Avoriaz

One of the first buildings in Avoriaz was the Dromonts Hotel which was built in 1966 and its design, based on the idea that there are no right angles in nature set the template for the rest of Avoriaz. The resort grew and in 2003 it was awarded a prize by the French Minister of Culture for being one of the great heritage achievements of the 20th century.

As you would expect most of the shops in Avoriaz cater to the ski and snowboard market. There are a few souvenir and gift shops, most of these are in the Tabacs, so for the best shopping opportunities head down the valley to Morzine.

Although the shops in Avoriaz are a little limited the resort is home to an excellent aqua centre, Aquariaz. This is the water sports centre on the edge of the Village des Enfants and it is home to river rapids, slides, climbing walls and pools. The whole complex has a tropical jungle theme and is a perfect après ski destination for children. Avoriaz also has a number of indoor activities including a bowling alley and cinema, as well as fitness studios and squash courts.

Avoriaz doesn't have a wide range of restaurants, most of the places here specialise in Savoie style cuisine and and offer the mountain classics like tartiflette, fondue and raclette. Through the centre of town there are slope-side restaurants that have terraces on the Route de Crozats outside the tourist office. Here there are some great places to enjoy a lunchtime salad in the sun and there are also some crepe stands if you prefer a mid-day snack without having to stop and sit down.

Avoriaz has a good après-ski scene and as the town is small and pedestrianised it is easy to wander from bar to bar. Most of the bars are down at the Portes du Soleil building. Here you'll find the Globe Trotters and Shooters Bar which are particularly good at après ski, especially when the Dutch and Swedish are in town. There are some good bars down in the Falaise sector too like the Chapka and La Falaise.

Avoriaz offers a selection of chalets from the traditional Alpine style to the more contemporary modern affair. Some are available over the summer months as self-catered, whilst the majority are available during winter.

Avoriaz is a true ski-in/ski-out resort and most of the accommodation in Avoriaz is in apartments or aparthotels. These apart-hotels are popular in France and are run by the big holiday companies like Pierre & Vacances and Maeva. They combine the benefits of renting a self-contained apartment, complete with living area and kitchen facilities you would find in a hotel.

In the last few years Avoriaz has expanded with the new upmarket apartments and aparthotels being built. Now one of the best options is the L'Amara Complex. This boasts luxury apartments with relaxation and sports facilities all under one roof. The Residence Saskia Falaise is perched right on the edge of the cliffs of Avoriaz and the balconies here offer amazing sunsets.

There is a small selection of hotels in Avoriaz and they tend to be more apart-hotels.