Hiking in the French Alps - Hikes with Morzine Avoriaz Tourist Office

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Presentation

Spending your summer holidays in the Alps will make you feel like switching off.The sound of distant cowbells. The trills of an Alpine chough overhead. A whistling marmot scurrying for cover. A burbling river. Hiking in the Alps allows you to fully escape the crowds and experience such calm that your sense of hearing seems to be heightened tenfold. Just you and the sounds of nature – and air so fresh you'll wish you could bottle it up and take it home.

Kilometers of hiking trails in the heart of Portes du Soleil

The Haut-Chablais boasts some of the most easily-accessible French Alps hiking trails. There are 140km of hiking trails in Morzine-Avoriaz alone, with a vast network continuing throughout the Portes du Soleil. All of the main routes are signposted, so it is easy to navigate your way on a self-guided walk, or you can enlist the help of a local hiking guide.

Hikes with Morzine-Avoriaz Tourist Office

For a true Savoyard experience join a qualified English-speaking guide, on a ramble above Col de l’Encrenaz, as you weave your way through alpine meadows up towards Col Ratti. It's a gentle family-friendly French Alps hiking trail with far-reaching views of the surrounding peaks; en route you will learn all about them, along with the local flora and fauna. You will also try your hand at cow-milking, hear live music and tuck into a delicious Savoyard meal. Organised by the Tourist Office, the hike is held on Tuesdays 21 July and 11 August costs €20 per person (children aged six and above); Registration on Mondays, and meet at the tourist office with your car at 17:30.

Hikes in Mines d'Or

Hiking in the Alps isn't all about getting up high – you can join a free walk right in the centre of Morzine every Tuesday at 9:45. Setting off from the swimming pool at the Parc des Dérêches, you will embark on a two-hour nature walk, gathering edible wild plants and learning about their healing properties. Afterwards, you will create a tasty medicinal concoction. Register at the Morzine Tourist Office on Monday morning

Themed hikes around Morzine

If, on the other hand, it is cheese that you're looking to devour after your hike, head to Lac Mines d’Or, tucked at the end of the Vallée de la Manche. It is one of the most serene areas in the Portes du Soleil, set at the foot of the imposing Tête de Bostan mountain, renowned for its remarkable rock formations. No lifts and no through roads, just a pretty lake, birdsong, walking trails and some of the best vistas in the valley. Pause at Chalets de Freterolles, a working farm popular for its cheese, which is made on-site; the fondue is a favourite among visitors, as is the tarte aux myrtilles (blueberry tart). Check out these Morzine guiding companies.