{"id":2248,"date":"2015-08-20T15:44:53","date_gmt":"2015-08-20T14:44:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skiinluxury.com\/blog\/?p=2248"},"modified":"2015-09-02T13:52:12","modified_gmt":"2015-09-02T12:52:12","slug":"magical-megeve","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.skiinluxury.com\/blog\/magical-megeve\/","title":{"rendered":"Magical Megeve!"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Having just returned from a four day trip to Meg\u00e8ve, I can confirm that its reputation as a beautifully preseved and gloriously sunny resort is certainly true! Granted, I travelled in the height of summer and there was apparently one almighty thunder storm the day before we landed, but our time there couldn’t have been better….<\/p>\n

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A BRIEF HISTORY<\/strong><\/p>\n

Before the 1920’s, the french resort of Meg\u00e8ve was known mainly as a peaceful market town. Deriving from the Celtic name \u201cMageva\u201d which means the village on water, the french resort was the ideal place for farming due to it’s rich and fertile land.<\/p>\n

In 1914 there is evidence of the very first skiing competition being held, however it was not until Baroness Maurice de Rothschild, also known as Baroness No\u00e9mie, revealed Meg\u00e8ve\u2019s potential as a tourist destination and more importantly, the perfect ski resort to be enjoyed by all!<\/p>\n

\"Meg\u00e8ve<\/a><\/p>\n

The Rothchilds invested heavily in developing the famous Mont d’Arbois ski sector, still the most popular part of Meg\u00e8ve to this day, and the local village farmers followed by investing in neigbouring Rochebrune. In 1933 the well known “Red cable car” was constructed solely for the purpose of skiing and combined with King Albert of Belgium sponsoring the Palace du Mont d’Arbois, Meg\u00e8ve cemented itself alongside the exclusive Swiss resorts of Zermatt and St Moritz as a prestigious ski destination for wealthy Aristocracy and business men of that time.<\/p>\n

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THE FACTS<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you are looking for the postcard resort for your dream ski holiday, then Meg\u00e8ve certainly needs to be added to the bucket list. The Village has a distinct medieval feel. It is immediately clear that the ski domain has been built around an already established community and not the other way round. With cobbled streets, French delicatessens, tea rooms and boutique shops, it is easy to see how its oozing charm now attracts wealthy French and European travellers all year round!<\/p>\n

Set at 1,100m in altitude there may not always be the guarantee of snow, however like St Martin de Belleville it sits mainly on pasture land and therefore does not need deep coverage to be able to ski between the picturesque tree lined pistes the resort is known for.<\/p>\n

\"MORE\"20.08.2015<\/a><\/p>\n

The resort boasts 325km of piste, 183 ski runs in total and approximately 88 lifts. The ski domain is divided into three sections – Mont d’Arbois and Rochebrune which are interconnected on one side of the village and Le Jaillet sits on the other side of the resort.<\/p>\n

Meg\u00e8ve is a great place for beginners to learn as not only does it have plenty of good green and blue slopes, the ski schools meet at the top of the Chamois bubble that begins right in the centre of town. Lessons take place just alongside the lift and from here the next step is the small green run below the nursery slope and then a trip to the Mont D’Arbois side of the mountain. The blue runs on the Rochebrune side are a little trickier alongside the reds and advanced skiers can continue on from Rochebrune to Cote 2000 for more challenging runs if desired. Although making up only 13% of the overall ski area, there are definitely some well known black runs not to be missed, for example the legendary Emile Allais in the Rochebrune sector. If you get bored of skiing on piste, there is a mass of good off-piste skiing also!<\/p>\n

Although Mont d’Arbois is the resorts most famous and popular region for both skiing and luxury chalets, Le Jaillet is blessed with incredible views of the Mont Blanc and can be less busy than the other side of the ski resort.<\/p>\n

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THE TEAM’S TRIP TO RESORT<\/strong><\/p>\n

Andy and I stayed in the 4-star Le Lodge Park<\/a>, in the centre of the resort. It is part of the Maisons & Hotels Sibuet who are well established in the hospitality industry. With 15 restaurants and 9 Hotels including the 5-star Les Fermes de Marie, Ski in Luxury are proud to feature Le Lodge park alongside L’Hotel Mont Blanc<\/a>, Chalet Des Fermes<\/a> and Chalet Chatel<\/a> in Meg\u00e8ve alone. When visiting Le Chalet Zannier<\/a>, a very different but equally charming hotel in resort, the manager admitted that his favourite bar to socialise in was Le Lodge Park! High praise indeed.<\/p>\n