La Clusaz

La Clusaz is one of a very small group of French resorts which are not purpose built but are none-the-less located next to world class ski areas. Indeed this traditional Savoyard village is regarded by some as one of the most picturesque in France and has attracted tourists since the beginning of the twentieth century. The chalets sport their hand-cut wooden shingles and the resort has a reputation for its production of the local Reblochon cheese and other farm foods. The large ski area for a single resort of any type covers five lift-linked mountains in the Aravis system and visitors have additional terrain to explore above neighbouring le Grand Bornand on the Aravis Pass – a total of 200km (125 miles) of trails.

The resort is the home of skiing superstar Candide Thovex, and has also attracted the Telemark World Championships and the Freestyle World Championships , typical of the resort’s open-minded approach to winter sports, whereby dozens of other mountain sports are offered, besides Alpine skiing and snowboarding. La Clusaz also works hard to maintain it’s ‘traditional community’ feeling and to involve its guests in this atmosphere.

An entertainments office ensures that there is some event or another on daily, with weekly torchlit descents in which guests can participate and there are also weekly get togethers staged by the tourist office where guests can meet a variety of village residents on an informal basis.