops in Avoriaz where you can buy everything from essentials to exclusive clothes. 5 supermarkets: Shopi and Sherpa, Internet cafe
Nightlife
About 30 restaurants
Pubs, such as Pub le Choucas
Night club – La Yak
Discos Discotheque le Festival
Cinema
For lovers of active recreation, we offer: an ice rink, bowling, billiards, a sports center with a gym, sauna, jacuzzi, Turkish bath and a squash hall; sleigh rides, helicopter tours over the mountains, scooter tours, mountain biking, ice diving and so on.
Finances
2 cans
4 EC – ATMs in the center (Euro/Mastercard/Visa)
1 The post office is located next to the information office in the center
Telephone booths are installed everywhere (cards are sold in tobacco kiosks)