Explore the beautiful French Alps
during your stay in Flaine
Surroundings of Flaine
- Situated in the beautiful French Alps
- The impressive landscape
- Ideal destination for mountain sports
- Challenging ski areas with good snow conditions
The surroundings of Flaine, where Dormio Resort Les Portes Du Grand Massif is situated, are impressive in both summer and winter! This popular holiday destination is perfect for an active holiday in the French Alps. There is lots to do here throughout the year. Admire the many plant varieties, animal species and the impressive geology at Désert de Platé in the summer months or try out the challenging ski areas in the vicinity in the winter. Find out about our best tips in the surrounding area below.
The attractive villages of Flaine and Les Carroz
Have you arrived at our resort by car? Then you probably passed through the beautiful village of Les Carroz. This authentic village, in the Haute-Savoie style, has nice restaurants, terraces, shops and a small supermarket. It takes about 15 minutes by car to go from the resort to Les Carroz. The village centre of Flaine, which is a 5-minute drive from the resort, is certainly also worth a visit! Here you will find various shops, restaurants, a supermarket, a bowling alley, a cinema and an auditorium where concerts are held regularly.
Breathtaking views of the surrounding area from Grandes Platières
The best view of Mont Blanc and its beautiful surroundings you will find in Flaine! From the summit of Grandes Platières you can enjoy a breathtaking 360° view of Mont Blanc, the Aravis, Belledonne and the Jura Mountains. You can get here by taking the Grandes Platières cable car. Are you an experienced hiker? In that case you can also hike to the top, which takes about 3 hours.
Take note: in bad weather, the cable car may not run.
The beautiful limestone plateau Désert de Platé
In the summer, combining your visit to Grandes Platières with admiring Désert de Platé is highly recommended! This limestone plateau is a 12-minute walk from Grandes Platières. It is one of the largest lapiaz formations in Europe and is situated at an altitude of 2,500 metres. This limestone plateau has been dug out by glaciers and melting water. While walking in this rocky environment, you will feel as if you are walking on the moon. Nature lovers will be in their element here. You can find many plant varieties, wild animals and spectacular geology here. You can get to Désert de Platé by following a hikers’ path or by taking the Grandes Platières cable car from Flaine. In bad weather, the cable car may not run.
Visit the charming mountain town of Chamonix
Chamonix is an attractive town, an hour’s drive from the resort. Chamonix sits at an altitude of 1,035 metres and is situated in the valley that runs along the whole Mont Blanc massif. This vibrant, international town is sometimes referred to as the “Mecca of mountaineering”, because of the beautiful surroundings and breathtaking landscape. In the summer this is a great place for hiking and cycling, but the town itself is also worth a visit. And in the winter you can indulge in various winter sports here. Did you know that the first Olympic Winter Games took place in Chamonix in 1924? This charming town has a rich history and has buildings of different architectural styles. It also has a market, nice restaurants, shops and several museums.
The spectacular viewpoint at Aiguille du Midi
A visit to Aiguille du Midi during your stay in Flaine is highly recommended. To get there, you take a gondola from Chamonix to Plan de l'Aiguille, where you get onto the second lift to Aiguille du Midi. This second lift rises up the rocks and takes you to the spectacular viewing platform at the impressive altitude of 3,842 metres. From here you have a fantastic view of the beautiful surroundings and the French, Swiss and Italian Alps. At this highest point you will find the “Step into the Void”: a glass viewing platform suspended above the abyss.
Tip: make sure you take some warm clothes and sunglasses with you and put on plenty of sun cream.
Authentic village of Samoëns
The charming, authentic village of Samoëns is one of the most beautiful winter sports villages in this area. It will take you about half an hour to get there by car. Samoëns is in the middle of the “Le Grand Massif” ski area and is the only winter sports resort in France with “Monument Historique” status. This village is worth a visit in both winter and summer. At the heart of this charming village you will find a lime tree, which was planted in 1438. It is surrounded by a number of nice shops, restaurants and bars. Samoëns is sometimes referred to as a stonemasons’ village. For many years, stonemasons from Samoëns were working on projects all over the world. This is reflected in the village as it is today. Most of the houses have been built with limestone.
Explore the Swiss city of Geneva
A visit to the Swiss city of Geneva during your stay at our resort is highly recommended! It will take you an hour and a quarter to get here from the resort by car. Geneva has a number of beautiful sights, including the St Pierre Cathedral, the old, vibrant Place du Bourg-de-Four, the Jet d’Eau fountain and the beautiful city park, Parc de Bastions.
Visit Annecy and the stunning lake
Another town which takes an hour and a quarter to get to by car - and which is also definitely worth a visit - is beautiful Annecy. This attractive, small town is also known as the “Venice of the Alps”. It is situated between the mountains by the stunning lake, Lac d’Annecy. The town centre consists of an old and a new part, where you will find both modern stores and old traditional shops.
Popular winter sports destination in the French Alps
Flaine is the perfect destination for an active ski holiday. Are you an advanced winter sports enthusiast? If so, this challenging ski area is the perfect place for you! The French Alps have much to offer, and in the winter they have a snow-guaranteed ski area. The beautiful ski area Le Grand Massif in Haute-Savoie has good snow conditions because of its geographical location in the Prealps, with Mont Blanc acting as a buffer. With an impressive 265 kilometres of pistes, this is the fourth largest contiguous ski area in France. The area has an altitude between 700 and 2,500 metres and has panoramic views of the famous Mont Blanc and the beautiful surroundings.