Pick a spot | Perfect picnics in the Portes du Soleil

Throwing a picnic together and stepping out into the great outdoors is a timeless way to enjoy a beautiful sunny day.

To help you discover the best places to throw down your rug around the valleys, mountains and lakes of Morzine, we’ve shared a few of our favourite picnic spots.

Lac Mine d’Or

At the end of the Manche Valley sits a stunning lake in a truly captivating setting of forests, meadows and mountains. Here you can marvel at the cliffs of Nyon and the huge fold of rock that is known as Tete deBostan.

If you want to get away from it all but don’t fancy hiking with your picnic gear, this is a great option as in the summer you can park next to the lake, unpack and pack away your picnic, before enjoying the beautiful trails into the woodlands and mountains.

This is a popular spot for fishing and around the lake you will find lots of wildlife. The well marked paths are easy walks for all the family. From the lake you can take a pleasantwalk to the Col de Cou and the alpine pastures of Fréterolle . In 10 minutes, you will arrive at a farm where deer and Abondance cows graze.

How to get there

From Morzine centre take Route de La Manche past the Nyon telecabin, keep following the road for around 10 mins. You will see the turn off for Lac Mine d’or sign posted, and find parking at the end of the road.

Find in Google Maps here.

La Chaux

The cross at the highest point of Rocher de la Chaux (known fondly to locals as the Tête de l’Eléphant for its uncanny resemblance to an Elephant’s head), is a great place to enjoy a picnic with a phenomenal view. At 1815m you will feel on top of the world as you peer out across villages and valleys, and admire the stunning view of Mont Blanc.

This is a real family favourite and you can watch a video we made about one of our adventures camping at this very spot last summer. You may also find some helpful inspiration on locally sourced goods to include in your picnic hamper!

For a moderate 45 minute uphill walk to the picnic spot, park at Les Onchets in Saint Jean D’Aulps. From here a trail takes you through the forest, with stunning views through the trees of the mountains, until the last 10 minutes when you pop out into the sunshine to find the clearing where the cross stands on a breathtaking vista.

How to get there

To park at Les Onchets, from the centre of Saint Jean D’Aulps village, turn right after the church onto Route de l’Abbaye. After a few minutes fork right onto Route de la Villaz. Keep following this road up, past the hamlet of Penotet, until you come to Les Onchets. There is a small parking area on the left-hand side of the road (found here on Google maps). After the parking follow the trail that heads upwards into the forest. Stay left on the trail for a 45 minute hike to the picnic spot at La Chaux.

Lac Montriond

Lac Montriond is our beach in the mountains, and is often referred to as one of the key reasons why family’s return to the area summer after summer.

It’s a great option if you have young kids or just fancy a lazy day by the water. Follow the trail around the lake for a lovely walk, or simply throw down your blanket and camp out for the day. Take a refreshing dip, rent a paddle board or lead kids around the lake on a pony. Along side the main lake you will find a swallower child-friendly lake, that is perfect for kids to splash about in.

A picnic at Lac Montriond is a must on any summer holiday in Morzine!

How to get there

From Morzine take Route de Morzine to the village of Montriond. Here take a right onto Route du Lac. There is parking at both ends of the lake. The near side is where you will find a cafe, kayak and paddle board rental, pony riding and the family bathing lake. Find it on Google maps here.

Graydon

Graydon is the best starting point for one of the biggest and most impressive mountains in the area: Roc d’Enfer. The hamlet of Graydon consists of a few simple chalets, a gorgeous little church (which can fit about 8-10 people in it) as well as a lovely restaurant and a water-butt to refill your bottle.

That’s it! Right next to the church is a superb picnic table with 360 degree views that are hard to beat. There is parking within 25m of the picnic table so you can load up the car with some quality, tasty goods for lunch, before then repacking the car to go on a great walk up the Graydon valley after lunch. The valley is strewn with giant boulders which make it superb for the the kids to give some easy climbing a go!

How to get there

From Morzine, drive to the nearby village of Essert Romand. Carry on through Essert Romand and just as you are leaving the village, take the left turn to Graydon. Follow this road up for 4.5km until you arrive at Graydon. Find it on google maps here.