With a wide range of family friendly MTB trails and some of the best and easy-to-access hiking trails in France, the Portes du Soleil is the ideal destination for families looking for an adventurous summer holiday. Whether you have already been to the valley a few times or you’re coming to our village for the first time, here are five unmissable activities for families in Morzine.
1. MTB trails to explore as a family
Morzine boasts some of the Alps’ most technical MTB trails, but there’s aren’t only challenging bends and impressive jumps, there are also plenty of family friendly MTB trails to explore.
There are some fantastic and superbly prepared green and blue trails in Super Morzine. Seraussaix green trail is perfect for children and beginners, with bumps and gentle turns through the trees. There are also several blue trails available. The Tutti Frutti trail is an unmissable one in this category – a winding blue trail that is perfect for practising your turns. The family friendly MTB trails in Portes du Soleil are great fun.
The new one at the top of the Le Pleney gondola lift is a gentle rolling trail that is ideal for little ones to get their first taste of just how fun the bike park can be.
All the family friendly MTB trails in Morzine can be reached without using the lifts. Dérêches Park in the centre of the village is perfect for bike rides and you’ll be riding along wide and flat paths, past the horse riding centre and over the wooden bridges straddling the river Dranse.
2. Go for a swim at the pool complex or a mountain lake
Just as the name suggests, you can expect long, sunny days at the Portes du Soleil in summer, with temperatures reaching a scorching 30°C. After a family day out exploring the MTB trails, go for a swim at the pool complex at the centre of Dérêches Park to cool off. There’s an Olympic-sized pool there to swim some lengths and a paddling pool with water games and an 80 m water slide.
If you’d prefer to go for a dip in a mountain lake, there are so many lakes across the Portes du Soleil where swimming is authorised. A favourite with the locals is Montriond lake, surrounded by spectacular cliffs and there’s also another smaller lake alongside it that is ideal for children. You can hire a kayak or stand-up paddleboard there and there’s also a big wooden playground and a new crazy golf course. Take a picnic with you, find a great spot under the trees and enjoy a fabulous day out.
3. The best hiking trails in France
Thanks to a widespread network of lifts providing access to a whole host of hiking trails, Morzine has some of the best footpaths in France. Let’s take the Nyon cable car as an example, in just two minutes by car from the centre of Morzine, you can reach Nyon plateau. From there, there’s a footpath that leads up to the top of the Pointe de Nyon (families with young children can choose to take the chairlift to the top). From the peak, you can then head to the Pas de l’Aigle, a staggering footbridge with a 360-degree panoramic view, before joining onto a great path up to Nyon Guérin lake. On a clear day, you’ll have an exceptional view of Mont-Blanc.
There are other fantastic views to admire on the Super Morzine side. Take the Super Morzine gondola lift and the the Zore chairlift and venture along an easy, 5 km loop trail to a viewpoint overlooking Montriond lake. You won’t regret it!
It doesn’t necessarily have to cost a fortune to reach some of France’s best hiking trails using the lifts. Pick up a Multi Pass for just €2 per person and per day (if you are staying at member accommodation) and you’ll have unlimited access to the lifts.
You can also choose to explore some of France’s best hiking trails with a guide and learn all about the wildlife around you on your walk. Guided hiking outings are organised in Morzine every week, contact the Tourist Office to find out more.
If you’re looking for an easy hike from the centre of the village, the Chemin du Renard (fox trail) is ideal. This path runs alongside the river Dranse from the fire station to Nyon waterfall and there are signs along the way featuring information about the life of the fox and other animals from the region, making this a fun walk, especially if you’ve got children with you!
4. Summer tobogganing for some quality family time
Summer tobogganing is guaranteed to be a hit for children of all ages, and the parents too. This activity can be reached via the La Crusaz chairlift in the centre of Morzine and the run then winds down the left side of the Le Pleney slopes.
Tobogganing is like being on a giant slide. The best thing about it is that you can decide on the speed, either you pull on the brakes and go down at a gentle speed, or you hurtle down at full speed for an exciting experience and adrenaline rush. There are two runs to choose from: The ‘Cool’ which is an 800 m run, and the 900 m ‘Super’ with up to 16 raised bends.
5. High ropes adventure parks
Securely attached by a harness, you’ll been making your way over bridges, swings and zip wires. At the various high ropes adventure parks in Morzine, there are different levels to choose from, ranging from an easy green route for kids to a black route for more experienced adventurers.
For families looking for an adrenaline rush, there are also possibilities to go canyoning in Morzine, in the area of Nyon. A guide will take you into the canyon and then across the gorges, abseiling and sliding down natural slides and jumping into waterfalls.
It’s finally time for a good night’s sleep….
After a day exploring the MTB tracks as a family or walking along France’s best hiking trails, you’ll be needing a comfortable bed for the night. There is so much accommodation to choose from in Morzine, ranging from apartments in the centre of the village to mountain chalets. Don’t hesitate to check out the website resa-morzine.com to browse all the accommodation available in Morzine.
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