Beau Regard Hotel

hiking along the Dranse river

by cadzand

Follow the path along the Dranse river and you'll end up at the Nyon waterfall. It's really great for a family outing into the quiet woods of the valley where the only sounds are those of the crunching of snow underfoot.

Morzine - some skiing, a lot of eating

by timlloydlangston

"The skiing"

Morzine is a skiiers parradise - when there's snow. An an unusually mild winter this year meant we were only able to ski in the resort for a couple of days before ahving to head higher up the mountain. Here Morzine plays its joker - Avoriaz. Much higher and accessed by either the Super-Morzine ski lifts or by a short bus transfer it pretty much guarantees skiing. Avoriaz is the place to go if you like black runs (including the famous Swiss Wall), Morzine is a bit more laid back. The Area lift pass gives you access into all the resorts in the Ports du Solei, many of which are in Switzerland.

"The food"

I went with a B&B package so needed to find sustenance in the town. This wasn't a problem! On the ski slopes the food was great with omlettes cooked to order and mounds of pasta to set you up for the afternoon (the cafe/bar at the top of the Pleny lift quickly became a favourite haunt). Then come the evening there was a whole host of Savoyard treats to savor. Tartiflette (melted cheese, bacon and potatoes) is a regional speciality, but a bit dull. Fondue is fun and there a miriad of variations on the theme. Pizza is everywhere, but the local sausages offer something more adventurous. Most of the restaurants we found very reasonably priced, you can go on a budget and opt for the set meals and specials or pay a bit more and get a-la-carte.

"The apres-ski"

OK Morzine is not the most happening of places - but then I'm not young enough to be cool either. There are some lively bars (Dixies and the Buddah bar among them), but most people settle for the restaurants. This being France the wine is great. The local fire-water is known as Genepi. It's herby, alcoholic but probably an acquired taste. The main downside is that beer is really expensive (c. 6 euros a pint).