48 hours in Megève

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes/2025

Every mountain country in Europe has an exhaustive range of winter sports resorts: the very chic, the family-friendly, the new and the old. Megève, with its traditions and long history, ticks most of the boxes in the high-end white gold segment.

To clarify a linguistic point, Megève is spelled without an accent on the first "e", so the word should be pronounced like Genève. so the word should be pronounced like Geneva, even though the inhabitants are Mégevans and Mégevannes...putation of the resort as a mecca for mountain tourism goes back a little over a century, since it was in 1921 that the de Rothschild family settled on Mont d'Arbois, creating the Palace des Neiges and attracting a large number of tourists.the Palace des Neiges and attracted Europe's aristocratic elite, starting with Albert I, King of the Belgians, who visited the following year.

Alpine skiing flourished, and with it competition and its champions, including Émile Allais, the local boy who developed skiing throughout France and the world, and died here a century later. A three-time world champion in 1937, and forever the holder of the very first red sweater medal, he also made a major contribution to the resort's renown. Closer to home, the Duvillard family produced some great names: the two brothers Adrien and Henri, then Adrien junior, son of Adrien. Henri Duvillard married a Pyrenean champion, Britt Laforgue, and created a clothing line with her, a boutique bearing their name still exists today.

Alpine fashion is part and parcel of Mégane life, with many luxury brands catering to the resort's discerning clientele. In the center of the village, next to the church, the large Maison AAllard shines from the top of its tower, a reminder that Armand Allard created the ideal ski pants for Émile Allais in the 1930s.

Every resort has its strengths, but Megève is unique. Over the past century, it has forged its identity as a place of authentic mountain luxury, with architecture that remains regional without concrete overkill, a village atmosphere and hotels of the highest standard without being flashy. in Megève, there's very little glitz and glamour, just a discreet chic style. Horse-drawn sleighs carry tourists with animal-skin-covered knees along the cobblestones of the main pedestrian street, Rue Charles Feige.

The ski area covers three massifs, 227 runs and 400 kilometers. As a result, sports enthusiasts are spoiled for choice, stopping for lunch at the mountain's restaurants, some of which are run by local chefs such as Marc Veyrat and Emmanuel Renaut. Yet Megève's reputation, mid-mountain location (1,000 to 2,400 meters) and accessibility make it one of the few major Alpine resorts open all year round.

It also boasts a lively tradition of gastronomy, from traditional restaurants to haute cuisine and vacation chalets. Between the Aravis and Beaufortain mountains, cheese production has its pedigree, with Reblochon and Tomme, and raclette and fondue evenings (the village's emblem, served here since 1946) contribute to the conviviality. Every year, towards the end of October, Toquicimes, a large-scale event open to a very large public, brings together regional chefs, as well as chefs from the rest of the world, for three days.toquicimes brings together chefs from the region and all over France, as well as producers and artisans, for three days of entertainment, competitions, demonstrations, tastings and sales of Savoyard products.