Morzine and Avoriaz: The Mountain Cure; More than a Holiday

Travel

Posted on September 9, 2025

More than a holiday: Morzine & Avoriaz prove that the new luxury is adventure, purpose and space to breathe.

This summer I travelled to Morzine and Avoriaz, located in the vast Portes du Soleil ski area of the French Alps, in search of what I can only describe as a High-Altitude Reset. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but what I discovered ended up being much more than just a holiday. In Morzine and Avoriaz, the mountains offer the ultimate antidote to a too-busy life; a place where adventure becomes the new luxury, where purpose comes from pushing yourself just a little higher, and where the simple act of breathing in alpine air feels like medicine for this (usually) urban soul.

Getting There:

Geneva is the gateway and it is an easy hop from London Gatwick on EasyJet with returns from around £56 pp. From there it’s just 80 km, around 90 minutes by road. We travelled with Skiidy Gonzales, the transfer company the locals recommend: €90 / £78 pp return for a shared ride, or €110 / £93 pp each for a private return based on four sharing.

Morzine is simply beautiful; think timber balconies and tumbling geraniums, in fact it is very much the idyllic Alpine picture-perfect “postcard that actually lives up to the picture.” Above it at 1,800m sits Avoriaz, which is known for its distinctive, wood-clad architecture and dramatic clifftop location, famously and gloriously car-free.

Day One: Pedals, Peaks, and Après-MTB

We based ourselves on our first night at the very pretty chalet-style Hotel Alpen Roc in Morzine. Just a short stroll from the Super Morzine gondola, it’s the kind of place where you exhale and already feel your pulse syncing with mountain rhythm.

Alpen Roc is one of those hotels that feels stitched into the fabric of Morzine life. Originally built as a family-run inn for skiers in the 1970s, it has kept its warm, chalet spirit whilst also having been updated for modern travellers. Today it blends that history with comforts like a pool, jacuzzi and sauna. These small luxuries feel wonderful after a day of alpine effort.

The food offering is just as much a draw. Expect traditional Savoyard dishes like fondue, tartiflette or a rich beef bourguignon, alongside lighter options like salads. It’s exactly what you want in the Alps: hearty, generous, and with a lovely, easy and friendly level of service.

“Forget après-ski,” I joked on Instagram. “In summer you come to Avoriaz for the après-MTB.” But first, you need to earn that drink. And oh, how we did…

The gondola was our gateway to the day’s adventure: an e-MTB session in Avoriaz Bikepark. I picked up my bike, along with my group of co-e-MTB’ers, at the hire shop in Morzine and met Yann – our endlessly patient and talented guide – and we loaded our bikes into the gondola. In winter, these cabins carry skiers; in summer, they’re filled with mountain bikes dangling at seemingly impossible angles. Lifting the bikes onto the gondolas was the first challenge, luckily lots of friendly gondola operators are on hand to show you the ropes and navigate your first time!

Then we were off. Despite the friendly “boost” button (this is the ‘e’ part) you still pedal – constantly – and the assist just means those hugely-steep climbs are actually possible. We covered just over 30 miles – around and then upwards through the mountains, hopping between smooth routes and twisting woodland tunnels. The mid-forest flow trails were my favourite: with compressions that pop you skyward, and mini-jumps that are fast and exciting. That eekk-in-the-throat rush? It’s real!

En-route we also rolled through the goat village of Les Lindarets, which was an absolute delight and like something out of an Alpine fairytale, clattered across wooden bridges, and paused by hidden waterfalls. Reaching the top felt wonderful and euphoric.

Then came the ‘you must commit’ moment. A steep, shale-strewn downhill from the peak. Not exactly my cup of tea but, coached by Yann, I kept my heels down, hands firmly on the brakes, eyes up, and let the bike do the work. I realised I was sweating out more than just lactic acid. Somewhere between the climbs and the laughter, the Mountain Cure had started to take hold. I reached the bottom slightly feral but entirely proud.

And then, finally, après-MTB: beers in the sun, very muddy, and with the giddy satisfaction of having made it. What an experience!

Into the Wild: Refuge de la Golèse

After handing back the bikes and checking out of Alpen Roc, we laced up our boots for a different kind of medicine: a hike to the Refuge de la Golèse.

The climb is steady, through a defined path in a pine forest; it gradual rather than steep but it is a constant upward hike. Just over an hour and a half later we reached the refuge, a sturdy wooden building that has been run by the Baud family for more than 25 years. The refuge was rebuilt in the 1990s after an avalanche destroyed the original, and since then it has become a rite of passage for hikers, bikers and families tracing the trails of the Portes du Soleil. Inside, everything is built for congeniality: long wooden tables, steaming bowls of soup, chunky bread and cheese, and hearty main dishes that taste wonderful after the climb.

Beds are bunks in shared dorms, bathrooms are shared, and the amenities are simple, but that’s all part the charm. A night here (from €53 / £45 half board) strips life back to the essentials: food, shelter, and a view so wide it resets your perspective and settles you into the slower rhythms of mountain life.

Day Two: Indulgence at Altitude

After the simplicity of the refuge, the pendulum swung back to indulgence. We headed to Avoriaz and checked into Hotel Le MiL8 which is a wonderful design-led 4-star hotel that feels cosy and chic.

The showstopper there is the heated infinity pool, where the water dissolves into a blur of sky and the glorious Alps. Watching the peaks sharpen against the sinking sun, I loved this. It was perhaps the hotel’s most unexpected luxury: not just a pool with a view, but a pool that feels like part of the view itself.

We also enjoyed a beautiful dinner at MiL8. Their restaurant champions local produce with a menu that is artisan, healthy, yet indulgent. This was that Mountain Cure in yet another form… nourishment, not just fuel. Proof that indulgence, when grounded in place and purpose, is every bit as healing as effort.

Day Three: Taking it Higher

After indulgence, it was time to gather my courage for the final part of our itinerary: the Avoriaz Via Ferrata.

If e-biking had been about sweat and speed, this was about nerve and balance. I was nervous for this – I had never climbed before – but I was up for the challenge (pretty much!). The route starts gently enough but soon you’re clipping into a steel cable that hugs the mountain wall. From there, it’s part hike, part high-wire act: metal rungs bolted into cliffs, cable bridges swaying above the void, and ledges that force you to hug the rock.

Was I terrified? Absolutely. There were moments I panic-laughed – not because it was funny, but because laughter was the only way to keep moving. One hand on the rung, one foot searching for the next hold, and my brain shouting: you said you liked champagne and spa robes, remember?

But then something shifted. My grip steadied, my legs found rhythm (helped by our guide and some of my much more experienced companions), and the abyss beside me transformed into a panorama of jagged peaks and rolling valleys. By the time I unclipped at the finish, heart pounding but grin firmly on my face, I realised fear had burned away to reveal a steadier, stronger self.

In the French Alps it seems, grit and glamour don’t cancel each other out – they work together perfectly.

Why the French Alps are so Special

The numbers show summer here is booming, with Morzine and Avoriaz doubling occupancy in recent years as more travellers discover the Alps beyond the snow. But what statistics can’t capture is the way fear on a cliff edge transforms into exhilaration, how a meal tastes better when it’s earned, or why sliding into an infinity pool after a day on the trails feels like the ultimate indulgence.

What struck me most is how this kind of alpine escape feels made for everyone – especially urbanites. Actually, for those of us plugged in, scheduled out, and half-online even on weekends, Morzine and Avoriaz in summer offer more than a holiday… they provide a recalibration… and perhaps we townies need their magic more than most.