CAN’T ALP BUT FALL IN LOVE..
Justin Kernoghan sees what Morzine has to offer tourists in the summertime
Located in one of the biggest ski resorts in the world, Morzine is a popular destination for winter sports enthusiasts like myself. But how would France’s winter playground – in the heart of the famous Les Portes du Solei – fare as a summer holiday getaway?
In June, July and August, it transforms into Europe’s biggest mountain bike destination.
It offers over 650km of fantastic trails, 20+ bike friendly lifts, crosscountry and downhill riding for all skill levels, and eight mountain bike parks.
Opening the Pleney downhill trail in 1996, Morzine was among the first resorts to use ski runs for summer mountain biking trails.
It’s a hiker’s heaven in summer, with great activities such as zip-lining, rafting, canyoning and paragliding.
The mountains are draped in plant life in summer, and the unmistakable blue skies create a stunning contrast to the landscape.
Hopping on the Nyon cable car and then the Pointe de Nyon chairlift I arrive at Le Pas de l’aigle - the eagle’s pass - viewing point.
The 15 metre glass footbridge, located at the summit of Pointe de Nyon at an altitude of 2019 metres, offers breathtaking views of Morzine valley, including views of Mont Blanc and Lake Geneva, as well as a 350-metre vertical drop.
From Le Pas de l’aigle, I hiked down to Lac de Nyon Guerin, an artificial lake for supplying snow cannons in the Morzine ski area.
I stopped for lunch at Le Refuge, a family-run chalet restaurant up in the mountains, overlooking the lake.
It serves delicious traditional food from the Savoie region, potato fritters, charcuterie platters, Tartine Savoyarde.
Other Savoyards specialties include raclette, fondue and tartiflette.
As I continued hiking down to the Nyon plateau, I was introduced to Eric Blanchot, the owner of Le Monte du Jacquotte, a petite farm operated by the Morzine lift company where children can see and learn about farm animals.
They can try out “Goat Agility” at the farm’s L’ecole des chevres (School of Goats).
Goat Agility was first shown at the Paris Salon International de l’agriculture (Agriculture Show). Eric brought it to Morzine in the summer of 2022 after adapting it for children.
Kids team up with a gentle and playful mountain goat, learn how to lead it on a rope, walk it through an obstacle course that includes a small wooden bridge and balancing area.
The Nyon cable car, the Pointe de Nyon chairlift, Super Morzine and the Pleney are the lifts that run in Morzine during the summer.
You can use these lifts for free with a Multipass, ideal for making the most of your mountain experiences without breaking the bank.
The Multipass provides you complementary and unrestricted access to over 70 activities across the Portes de Soleil, including ice rinks, swimming pools, Aqua Park, mini trains, buses between resorts, among many more. Thirty minutes riverside walk from Morzine village towards the Nyon cable car park is Cascade de Nyon. I faced my
We began with a 50m drop from a footbridge into the gorge
fear of heights and visited the
Cascade Aventure, an outdoor adventure park based next to the Nyon Waterfall.
First on the list was zip-lining. Harnessed up and ready to go I clipped into my first line with nervous anticipation.
Once I got one zip-line under my belt, I enjoyed gliding between trees, scaling high tree platforms and clambering across rope bridges.
Wet-suited up, I joined a group of 15 for canyoning.
We began with a 50-metre drop from a footbridge into the gorge, expertly led by Fred Buet, who knows every nook and cranny of it.
We continued down the fast
flowing river after entering the gorge, swimming, climbing, stemming, rappelling, jumping off waterfalls into deep whirlpools and shooting down naturally formed rockslides.
Afterwards, we headed to the on-site cafe for well-earned drinks before strolling back to our hotel.
My accommodation was at the newly-renovated Hotel Neve, a modern ski chalet design with a twist.
This three star hotel features 37 modern bedrooms, spa facilities including an indoor pool, fitness centre, sauna, Turkish bath, relaxation areas and a large outdoor hot tub, this was heaven after a long day of mountain activities.
My spacious family suite on the third floor had two rooms with king beds each, a goodsized ensuite and a large balcony with breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and village.
The food is delicious with a great selection of traditional bistro and authentic French dishes on the dinner menu, the slowcooked lamb casserole was especially tasty.a
fully stocked breakfast is set out first thing and is replenished often throughout service.
In the village, La Dez’alp is another popular spot. Its 45-day dry-aged Charolais beef sharing dish for two, served on a hot-plate it comes with three hot sauces and a selection of sides.
I have spent years enjoying the winters in Morzine, it should come as no surprise that I found the summer’s bustle to be equally exciting.
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The food is delicious with selection of bistro and authentic French grub