Megève: 5 Things To Know About This Famous Ski Resort

Megève resort, located in Haute-Savoie in the canton of Sallanches, is one of the oldest ski resorts in the Alps. Here are 5 things to know about this internationally renowned destination.

Megève was the holiday destination of the Rothschild family.

The resort of Megève, located in the heart of the Alps, embodies French chic and art de vivre.

A holiday destination for the Rothschild family in the 1910s, this resort has welcomed the most prestigious royals and still ranks among the most beautiful ski resorts in the world today.

This prestigious location offers a superb natural setting in all seasons, as well as numerous cultural and sporting events such as the Megève Polo Masters (a snow polo event) and the Snow Golf Cup (a snow golf competition).

France's first cable car was installed there.

The first cable car in France was installed in Megève in 1933, initiated by Charles Viard, an entrepreneur from Sallanches. Since December 2023 and throughout the winter of 2024, the mechanical lift company is celebrating the 90th anniversary of the famous "red cabin".

At the time, the Rochebrune cable car was a cutting-edge facility. This equipment, specially designed for skiers, could transport 96 skiers per hour and allowed them to reach an altitude of 1750 meters in just 10 minutes.

A true symbol of modernism and innovation, the cable car revolutionized the world of skiing and fostered the birth of the winter sports concept.

The station was a pioneer in mountain tourism.

One of the first hotels in Megève, the Grand Hotel du Soleil d'Or, was built as early as 1901. This establishment was also the first to have access to water and electricity.

In 1913, journalist Mathilde Maige-Lefournier published a highly complimentary article about the town, launching its first tourist season. In the 1920s, Baroness Noémie de Rothschild became a regular visitor, making it the favored meeting place for the aristocracy, as well as the finance and business worlds.

In 1925, architect Henry Jacques Le Même (1897-1997) created the concept of the "skier's chalet" at the request of Baroness Noémie de Rothschild. This elegant and comfortable chalet, blending local culture with modernity, marked an innovation in the holiday architecture of the French Alps.

In 1949, the Hotel du Mont Blanc was taken over and modernized by Georges Boisson. Equipped with a sauna, massage and weight training room, a travel agency, and a bar, it was frequented in the 1950s by Jean Cocteau, Françoise Sagan, and Gérard Philipe.

Starting in 1973, the air link between Paris and Megève offered the opportunity to travel more quickly. Today, the resort boasts more than thirty hotels and over one hundred restaurants.

It offers a ski area with a view of Mont Blanc.

Megève, in combination with the five other resorts of Combloux, La Giettaz, Saint-Gervais, Saint-Nicolas-de-Véroce, and Les Contamines-Montjoie, forms a beautiful ski area on the border of Haute-Savoie and Savoie: the Evasion Mont-Blanc space.

This vast and varied mid-mountain area offers over 440 km of slopes with exceptional panoramas and views of Mont Blanc…

It has 185 trails for skiers of all levels: 35 green, 53 blue, 72 red, and 25 black.

Megève is renowned for its gastronomy.

Megève is also a major center of gastronomy and a town renowned for the quality of its water. This water was even exploited and sold as table mineral water at the beginning of the 20th century.

This destination offers a selection of fine dining options unmatched in the Alps. The greatest chefs compete in creativity there, making this town one of the very first culinary destinations in the region.