Perched at the summit of a mountain pass high up in the Alps, the commune of La Morte and the ski resort Alpe du Grand Serre is one of France’s best-kept skiing secrets. Despite its ominous name, La Morte (in English, ‘The Dead’) is a quaint, traditional Alpine village offering an authentic slice of rural French life.
The dramatic beauty of the Alpine landscape lends this area a scenic quality, but this rugged, mountainous terrain also makes La Morte an ideal extreme sports venue, with thrill-seekers flocking to the area to enjoy hiking, mountain biking, and of course, skiing.
Living in La Morte and Things To Do
The tiny town of La Morte has only around 130 permanent residents but sees an influx of tourists occupy the 700-odd holiday homes in the area, drawn to the natural beauty and opportunities for adventure La Morte offers.
Locals from the nearby Grenoble area share the slopes of Alpe du Grand Serre with tourists from all over the world, and the restaurants, bars, and shops located nearby welcome visitors from abroad. La Morte is a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of urban France, but Grenoble’s modern conveniences are still only a short distance away should you need them.
La Morte is all about location, location, location. Basing yourself in this area puts you just a short distance from a whole variety of attractions, foremost of which is the 55 kilometres of exhilarating ski slopes that make up the Alpe du Grand Serre. A predominance of blue and red runs makes this resort perfect for beginner and intermediate skiers and family ski trips, but expert skiers won’t be bored on the black slopes the resort also offers.
If you feel like taking a break from skiing, La Morte has much more to offer. Other winter activities available in the resort include snowshoeing and hiking, tobogganing, and even dog sledding - if you can do an activity in the snow, you can almost certainly do it at Alpe du Grand Serre! Best of all, the resort’s relatively low-key reputation means that even in the height of winter, you won’t be fighting over places on excursions or dealing with traffic-heavy slopes.
Come springtime you’ll see most of the snow thaw, but that doesn’t make the area any less special. Verdant green meadows, leafy forests and glassy lakes all blossom into life, just waiting to be explored on foot or by bike. From the peaceful pleasures of fishing to exhilarating attractions like paragliding and white water rafting, there’s always plenty to do. For a more relaxing day out, a family picnic by La Morte’s stunning waterfall beckons.
When you’ve finally tired of the outdoors and fancy seeing some civilisation again, you can descend into La Morte town and join in with the markets, feasts and festivals that occur throughout the year, and perhaps learn a bit about the tumultuous history of the area, and how it earned the name ‘La Morte’.
Snow and Weather Report for La Morte
Alpe du Grand Serre is open for the winter season from mid-December to late-March, during which time visitors can enjoy access to 55 kilometres of runs, with elevations ranging from 1367 to 2184 meters.
Luckily for tourists and residents alike, the area of La Morte has consistent snowfall throughout the winter season. La Morte benefits from being situated between the Southern and Northern Alps, meaning it tends to enjoy both weather systems and will often have good snow cover even when adjacent areas do not. For updated snow and weather reports, take a look at our La Morte resort guide here.
Investment potential in La Morte
The future of Alpe du Grand Serre looks bright, especially for those looking to invest in La Morte. Heavy investment in La Morte from the local community means facilities, including lifts, are in excellent shape, while ticket prices have been reduced and special events, like January’s Gay Ski Week, are bringing tourists into the area in greater numbers than ever.
La Morte is still fairly quiet, however, when compared to busier nearby resorts like Chamrousse. As a result, the resort has retained the relaxed, authentic vibe that makes it special ensures La Morte’s most enthusiastic fans return year-on-year, bewitched by the alternatives this resort offers compared to more heavily commercialised popular resorts. In short, in La Morte the only things going downhill are the skiers!
Transport to La Morte
The easiest way to get to La Morte is to fly into Chambery or Grenoble St Geoirs, which is just over an hour away. Alternatively, you can catch the Eurostar to Lille, and then a direct train to Grenoble. From there, a regular bus service can take you right to the resort.
Jan 02, 2024
