La Clusaz is a ski resort located in the Haute-Savoie department of the Rhône-Alpes region. It is one of the northernmost resorts in the French Alps. It grew out of a village ski club, which was created by a local teacher at the beginning of the 20th century. Fourteen Olympic and World Cup winners and champions in alpine skiing and snowboarding began their sports careers on the slopes of La Clusaz. La Clusaz regularly becomes the venue for major international competitions in downhill skiing, freestyle skiing and other skiing disciplines.

How to get there

La Clusaz is located in the valley of the Arabia mountain range, not far from the city of Annecy, an hour’s drive from Geneva airport.

Nearest airports: Geneva – 50 kilometers, Lyon – 150 kilometers.

Nearest train station: Annecy – 30 kilometers.

Daily bus services from Annecy or Lyon, in winter – from Geneva.

Infrastructure

Nearby is a group of resorts, halfway between Geneva and Mont Blanc. The center of the Grand Massif – Flaine (1600 m) – is located in the heart of the ski area, where many cable cars converge. It was built in the avant-garde style of the 60s. The concrete boxes that once symbolized progress now do not look very picturesque. However, the ski resort is quite comfortable, with a good reputation, and very sporty. The Grand Massif area (ski pass and general skiing area) also includes the village-type ski resorts of Samoëns and Morillon (700 m), as well as the small resort village of Le Carrot.

The area is known for its well-thought-out cable car system. The skiing is quite diverse, with a huge number of black runs, which have been given symbolic names: Lucifer, Mephistopheles, Faust.

Additional information about the resort:

Altitude 1106-2600 m

Residents 2000

Places 20000

Trails 130 km

Lifts 56

Season December 15-April 30

Skiing area

The ski season in La Cluza lasts from mid-December to the end of April. Most of the slopes are located on the northern slopes, there is a lot of snow in these places. The total length of the ski slopes is about 130 kilometers, plus 112 kilometers of trails designed for cross-country skiing. In La Clusaz there are slopes for vacationers with any level of preparation, but most of the trails (70 kilometers) are prepared for athletes with an average level. Accordingly, about 30 kilometers of trails are designated for professionals and a little less for beginners. Trails for beginners are located on the slopes closest to La Clusaz.

In total, La Clusaz has 128 slopes of varying difficulty levels – 34 green, 46 blue, 38 red and 10 black. A large number of slopes are laid in a dense coniferous forest, which guarantees comfortable skiing even in snowfall. Skiers will be calmer on the slopes closer to the village itself. The longest blue slope is Le Meridien. Professionals will appreciate the slopes of Col de Balme and l’Aiguille. In the evenings, the Patinoire gondola operates and you can ski on simple illuminated slopes. On moonlit nights, night runs are organized on the Cret du Merle and Cret du Louveteau slopes.

Some slopes are equipped for skiing in the evening and at night. The resort also has two snow parks and a halfpipe – snowboarders and freestyle lovers will appreciate this. The slopes of the resort are served by 56 lifts.

The skiing areas are relatively diverse, the trails, for the most part, pose high demands on both skiers and snowboarders. This is especially true of the steep forest slopes descending from the massifs of Pointe de Verres (2616 m), Del Aguil (2400 m), Del Etal (2400 m). The slopes here are mainly red and black, the most impressive being La Noirec in the Bogard massif. Where the slopes are not full of hills (which is typical of La Clusaz), skiing them is a real pleasure!

It is difficult to even list all the possibilities of downhill skiing on virgin soil. This is a real skiing Mecca for those who love freeride. As an example, you can name the wonderful slopes from Bogard towards the town of Tones.

The audience in La Clusaz is mainly young and sporty, so there are always quite a few people who want to go down the black slope or on virgin soil.

The ski resort of La Clusaz is located near Mont Blanc and is at an altitude of 1,100 meters, thanks to which the slopes are well covered with snow. The altitude difference of more than a kilometer promises exciting skiing. By the way, the skiing area itself resembles a giant circle, two “freeride” mountains, and between them – a high ridge of 2400-2600 meters with a huge variety of terrain for freeride and vice versa two “family” mountains with gentle slopes. In total, La Clusaz has more than 130 km of slopes. Lifts in different parts of the ridge lift to 1957-2477 meters, which means you can choose any slopes you like, descents to the other side of the mountain with giant drops are possible. There are also wonderful areas of the forest that are suitable for excellent technical freeride, by the way, untouched nature awaits you here in the forest – meetings with animals took place regularly. Well, for freestyle lovers in La Clusaz there is a snowboard park, which is served by its own fast tow.

La Cluse hotels

Logis Alp’Hotel, La Cluza, 3 *

Logis Alp’Hotel is a luxurious hotel with authentic architecture and Savoyard design.

20 cozy hotel rooms are equipped with all the necessary amenities. Guests have access to a steam room, hammam, jacuzzi and indoor pool.

The hotel is located in the central part of the village of La Cluza. Throughout the year, guests will have the opportunity to engage in various active mountain activities.

