The ski resort of Châtel is located in the heart of the Portes du Soleil, between Geneva and Mont Blanc, just twelve miles from the French-Swiss border.

Châtel, a small Savoyard village, occupies a serious position in the ranking of ski resorts. The first reason is its belonging to the huge skiing region of Portes Du Soleil. The second is its geographical position. Châtel is well located between Geneva and Mont Blanc, not far from the French-Swiss border.

How to get there

Despite the fact that Châtel is located in France, it is most convenient to get to it from Geneva, Switzerland. The transfer time from the airport will take only an hour.

The nearest airport is Geneva (54 km).

The nearest train station is Monte.

Skiing area, lifts

The slopes are located in the upper part of the valley, quite far from the village, but the terrain is more interesting than in Avoriaz, and are much less crowded.

Ski slopes – 72: green – 15%, blue – 40%, red – 40%, black – 5%.

Châtel and its Swiss neighbors, Thorgon and Corbeau, offer their guests 130 km of slopes, located at an altitude of 1100 to 2200 m. Athletes of any level will not get bored on them.

Elevation difference – 1100 m

Ski trails – 72

Green – 11

Blue – 27

Red – 28

Black – 6

Total length of trails – 130 km

Cross-country skiing trails – 49 km

Artificial snow – 180 snow cannons

Châtel is part of the Portes du Soleil ski region, which combines 400 km of slopes with 285 pistes and 196 lifts. From Châtel you can also move to other pistes, the corresponding lift will take you to a wide variety of resorts in the Portes du Soleil zone.

When skiing at an altitude of over 2000m, you don’t have to worry about the state of the snow cover.

Châtel divides the Portes du Soleil into 2 large parts: from Linga, a lift takes you straight up to Avoriaz, and another lift, Super Châtel, takes you straight to the Swiss resort of Torgon. There are also separate tow lifts that are great for beginner skiers and snowboarders. The best place for beginners to ski is at the top of Super Châtel.

With so many lifts spread across the valley, it can be difficult to know where one resort ends and another begins. With incredible views of the rocky mountains and snow-covered slopes, many skiers and snowboarders prefer to enjoy the views that the resort is so famous for. Skiing in Châtel is also suitable for intermediate skiers, thanks to the widest selection of slopes for every taste. For advanced skiers, there is Linga, where professionals can try out the challenging slopes that run directly under the lift. Today, the resort has 6 ski schools, among which you can find instructors teaching snowboarding and off-piste skiing, thanks to which you can experience the territory far from people, in the silence of the snow-capped mountains.

Châtel has a great snowboard park with a halfpipe, from where most of the main lifts (chair or gondola) can take you to even more the famous snowboarding location Avoriaz. Châtel has a well-developed equipment rental and a large number of snowboarding schools, including such schools as Ski Surf Ecole International and l’Ecole de Ski Snow Ride.

Châtel has a snow park with jumps, rails, a quarter pipe and a boarder cross and half pipe track.

Chatel is part of the Porte du Soleil ski region – 266 slopes with a length of 650 km.

Resort hotels

CGH Résidences & Spa Les Chalets d’Angèle 4 star hotel

Located just 800 metres from the Super Châtel ski lift, Résidence CGH Les Chalets d’Angèle offers an indoor swimming pool, a hot tub, a sauna and a fitness centre.

All apartments feature a private balcony, a seating area with satellite TV and a private bathroom with a hairdryer. The fully equipped kitchen includes a dishwasher, ceramic hob and oven.

The hotel offers raclette and fondue for guests to try traditional Alpine cuisine. Newspapers and luggage storage are also available at the residence.

Massages can be arranged upon request and Wi-Fi is available in public areas. Ton-les-Bains is 40 km away. Private parking is possible on site.

3-star hotel Le Panoramic

Located in Châtel, Le Panoramic offers rooms with free WiFi and a flat-screen TV, as well as a bar and a shared lounge.

There is a fully equipped private bathroom with a bath and free toiletries. Bed linen and towels are included.

Guests at the aparthotel can enjoy a continental or a buffet breakfast.

Le Panoramic offers a terrace.

Hiking, skiing and cycling are possible within the area.

Popular points of interest near Le Panoramic include Chatel Ski School, TS DE Super Châtel Ski Lift and Tc Super Chatel Ski Lift. The nearest airport is Mayette Airport, 113 km from the aparthotel.

