CHATEL AND THE PORTES DU SOLEIL

Chatel is a charming, traditional village. It is situated on the Franco-Swiss border at the junction of two valleys below the Pas de Morgins. Despite being well known as an international ski resort on the Portes du Soleil ski area, the village has retained much of its original charm and development has been done sympathetically and tastefully in traditional style, mainly in wood and stone. It is a farming region and is well known for its farm produced cheeses. The local community go out of their way to make visitors feel most welcome.

Its high position gives it above average hours of sunshine and an enviable snow record. It has good road access either from Evian and Thonon via the spectacular Abondance valley, or from Switzerland over the mountain pass which is open all year

Chatel is an all year round resort. Whilst better known as an international ski resort in the inter-linked Portes du Soleil ski area, it has so many other things to offer visitors throughout the year; mountain biking, walking and hiking, horse riding, paragliding, tennis, golf, rafting........and just relaxing in the beautiful and peaceful mountain scenery.

Chatel is a charming, traditional village. It is only approximately 1.1/4 hours by road from Geneva airport, facilitating rapid transfers for those arriving by aeroplane. It is part of the Portes du Soleil, which is the largest and one of the finest cross-border ski areas in the world. Skiers of intermediate standard and above can ski from resort to resort between France and Switzerland. Chatel is positioned at the centre of this vast network of pistes and has runs to suit all abilities.

The Portes du Soleil incorporates the resorts of Chatel, Avoriaz, Morzine, Les Gets, Saint Jean d'Aulpes, Montriond, Abondance, Le Chapelle d'Abondance in France and Morgins, Torgon, Champoussin, Les Crosets, and Champery in Switzerland. It has a total of 198 lifts serving 650 kilometres of piste, providing runs for all abilities with a height range of 950 - 2400 metres. The Portes du Soleil lift pass covers all of these resorts.

The resort of Chatel is an integral part of the Portes du Soleil but also provides its own discrete ski area with 45 lifts serving 49 individual pistes covering 83 kilometres from 1100 - 2200 metres. A Chatel lift pass covers all of these pistes.

The village has a wide variety of small shops, many selling local produce and specialities. There is a street market on Wednesday mornings. The three supermarkets are ideal for those holidaying on a self-catered basis and have large selections of basic and the more exotic foods.

The Haute-Savoie is well known for its cuisine and the twenty or so restaurants and bars in the area cater for all budgets. Favourites of ours include Le Restaurant 32 at Petite-Chatel, Le Perrier, Le Fiacre, and L'Hors Piste in the village centre and Les Cornettes and L'Ensolleil at Chapelle d'Abondance.

Chatel has ‘Famille Plus' status, a national tourism distinction awarded to French towns and villages for the hospitality and services they provide for families with children.

Chatel and the Portes du Soleil continue to develop the facilities for skiers and boarders. A new 6 person express lift is currently being installed from the mid-station at Linga. This will vastly improve the access to the top of the Linga piste and the area beyond. The piste at Super Chatel has been re-landscaped in the summer to facilitate more appropriate access to and from the teaching areas for those taking lessons there. In addition there are major developments scheduled in the provision of snow cannon on the pistes around Les Combes and Linga.

All in all Chatel is building on its services to give visitors a great experience both on and off the slopes. We aim to do the same.