Hotel Beauregard, La Cluise, 4 *

To Beauregard Hotel offers spacious and sun-drenched rooms with well-equipped bathrooms and satellite TV. All rooms offer a beautiful view of the resort village of La Clusaz or the Arabian mountain range.

In the on-site restaurant Le Symphonie, the chef will prepare delicious dishes for guests according to authentic recipes.

In the bar and the large entertainment area, which has a piano and a fireplace, guests will have the opportunity to relax and drink original alcoholic beverages. In addition, the hotel has snooker and table football.

Visitors to the Beauregard Hotel can visit the hammam, hot tub and swimming pool, which is open 24 hours a day. The hotel is located near the center of the resort village, thanks to which guests will have the opportunity to quickly reach the local shops and entertainment venues. In summer, you can go hiking in the mountains.

Best Western Alpen Roc Hotel, La Cluise, 3 *

The rooms at the Alpen Roc Hotel have a private bathroom, satellite TV and free wireless internet.

In the hotel’s Alpen Roc restaurant you can enjoy a rich breakfast buffet and authentic cuisine. The café-restaurant has large bay windows with beautiful views of the village. Dinner is served buffet style only during the French school holidays.

The Best Western Alpen Roc offers free parking, a 24-hour reception and a ski and bicycle storage area.

Résidence – Les Grandes Alpes, La Cluise, 4 *

This 4-star complex is just a 3-minute walk from the ski slopes in La Clusaz. It offers ski storage, free garage parking and a free 250 m² spa with an indoor pool, sauna and hot tub.

Les Grandes Alpes offers chalet-style apartments with a private balcony and mountain views. They also have a fully equipped kitchenette. Guests can order bread and croissants for breakfast.

The complex has a lounge where you can relax by the fireplace, play billiards or watch an LCD TV. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout.

In winter, skiing is the main activity, while in summer, Lake Annecy is popular, 30 km from the complex. Geneva International Airport is a 55-minute drive away.

La Ferme 2-star hotel

Hotel La Ferme is located in the Alpine ski resort of La Clusaz. Each room has a private shower, a TV and free Wi-Fi. Some rooms have a balcony. All rooms offer panoramic mountain views.

Hotel La Ferm is located on the ski slopes. The cozy, country-style restaurant serves traditional cuisine and mountain specialties. A bar is open in the evenings.

Guests of Hotel La Ferme can enjoy skiing and various winter sports. In summer, guests can go hiking or mountain biking. The hotel has a charging station for electric cars.

Holidays with children in La Clusaz

Families with children love to come to La Clusaz for a holiday, as there is a kindergarten and a ski school with a safe skiing area for children. The kids’ club offers music and craft classes.

Entertainment and leisure

After skiing at La Cluza resort, you can have fun, shopping, visiting restaurants, bars and clubs. Alternative après-ski activities include visiting the ice rink, the aqua center with a swimming pool and a gym, horse-drawn sleigh rides or husky rides. There is a wide selection of extreme activities – such as paragliding, ATV and snowmobile riding and even hot air ballooning. Excursions to nearby farms are also available.

La Clouseau is a charming place located just an hour’s drive from Geneva. A real Savoyard village, not cluttered with ultra-modern hotel complexes.

The town is located in a mountain bowl, from which two gorges diverge like “sleeves”. On their slopes there are trails for a variety of skiing. This place has a long tradition of extreme skiing. There are two reasons for this.

Firstly, there is a full range of conditions for the most crazy freerider: virgin land, rocks, hills, virgin forest, etc. Secondly, La Cluza is the birthplace of professional extreme sportsmen: Olympic mogul champion Edgar Grospiron, world champions Raphael Monod and Alexis Blanc, you can even watch their bodyflex videos.

The local fan club probably consists of the craziest skiers in Europe. Throughout the season, La Cluza hosts an endless series of ski festivals and carnivals, so a vacation spent in this capital of freestyle and extreme sports promises to be far from boring. Natural additions to extreme skiing are rafting, heli-skiing and similar entertainment.

La Clusaz is a very inexpensive resort, although people with pretensions will also like it here. The mature public will like the local restaurants with traditional Savoyard cuisine. For young people, who rest here in large numbers, there is nightlife in all its diversity.

On a bad day or if you just want a different landscape, I recommend going on a short trip down the valley. A 30-minute drive from La Clusaz on the shores of Lake Annecy is the town of the same name. It is difficult to find a more charming place for afternoon coffee or a formal dinner. Lake Annecy is a miniature copy of Lake Geneva, and the city itself is very reminiscent of Little Venice.

Shopping in La Cluza

On Monday mornings, La Cluza hosts a farmers’ market where you can buy souvenirs made by local artisans, as well as local products. One of them is the soft, rind-rind Reblochon cheese, washed after being pressed in brine. The city’s many cafés and restaurants serve dishes based on Reblochon, including fondue and raclette.