Maison Famille Macchi, Hôtel Restaurant & Spa 4-star hotel

Chalet Hotel Macchi, The Originals Relais is located in Châtel, in the Porte du Soleil ski area. It offers rooms with balconies overlooking the mountains of the Abonda Valley and a spa. A free shuttle to the slopes is available.

The rooms also have a reading corner and a refrigerator. All rooms have free Wi-Fi.

Chalet Hotel Macchi, The Originals Relais is famous for its Savoyard cuisine at Le Cerf restaurant. Guests can enjoy gourmet cuisine in the hotel’s restaurants, as well as in La Biche and Le Cerf.

The spa includes a heated indoor pool, a sauna, a hammam, a hot tub and a fitness centre.

3-star hotel Au Bois de Lune

Located in the Châtel ski resort, just 1.6 km from the town centre, this hotel offers a free shuttle to the ski slopes and town centre and free Wi-Fi. The hotel is 38 km from Morzine and Evian.

Each spacious room at Au Bois De Lune, featuring a typical Savoyard décor, is interconnected and offers views of the village from a private terrace. They are equipped with a private bathroom, satellite TV and wooden furniture.

Au Bois De Lune offers a daily buffet breakfast. Guests can access a private equipped kitchenette for an additional fee.

Guests can relax with free newspapers in the garden or on the terrace.

It is 100 metres from 8 tennis courts. A Multipass card offering access to many local activities is available at the hotel (only available in summer).

Au Bois De Lune is a 1-hour drive from Avoriaz and a 30-minute cable car ride away. Free private parking is available on site for guests exploring the Rhône-Alpes region by car. Montreux is 40 km away.

Après-ski and nightlife

Dozens of bars and nightclubs will be happy to welcome you until 4am. The new Forme D’O aqua centre features indoor and outdoor pools, saunas, a spa, a beauty salon and massage rooms.

Le Vieux Four – excellent food, fast and friendly service. Good value for money. Some dishes are simply exquisite. It is impossible to eat a portion of raclette alone, the portion is very large. Beautiful decor. A great place to end the day. We recommend booking a table in advance, in the evening the restaurant can be full.

Le Pierrier – excellent local cuisine and specialties. If you like steak, this is heaven!

Le Chalet de Theo is a secret place with very tasty local cuisine. Perfect place for lunch after skiing. Be sure to bring cash, cards are not accepted. The dishes are huge, for little money you can eat a lot.

Restaurant Le Chalet is a good restaurant, excellent wine list, food and service. This is just a treasure with very friendly staff. There is a good selection of dishes, excellent steaks and fish. The desserts are also large and varied. The restaurant is run by chef Alain and his beautiful wife Florence.

Chez BaBeth – an amazing atmosphere, once an hour someone is congratulated on their birthday and the hostess of the restaurant Babet gives the birthday boy a teddy bear. Every centimeter of the establishment is decorated. Keep in mind that the ceilings are low in the room, all the tables are close together, which can be stuffy.

It is worth noting the truffle risotto, foie gras burger, salmon glavrax.

Infrastructure and active recreation

The charm of the village of Chatel has been preserved thanks to its traditional architecture with a large number of wooden elements. Here, they take care of the cultural and historical heritage – there are no large buildings, all new buildings are made in the original chalet style of this valley. These chalets are distinguished by equilateral gabled sloping roofs, as well as balconies, the style of balconies in each village is different. Some of the resort’s chalets are more than three hundred years old.

Despite its old-fashioned style, Châtel offers all the conditions for a chic modern holiday and meets all the requirements of a modern ski resort. Young skiers can train at the ski school and snow kindergarten, and then, to their delight, there is a carousel in the center of Châtel, a children’s railway running through the village, and three safe toboggan runs.

A real event for the whole family will also be the new walking route “L’Éterlou”, with exciting game and educational stories on the theme of the environment, the mountain world of plants and animals. For adults, night skiing or halfpipes and boarder-cross in the snow park are offered.

Cross-country skiing enthusiasts are provided with 12 km of ski runs around Châtel and another 57 km in the Val d’Abodans.

Snowshoeing, ice skating, fitness center, bowling alley, paragliding. Skijoring – skiing on snowmobiles, aerording. Ice fishing (price for adults – 15 €, for children under 16 years old – 10 €).