Châtel

About Châtel

Châtel, at an altitude of 1200m, is a charming village resort and with a resident population of 1250 is the 3rd biggest village in the “Portes du Soleil”. Sitting at the top of the picturesque Abondance Valley, it has retained much of its traditional ‘Savoyard’ atmosphere and is as stunning in winter as it is in summer. The resort has a nice mixture of old and new chalets, barns and farm buildings on the hillsides and in the valley, contributing to its authentic feel.
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The resort has plenty to offer all year-round and is very popular amongst visitors from all over the world.
 
Access
Châtel is a 90 minute drive (130km) from Geneva International Airport on the Swiss side, slightly longer on the French side (1hr 40, 96km) with several minibus transfers available from only 28.75 € per person. The closest train station is in Thonon les Bains with a direct service from Geneva (1 change from the airport), from where you can take a bus straight to the resort. On the Swiss side, there is a train service to Aigle, with a taxi ride on from there.
 
The Property Market
The Châtel property market is an active one, with interest from both French and Swiss buyers, each having similarly easy access to the resort.  As a dual season resort, it attracts both investors and traditional home buyers and, like its larger neighbours, has seen a flurry of activity over the past few years with several new build developments. Prices are roughly 20% lower than Morzine or les Gets, offering good value.
 
Winter Season
The Portes du Soleil is one of the largest skiing areas in Europe with 600km of skiing in 2 countries, comprising 34 green, 119 blue, 101 red and 32 black pistes in total.  Châtel itself has 41 ski lifts and 45 pistes, largely blues and reds but with a good numbers of green and black runs too, as well as 1 snowpark.  Investment over the last few years has vastly improved the links to the rest of the Portes du Soleil, including the Super Châtel gondola that leads to the ski school meeting place.
 
Several chair lifts will take you up to the gentle ski area with three groomed pistes cutting back and forth across the Swiss border. There are also two brand new chairlifts that directly link Super Châtel with the main Portes du Soleil area; a huge improvement from previously having to take the bus. This gives you the opportunity to explore more challenging terrain if you want to, including some off-piste options (snow conditions permitting).
 
The ski area offers pistes for every level from the blue runs in Super Châtel, to the long reds high above Avoriaz and of course the impressive Swiss wall black run down into les Crosets, which we definitely recommend to experienced skiers. If you are after something a bit more challenging than a blue or a red, you can also head across to the Lindarets valley which has some great powder runs through the trees. Another option is to head up to the Swiss border via Avoriaz to the Pointe des Mossettes (2277m) where you can take in breath-taking views of the Dents du Midi.
 
Summer Season
Châtel is very much a year-round resort, which in turn means that homeowners get more out of their properties here. A few chairlifts stay open during the summer, and there are also Portes du Soleil multi passes available for discounted prices on many activities. The resort offers summer activities such as hiking, roller blading, go-karting, tennis, mini golf, paddle boarding, zip lining, Accrobranche, summer bobsleds, a cinema and a spa and wellness centre.

Châtel Webcam

This webcam is provided courtesy of Châtel Tourist Office