O
riginally from the
north of France,
I moved to the
Valleé d'Aulps in
2000. The area
is stunning, and
the skiing is superb, it genuinely
was "love at fi rst sight." One of
the things I like the most is that
it is a community where people
live all year round, and it's not just
a ski resort and, as such, it has a
lovely, friendly atmosphere with fun
activities throughout the year.
Morzine is in the Chablais
mountain range and sits between
Lake Geneva and Mont Blanc. It is
the ideal location in the middle of
the Portes du Soleil ski area (which
has 650 km of linked pistes in France
and Switzerland), yet only an hour
from the international airport in
Geneva. When I say that we have fun
activities here, I do mean it! Perhaps
the most famous is the annual Rock
des Pistes week, where live bands
play on the pistes themselves, while
other groups rock the bars down in
Morzine centre. In summer, it plays
host to internationally renowned
mountain biking events. Morzine
is an old farming town, a fact that
becomes clear when you visit the
weekly market and see the fantastic
array of local produce on offer. The
resort has not been over-developed,
and the low-level, traditional chaletstyle architecture
gives it a unique
charm.
The fact that it has so much
character makes Morzine a popular
spot with both local buyers and
those from further afi eld. The
average price of an apartment is
6,372 euros per m², and there are
around 10,000 chalets/apartments
in the town - this is an average price
and, as such, should be treated as a
guide only. Some of the properties
here are available "off-market" so it
always pays to work with an estate
agent who has their ear to the
ground!
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes is a vast
region, covering just under 70,000
km², and property prices vary
enormously even within the same
resort. The Auvergne is a beautiful
90 AUVERGNE
Rhône Alpes
Carole Lobertreau has been an estate agent for more than
15 years, and she tells us why Morzine, Les Gets, and the
Vallée d'Aulps are magical places to live and work.
Lake Montriond
Puy de Dôme
Winter Landscape,
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