Find out what Morzine is really like before you book your trip to the Portes du Soleil! Our knowledge of the resort comes from years of responding to email enquiries, getting ourselves lost, finding ourselves, late-night bar conversations, your feedback, plus translations of French brochures. In this section we hope to give you a taste of what Morzine is like before you visit, tell you a bit about the history of the town and the surrounding area and let you know what you can expect from the weather.
History of Morzine
Morzine 1970Photo Credit: www.amorzine.com
‘Morzine’, from the Germanic word 'morgen' meaning 'rising sun', was once a rural market town. Made up of several small villages, the inhabitants lived off the agricultural produce of the land. The mining of the slate quarries provided further revenue, especially during the winter months, however, it was often necessary for the men of the village to search for other work in Geneva, as stone-cutters, or Paris as waiters and chimney sweeps.
The development of the leisure industry transformed the economy of this commune. In the 1920s, the opening of the Grand Hotel under the ownership of François Baud, was the first establishment built to welcome tourists. These summer visitors provided an additional income to Morzine which previously earned its living from farming and slate mining - an industry which was already in decline.
In 1934 the construction of the Pleney cable-car (the 2nd constructed in France) opened up the valley further, although it was only hikers and mountaineers who used it initially as skiing took place on the gentler slopes further down the valley. Over the next few decades skiing became more popular and people grew more daring and so higher and steeper ski areas were sought out.
In 1960 Jean Vuarnet won the Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley and became the director in charge of transforming Avoriaz into a ski resort. The same year saw the construction of the Nyon cable car and the Avoriaz cable car was completed in 1961. Jean Vuarnet realised his dream and created a ‘small Savoyard Colorado’ with its avant garde architecture. Thanks to the collaboration with Champery and Les Crosets in Switzerland, the Portes du Soleil was formed and gave Morzine its double identity: Morzine Avoriaz.
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