The “twin peaks” of Aouille de Criou and Pointe du Tuet are the most significant emblems of this peaceful alpine site. Located to the east of the valley, they are visible from almost any point. Depending on our location, we will see one or both of them, as they are not on the same ridge, but are separated by an ancient glacial cirque.
Savoir faire
Like most of today’s resorts, Grand Massif was formed by joining several smaller ski/snowboard resorts to form a single ski area, accessible to each other via lifts or shuttle buses. This resort may go unnoticed because it is located between other much larger or better known areas. However, this characteristic gives it a privilege reserved for only a few: tranquility. Obviously, we will not be alone, but we will not find the crowds of other places with more international prestige. This type of resort tends to welcome a local rather than an international visitor, ideal for soaking up the typical French culture and savoir faire.
Samoens
Throughout the valley you will find all types of accommodation, although the family and friendly atmosphere is predominant. There are two emblematic places in the area. Samoens plays the role of the main center of the valley, as it is the most important inhabited place and is located at the foot of the Aouille de Criou. With all kinds of services, it treasures the most precious history of the place, especially in its main square. Opposite the centuries-old lime tree, we can find the medieval church. The gravestones in its gardens and the crackling of its wooden floor lit by the stained glass windows make this building a little… let’s say peculiar. The old and somewhat decadent houses that surround the historic center take us back in time as we stroll around the church. A neoclassical botanical garden a few meters away completes this sort of time-space jump, before returning to the modernity of souvenir and sports shops, bars and restaurants. In the surrounding area, modern apartment buildings rise up, although with their typically Alpine touches of stone and wood.
From Samoens, there are plenty of parking facilities and two ski cabins that absorb most of the skier and snowboarder traffic, in addition to the one in Morillon, a small village a few kilometers to the west. If you don’t want to hassle with intricate mountain roads and are looking for easy access to all amenities, this should be your base camp.
Functionality and design in the heart of the mountains
As a counterpoint, Flaine is a must-see. This is a modern resort, the only one in the area that is entirely made up of “modern” buildings and “dormitory” flat towers. It is a small-scale town nestled at the bottom of a mountain cirque and quite far from the main valley where Samoens and Morillon are situated.
The site was conceived expressly to house a winter resort and designed by one of the leading pupils of the Bauhaus school of architecture. This trend wanted to combine function and aesthetics. Thus, the architect/designer who became famous for his “Wassily” chair and the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, Marcel Breuer, was the main designer of the complete architectural ensemble in Flaine in 1968. The valley’s four snow-free months were the only ones suitable for construction, so almost everything we see around us is made of prefabricated concrete blocks, built at the foot of the mountains and transported up here by a purpose-built cable car.
One of the great successes was to make a complete design of the entire resort, as it provides a coherent image of a monumental and artistic whole. Instead of being, as is the case in many other places, a collection of buildings stacked together, erected as and when there is a vacant space of land.
The concrete grey buildings contrast with the colorful sculptures that adorn the streets and gardens, giving a very peculiar air to this exceptional enclave. A true artistic and design ensemble very well hidden in the middle of the Alps, as well as a very interesting landscape and skiing area. Admiring this work of urban art in the middle of the mountains, we will have to be attentive to the closing time of the ski lifts if we are not staying here. It takes quite a while to connect to the other ski areas via the slopes and that is the only way back, as this is the only resort in the Grand Massif that is not connected by the shuttles. The reason is that it is too far away from the other villages and the mountain road is not very convenient for a shuttle bus. If you have your own vehicle, it is worth taking this route to enjoy the beautiful alpine scenery: snow-capped mountains and fir trees that we never tire of seeing, despite having spent so many hours amidst all this beauty.
The whole domain from two locations
Les Grandes Platieres, at 2,400 metres, is the highest point of the entire ski area, as well as being the western end of the Grand Massif. It is accessed from Flaine via the cabin of the same name in the center of the village. From this highest point we have access to almost the entire area of Flaine, the largest resort in the domain, with a direct link to Les Carroz, the smallest.
La Tete du Saix, at an altitude of 2120 metres, acts as the central axis of the whole resort, a spot where the slopes converge and are distributed towards the four surrounding areas: Samoens, Morillon, Flaine and Les Carroz. If we want quiet slopes and to go down through the trees, we prefer to go down to the valley of Samoens and Morillon. If we like more intensity, variety and wider views, we will choose the Flaine and Les Carroz sector.
The links between them are very well defined and there is no need for long ski lifts or endless flat runs. The design is compact and easy, a strong point in favour of this simple but interesting ski/snowboard center, which is worth a look if you are in the area. Not forgetting a stroll through Flaine’s concrete structures and inner labyrinths.
