Morzine in the French Alps has made a name for itself as an incredible ski destination, but it is also a great place to visit once the snow has melted, it's an outdoor lovers' dream.
We visited this beautiful part of France, on the border of Switzerland with my family and had a great time exploring the area. If you're heading to Morzine outside the ski season, check out our favourite things to do.
The best things to do in Morzine in the Summer
Have an epic Mount Blanc view at Praz De Lys
We've all seen those classic shots of the Alps: wooden chalets, pine trees and quiet streets, towered over by snow capped mountains. Once you step onto the path by the Col De Ramaz, you'll see this picture perfect scene in front of you, with Mount Blanc towering behind.
There are not many short walks we've ever been on which deliver such a stunning view from the get go.
The walk from the car park at Col De Ramaz to the lake is short and relatively flat (6km loop in total with 150m of elevation). The scenery is breathtaking throughout and you'll walk to the sound of the cow bells. It's the perfect place to spend a sunny afternoon.
Getting there: The start of the walk is a 40 minute drive from Morzine. The distance is short, but it takes a while driving along the windy roads.
Drive through Praz de Lys and continue up to the car park for Lac Du Roy. The walk starts from here.
Take a chair lift to Switzerland....
If you don't fancy a long walk, then taking a chair lift to Switzerland is something the whole family can do. From Lindarets there's a short stroll (20-30 minutes) to the start of the lift, but after this all you have to do is hop on and off three chair lifts.
Once you've navigated how to get onto the chair lift, the views just keep on coming. The first chair lift is the longest, look out for marmots on the way - our niece and her mum both saw them, the views are incredible throughout.
The following two chair lifts are shorter but even more spectacular. You are surrounded by mountains, some still have semi snow caps, it's an incredible sight.
The chair lifts are included in the Multi Pass which cost €9 per person. You can buy these at the chair lift in Lindarets and it also covers the use of other chair lifts and activities such as ice skating in Morzine.
Lindarets can get pretty busy, so we'd recommend going in the morning to ensure you can get a parking space. You can get to the chair lift by the gravel track or the much more picturesque walk along the river, which also has a small waterfall to take in (by far our preferred option having walked both).
Getting there: Les Lindarets is a 20 minute drive from Morzine (bring the car sickness pills again as the road there twists and turns). Once you've parked, head for the chair lift to Mossettes - it's a 20 minute walk away from the car park.
Then all you need to do is keep taking the chairlifts!
And enjoy a coffee with a view
Once you've reached the top at Mossettes, leave yourself some time to take in the spectacular setting with a coffee at the Cookie Cafe!
We love a cafe with a view and it's going to be tough to find a better place than this.
To get here, take the chair lift to Mossettes and then simply hop off at the top and turn left. Then you just need to decide whether you carry on to the next two chair lifts - highly recommended if you have time.
Get a feel for the forest with the walk at Lac des Mines D'Or
If you're looking for a gorgeous walk that's not too difficult, then head over to Lac des Mines D'Or.
Starting at the lake, you can do several walking trails that take you through this beautiful alpine landscape.
We chose to do a loop which took us up to the forest, down to the Chalet du Chardonniere and back to Mines D'Or, but you could choose to go up to the Col De Coux for even more expansive views instead.
We took our niece and nephew along for the 7km walk which had a 300 metres incline. The track was in very good condition and we loved the changing scenery from the epic mountains, to beautiful forest and grassy plains with cowbells ringing throughout the valleys.
Just some of the trails you can do at Mines D'Or
The loop we did only took two hours and was really well signposted. It would be difficult to get lost! You can finish it off with a nice meal at the restaurant at Lac des Mine D'or
Getting there: Lac de Mines D'Or is pretty close to Morzine, just a 15 minute drive. You can even walk or cycle all the way from Morzine to the lake if you want!
Venture in to the Goat Village
The Goat Village is pretty famous around Morzine and it doesn't take a genius to guess why. Whilst it isn't overwhelmingly crowded by goats (as I imagined, having been told to avoid it), it does have quite a few that walk around town waiting for a feed from the tourists.
There are several good restaurants here as well as picturesque views of the valley.
There are actually a lot more people in the village than goats, making the roads incredibly crowded.
We'd recommend parking at the big car park at Les Lindarets and walking the short distance (5 minutes) to the Goat Village.
Getting there: The Goat Village is a short walk from the big car park and ski lifts at Les Lindarets. It is a 20 minute drive from Morzine and will take less than 10 minutes to walk to once you've parked at Lindarets.
Take on the Morzine Summer Luge at Pleney
The luge at Pleney is a fun way to fly down Pleney without having to put a pair of skis on! There are two tracks: one for beginners and one labelled as "expert". From what we can tell, the expert level is a bit steeper.
If you haven't been on a luge before, we'd recommend giving it a go. You can choose either to fly down or use the brake to regulate your speed.
