Avoriaz introduction
General Information
Avoriaz is a ski resort at an elevation of 5900 feet, located in the French Alps, and in the commune of Morzine. Since Avoriaz is an entirely car free resort, horse drawn carriages take visitors to their hotels. As well as being in the central position of the fourteen resorts in the massive Portes du Soleil domain, Avoriaz is in the top five of the snowiest resorts in Europe and is close to Switzerland and skiers have been known to ski between France and Switzerland. The area around the resort rises to about 8100 feet, there will be snow throughout the year. There are also helicopter tours of Mont Blanc starting in Avoriaz. Avoriaz is home to The Stash, the first ecological snow park in Europe catering to snowboarders.
Winter Activities
One of the major winter activities is the Ski Festival in December which includes contests of freestyle snowboarding and skiing as well as musical concerts. In January there is a dog sledding race. There are fifty ski lifts extending to areas that skiers of all levels of experience can enjoy, so there is plenty of skiing and snow boarding for the whole family. And since Avoriaz is part of the Portes du Soleil domain, there is access to many hundreds of more lifts and trails. Besides catering to downhill skiers, there are several miles of trails for cross-country skiers and back country skiers and snowshoe-hiking. There is also snowmobiling, tobogganing, and dog sledged rides. And Avoriaz also offers ice diving in the nearby lake. There is also mountain biking on the snow and dog sledging.
Summer Activities
Summer activities start in April with the Wild Festival Concert. Hiking is popular during the summer months as well as river-rafting. There are many miles of trails for mountain biking which is very popular in Europe. Also, hot air balloon rides are available. There is a mini-golf course and few tennis courts. The wellness center offers water aerobics, spas, and Jacuzzis and other exercise equipments if hiking and biking is not enough. And there is paragliding, a sport that was invented in the French Alps. There is also rock-climbing and mountaineering. Resonances Festival takes place in July, which features bands of different genres of music, also at the festival are fire-eaters, puppet shows, and many child-friendly activities.
Other Information
There is a horse drawn carriage that can be ridden all year round and since Avoriaz is car-free, is the best way to ride to your residence. There are plenty of hotels, bed and breakfasts, and restaurants in Avoriaz. All the areas in Avoriaz are accessible by ski. There are several concerts and festivities to cover many interests as well as taste treats. There is a cinema and a bowling center at Avoriaz and adding to the glare are a variety of stores for the shoppers.