Fun things to do for an epic snow holiday, without a pair of skis involved!

The Portes du Soleil mountains are a massive natural playground, with unlimited opportunities to experience nature, find adventure and escape the hectic pace of everyday life. What’s more, there is no need to don a pair of skis to feel the benefit of this beautiful place, there are plenty of other options for enjoying family time, getting adrenaline kicks or finding your inner calm. In fact, some of these activities are so good, even skiers may want to hang up their skis for the day and give them a go.

Mountain Activities

Snowshoeing

Snowshoeing is a great way to get off the beaten track, spot wildlife and enjoy the mountains away from the crowds. It provides an unrivalled opportunity to step into the wilderness and experience amazing mountain views. You can hire snowshoes for around €10 a day or, for around €50, you can have half a day with a guide, with snowshoes included in the price. There are several excellent mountain refuges that provide a cosy setting for lunch.

If going independently, a great and fairly easy route to start with is to snowshoe to La Crapuhute, a refuge hut in the magical Vallee de la Manche. There is also a new nature trail accessed from the top of the Nyon gondola, with information signs throughout and an interactive app, called Locafaune, on which kids can tag the animals they spot.

To go with a guide, try Magical snow treks’ weekly group snowshoe walks, book a private tour with them or take an evening torchlight snowshoe walk to a mountain restaurant for a fondue. Days away Adventures also offers a variety of open group and private snowshoe tours in the Morzine, Les Gets and Saint Jean d’Aulps area.

Wildlife

Well-being

Spas

For total relaxation, check into a spa for the day.  La Dahu offers two pools, a whirlpool and a multi-jet tonic shower cabin. Open from 10am until 4pm with a whole range of treatments and rituals available. Over in Les Gets (a 10 minute shuttle or bus ride from Morzine) you’ll find Les Sources des Chery, a fantastic new spa which boasts a range of hammams, saunas, hot tubs, plunge pools, as well as treatments.

Massage and beauty

As you would expect from a mountain town that attracts athletes, skiers and mountain bikers, there are a wide variety of therapeutic and sports massage specialists on-hand to help soothe away your aches and pains. Sports and relaxation massages, as well as beauty treatments can be booked to take place in your chalet, check out our complete list here.

Yoga

If you can’t go a week without a decent stretch, there’s no need to miss out, Morzine has many excellent yoga and Pilates instructors. Sessions run at the lovely new studio in Morzine’s old town (see the schedule here), or at Mountain Rehab or the Hive (below).

Gym

Hive is a new venue for mindfulness, exercise and nutrition, with a well-equipped gym, Pilates studio and the renowned fresh food cafe, Wild Beets Kitchen. It’s a bit out of town (on the Prodains route) but well worth a brisk walk or a couple of stops on the bus. Closer to town Mountain Rehab has a small gym full of top quality equipment and is just a 3 minutes walk from Morzine town centre.

Forest bathing

Find your calm amongst the trees with a 2.5 hour beautiful, crisp, cold walk amongst the frozen forests of the Morzine valley. Sit and connect deeply with nature in its winter slumber, finishing with an ancient Japanese Tea Ceremony. Reserve your spot with Magical Snow Treks.

In resort

Ice hockey match

Morzine is home to the ‘Pingouins’, the Chamonix and Morzine ice hockey club (HCMA), which compete in France’s top league, the League Magnus. Its an a highly competitive, exhilarating game for the whole family to watch, so if there’s a match on whilst you’re in town, be sure to catch it. Games take place in the evening at the Skoda Arena, which can be found under the suspension bridge in the centre of town. See match dates here.

Ice Skating

Rent some skates and have a festive slide on the outdoor ice rink in Morzine’s pretty town centre. Open throughout the winter, find exact times at the Tourist Office. If the weather’s bad, you can also skate at the ice hockey stadium in the Skoda Arena.

Swimming

Parc des Dérêches, Morzine

Morzine has a large indoor aquatics centre, featuring a large Olympic sized pool, a medium sized pool and a toddlers splash pool. A separate wellness space includes three saunas, two hammams and a relaxation deck with deckchairs. You can easily access the complex from the centre of town by taking the elevator next to the Super Morzine lift. Check the website for opening hours.

Aquariaz, Avoriaz

An aquatic paradise set in the heart of Avoriaz, this impressive indoor water park includes a gentle flowing indoor river, a slidewinder (10m high aquatic halfpipe swimmers slide down on a rubber tube), a toddlers paddling pool and exciting water playhouse complete with water guns, a tipping bucket and slides. A large pool also features natural climbing walls, and bathers can nip outside to relax in the outdoor jacuzzi, whilst giving skiers on the overhead chair lift a cheeky wave. Find times and prices here.

Food

Local farmers market

Morzine’s market runs on Wednesdays throughout the year (9am-12pm) in the large car park next to the post office in the centre of town. You’ll find fresh fruit, vegetables, a lot of cheese, charcuterie, rotisserie chicken and other mouthwatering cooked meats that you can take back to the chalet for a tasty lunch.

Local food shops

A stroll through Morzine will reveal many interesting shops selling the delicious treats and specialities of the region, in particular look out for:

• La Fruitière de Morzine (337 Rte de la Plagne), which offers cheese tours to explain the cheese production process and show you the cheese-maturing cellar.
• Au Délice Chocolaté (295 Rue du Bourg ) where Corinne and Eric create amazing chocolate delicacies that will leave you wanting more.
• La Bonbonnière (129 Rte de la Plagne), an amazing patisserie selling beautiful chocolates, cakes, bread and little patisseries.
• L’Alpage (337 Rte de la Plagne) which sells lovely artisan cheeses, charcuterie and jams. Look down and you can see the cheese being made in the basement through the glass floor.

Outside of resort

Morzine is well positioned for exploring the sights of the Haute Savoie region by car. Head towards Lake Geneva to explore the charming medieval town of Yvoire, with its château, pretty gardens and fine boutiques. Take an excursion to Annecy, another beautiful lakeside town with cobbled streets, quaint canals and an ancient Château, once home to the Counts of Geneva.

France’s great capital of mountaineering, Chamonix, offers a chance to delve into the country’s rich Alpine heritage, with museums and one-off special exhibits, whilst a thrilling cable car ride will whisk you up the side of Mont Blanc to a dazzling height of 3842m for a close encounter with this magnificent giant.

A 45 minute drive from Morzine to Sixt Fer à Cheval and you can be in the winter wonderland of Cirque du Fer à Cheval, a natural park of snowy pathways amongst jagged peaks, frozen waterfalls and gushing rivers.

Luxury Chalets

For a beautiful chalet to call home for your snow holiday, browse our range of luxury catered chalets and self catered chalets. With incredible mountain views, hot tubs, saunas, luxury living spaces and gorgeous ensuite bedrooms, you might not want to leave the comfort of your chalet.