Location
Nearest airport
Geneve
at
82.2
km
Nearest ferry
Thonon-les-Bains
at
43.7
km
Nearest railway
Thonon-les-Bains
at
44.3
km
Nearest motorway
A9 (Suisse)
at
23.5
km
Nearest beach
la Plage Municipale de Thonon-les-Bains
at
43.2
km
Nearest restaurant
Bistro M
at
0.1
km
Nearest bar
Bistro M/Pub Avalanche
at
0.1
km
Car is not necessary
About Chatel
Châtel was first established as a village in the first millennium when people from the Burgundy region escaped the attacks of Attila the Hun by seeking shelter in the mountains. By deforesting the valley they created pastures for their herds and created a farming society. Just after WWII with a hope for the future Châtel started to invest in the ski industry and thanks to the mayor Mr Crepy the resort expanded and linked with Morzine/Avoriaz. Being on the Swiss border contraband has always been an issue and this is celebrated and retold in the Customs House. Other stories including WWII stories can be discovered in certain bars and hotels including the L'Abreuvoir at lac du vonnes.
Châtel has always had a good snow record due to it's location between lake Geneva and Mont Blanc, but in more recent times Châtel has become snow-sure due it's massive investment in snow cannons which you can now find on every liason piste plus others. Due to Châtel's location in the Abondance valley which is a tributary of the Morzine valley Châtel also gets fair weather in the summer with temperatures rising to 36°C but not to worry because the mountain evenings are mostly cool so Châtel remains a good place to stay in a heatwave.
Things to do when you don't ski include bowling, the cinema, the museum at Les Cornettes, the Abbey in Abondance, easy or difficult walking or just enjoying one of the many good quality restaurants that serve the village and ski resort.
Activities near Chatel
Some other attractions I have experienced not mentioned above include:
"Belle dimanche" a cow festival in the summer
"St Laurent" a procession and village party on the first Sunday of August.
"Rock le Piste" music festival in the snow for the skier in March each year
| Local sports activities |
On-site: Walking
Within 15 minutes: Mountain biking, Swimming, Fishing, Skiing, Golf, Tennis
Within 45 minutes: Horse riding, Climbing, Sports centre
|
| Local leisure activities |
Within 15 minutes: Food shop, Cinema, Restaurant, Shopping
Within 45 minutes: Museum, Historic site
|
| Great for |
Walking holiday, Cycling holiday, Summer holidays, Ski Holidays |
