Want to learn more about Morzine? Then read on…

Morzine is a traditional Alpine market town which has a long and proud history. But it’s also a hi-tech ski and summer holiday resort. Due to its fantastic setting and wonderful facilities, Morzine has developed into one of the most well-known year-round resorts in the French Alps if not the world. We love Morzine because it has managed to embrace tourism whilst still retaining its identity, traditions, language and culture.

The Morzine Language

Although most ‘Morzinois’ who deal with tourists speak English they do appreciate it when foreign guests try to practice their French, no matter how rusty it may be so don’t be shy!

The Morzine Seasons

• From December to April Morzine operates as a state of the art, world famous winter sports resort.
• In July and August, the resort bustles with excitement – activities, sports, festivals, and celebrations fill the summer season with life.
• In May, June, September and October (inter-season) Morzine goes to sleep with peace, tranquillity, pure mountain air and spectacular colour changes. This is a time to relax and enjoy nature at its finest. Some facilities are limited out of the main season, some restaurants close for a while and shops tend to only open on certain days.

Local Events in Morzine

In both winter and summer there are often interesting and exciting events taking place in Morzine and there is sure to be something taking place during your holiday. These include music concerts featuring leading artists, torch-lit ski descents down le Pleney, concerts outside the church, demonstrations, fêtes, fireworks displays, children’s activities, skiing galas, national league ice hockey matches, and significant other major sporting events such as the Tour de France and World, European, and National mountain biking, parapenting, and rally championships. Credit is due to the Morzine Tourist Office for their creativity and forward thinking in making these wonderful alpine events a reality and we hope you enjoy whatever is taking place during your holiday with Simply Morzine. Information on any Morzine events can be found in the weekly ‘Programme des Manifestations/weekly goings on’ leaflet, which will be on display within your Simply Morzine accommodation.

Night skiing in Morzine

Each Tuesday from 18:30, the ESF ski instructors put on an impressive torchlit display on the Pleney ‘Stade’ slope (next to the main cable car in the centre of Morzine). And if you want to have a go yourself, on Thursdays, the same Pleney ski slope is floodlit and open from 20:00 to 22:00 for free night skiing.

The Shops in Morzine

Morzine has a very good selection of shops and boutiques, ranging from traditional handicrafts and local produce (meats, cheeses, chocolates, liquors, etc.) to designer fashion, sports, and mountain wear. So if you like shopping, you’ll like Morzine. Opening hours are approximately 09:30-12:00 and 14:00 – 19:00. Please note that most Morzine shops are shut over the French lunchtime period, and some shops in Morzine may not be open in the inter-season.

Restaurants in Morzine

Most budgets and tastes are catered for in Morzine; from pizza and pasta, to steaks, Savoyard specialities and gourmet French cuisine. Many Morzine restaurants offer an excellent daily ‘plat du jour’. If you would like any recommendations or a table booking during your Simply Morzine holiday, please do not hesitate to ask your Resort Representative. If you’re unsure about which Morzine restaurant would best suit your group, you can check out their menus online.

Good mid-range restaurants in Morzine suitable for larger groups:

• Clin d’Oeil
• La Grange
• La Chaudanne
• L’Etale
• La Rotonde

Good mid-range Morzine restaurants suitable for smaller groups:

• Le Grillon
• La Flamme
• Le Tyrolien

Haute cuisine restaurants in Morzine:

• La Chamade
• L’Atelier

On your chalet chef’s night off during your holiday, Simply Morzine recommend dining at our very own Hotel la Chaumière, where Simply Morzine guests benefit from a special meal price. This is a warm and friendly three-star Morzine hotel with a lovely restaurant offering magnificent views over Morzine and up towards Avoriaz, a delightful mix of French cuisine, traditional Savoyard specialities and a taste of the Mediterranean! Your meal at Hotel la Chaumiere would consist of…

• A set starter
• A choice of two main courses
• Extensive buffet style cheese board
• A set dessert
• A range of wines à la carte (not included in meal price)

Après Ski in Morzine

For those looking for a few drinks after the slopes there’s several bars in Morzine town offering happy hour discounts earlier on. Our favourites include Bar Robinson, Haka Bar, Dixie Bar, Le Crepu, Bec Jaune & Le Coup de Coeur to name a few. For lively atmosphere ski back to le Tremplin bar, especially on Wednesdays where DJs play from 4pm.

Nightlife in Morzine

For those with super ski holiday stamina (not us these days!), the many bars and two nightclubs in Morzine guarantee a great night out. If you’re unsure of where to head out any of the Simply Morzine team will no doubt be able to give you some advice!

Fancy being pampered in Morzine?

If your chalet/hotel Jacuzzi/sauna/pool is not quite enough to relieve those aching muscles, we can arrange for a qualified masseur to come to your Simply Morzine accommodation to ease away those aches and pains. Again, just chat with our team in resort. There are also three massage parlours in town, one in the small shopping gallery opposite the Tourist Office, one opposite Restaurant la Chamade and one opposite Bar Robinson on the Route de Bourg.

Pharmacists, Doctors, and Emergency Services in Morzine

Morzine is well provided for in these facilities. Locations of the ‘Maison Medicale’ and all other services are marked on our Simply Morzine Map. Emergency Cards are provided in your holiday Welcome Pack, with contact mobile numbers for all Simply Morzine Resort Representatives.

Morzine History

• The start of tourism with the building of the ‘Grand Hotel’.

It is sometimes whispered that Morzine has only become a tourist attraction as a result of the influence of some diplomats in Geneva at the time, who fell under the spell of this village. The ‘Grand Hotel’ and its proprietor François Baud were the first to welcome tourists to Morzine in the 1920s. This took the village into a new era, with all the summer visitors acting as a breath of fresh air to a population who earned its modest living from farming and slate mining – an industry which even then was in decline.

• 1934: The launching of the Pleney cable car.

Soon, ever more intrepid tourists were to let the winter season win them over. The thick coat of snow was a good excuse for fun and games. The still little-known sensation of sliding, whether in a sleigh or on cross country or downhill skis became popular, as well as ski jumping! In 1934 Morzine inaugurated the Pleney cable car with great pomp and ceremony. A return journey in it was an excursion in itself, and the view was a bonus! As for skiing, it was restricted to the reassuring village pastures.

• The creation of Avoriaz.

It was in 1960 that Jean Vuarnet became the director of the resort and set about making his dream of turning Avoriaz into a ski resort into reality. The building of this ‘little Savoyard Colorado’ with its mimetic architecture helped to form the necessary push needed to create the Portes du Soleil thanks to the collaboration between Champéry and Les Crosets. It also gave Morzine-Avoriaz its double identity by allying tradition with modernism.

• Morzine today.

Thanks to its heritage Morzine has kept the basic precepts of a village from another time: wooden facades, carved balconies and local slate covered roofs. To discover the personality of the village we highly recommend the weekly guided tour of the local area.