You can get discounts for going six times or more (and the price includes the chair lift to the start). A single luge costs €5.20 with six tickets costing €27 (€4.50 per time).
Getting there: Tickets are sold just outside the chair lift at Pleney. Once there, hop on the chair lift to the start where you'll grab a sled and optional helmet.
Kayak or Paddle on Lake Montriond
The beautiful Lake Montriond is the perfect setting to grab a paddle and get out on the water. You can kayak, paddleboard or swim in this alpine lake (well, if you are happy with the cold water) for a couple of hours, taking in the beautiful mountain views.
You can hire a two-man kayak or paddle board for 15 euros for one hour at the western end of the lake (the one closest to Morzine) and even do some paddle board yoga from Wednesday to Sunday!
There are restaurants at both ends of the lake, meaning you don't have to go far for a bite to eat. You can walk around the whole lake in less than an hour, including photo stops.
Getting there: Lake Montriond is a 10 minute drive from Morzine.
Cycle a Tour De France stage
You won't go far around Morzine without seeing someone in lycra. Whilst we'd struggle, many people cycle up the incredibly steep mountains that surround the area.
Morzine regularly hosts stages of the Tour De France, meaning you can actually cycle one of the routes within a short distance from Morzine.
There are plenty of routes you can do, but those who like it steep will love cycling up to the Col De Ramaz (the same place as the walk we did). This route from Morzine will climb over 1,000m across 35km, meaning the majority of the ride is pretty steep!
Another challenging ride is to go from Morzine to Avoriaz, taking on a huge climb and numerous switchbacks to get to the top.
Summer is also a great time to Mountain Bike, with several of the ski runs turning into MTB tracks. The ski lifts are converted to carry mountain bikes during the summer, meaning all you need to do is go to the top and fly down!
Bike rental in town was 45 euros for a day.
Take a stroll round St Jean
The beautiful town of St Jean is the starting and end point for a picturesque short walk (one hour loop). If you park in town, follow the Route De L'abbaye to Abbaye D'Aulps, a Cistercian Abbey that is mainly ruins now.
Whilst the site is primarily walls, there's a museum and audio guide that will take you through the history of the place. It is set just by the river and surrounded by the mountains. You can also stop for a cheap bite to eat at the cafe on site.
Try the vegetable soup with local cheese! Entry to the Abbey is included in the Multi Pass if you bought one.
After the Abbey, the track heads down to the river which has a glacial blue tinge to it. The walk follows the river back to the town and where you started.
Getting there: St Jean D'Aulps is just a 10 minute drive from Morzine. We recommend parking on the main road and starting the walk from near the Tourist Information Centre.
Glide through the mountains
Tandem paragliding looked to be one of the most popular past times in Morzine. We have never seen so many people take to the skies.
Jumps are around 70-90 euros and take off from Super Morzine.
We've paraglided before, so didn't go for it in Morzine but several of our family members did and rated it highly.
And if it's raining: head to the ice rink
We are pretty rubbish at ice skating, but our niece and nephew were determined to get us on the ice. Normally I wouldn't enjoy being shown up by a six year old, but ice skating in Morzine with our family was an amusing way to spend a rainy afternoon in Morzine.
Entry is included in a multi-pass. Otherwise you'll pay €4 per adult and €2.30 per child to go in.
Getting there: You can walk to the ice rink from the centre of town.
Essential Information
Morzine Summer Lift Pass
The lift pass in the summer becomes the Multi Pass and has access to over 60 activities. It costsc €9 per day and will allow you to access the ski lifts as well as entry to the Abbey D'Aulps, the Ice Rink, swimming pools and many other places.
Getting to Morzine
From Paris
From Paris there are several flights per day to Geneva (taking about an hour) or you can get the train to Lyon, which are the two closest cities to Morzine (sadly you can’t go direct unless you plan driving all the way). If your trip is starting in the capital, we recommend checking out this really useful guide to where to stay in Paris.
From Geneva
From Geneva, the drive is an hour and a half. Be careful with car hire as there are two countries in the airport (France and Switzerland). If you hire from the French side, you will have to pay over €40 to access the Swiss motorways. You can by-pass this charge by avoiding the motorway and driving through Geneva.
From Lyon
From Lyon you’ll also need to drive and it will take about 2.5 hours to get to Morzine. Whilst this is a lot longer, you won’t have to worry about border crossings or the huge toll fee in Switzerland.
If you're looking to book a car, get a quote below.
Morzine Summer Weather
Whilst the weather can be changeable, it never gets too cold. As Morzine is over 1,000m high, it tends to be cooler than areas at this latitude. Daytime temperatures tend to range between 20-30C and drop to 12 - 15C at night.
As this is an alpine region, you can get a rapid change of weather quickly. We often saw fronts rush in out of nowhere. However, these can frequently miss Morzine and hit another valley.
We'd recommend taking gear for all conditions.
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