Le Mont-Dore is a French Spa town and ski resort set in the heart of the Auvergne National Park at the foot of le Puy de Sancy the highest peak in the Dordogne Valley. The village is a year-round spa resort which provides access to many family-friendly summer and winter activities including hiking, trekking, mountain biking and of course skiing.
Le Mont-Dore has many sports and leisure facilities along with a wide selection of accommodation suitable for couples and families. At the centre of the village, there is a large recreational area which contains many shops, bars and restaurants. The population stands at just 1,500 for most of the year but this can rise to more than 20,000 during the height of the ski season.
Le Mont-Dore provides an excellent opportunity for investors. With continual investment in infrastructure along with good transport connections and access to a wide range of summer and winter activities, the resort offers potential investors a consistent year-round rental income.
Living in Le Mont-Dore and Things To Do
Skiiers can gain easy access to the slopes by using one of the 20 chair lifts which serve the resort. And unlike the mega Alpine resorts, all the ski lifts in Le Mont-Dore end in the village. So, when you’re finished skiing for the day you can quickly head back to your property to freshen up.
Aside from skiing, there are plenty of things to do in the area. Hiking is almost as popular as skiing with the resort providing a wide range of hiking and trekking trails. These are available to suit all abilities including the GR4 and GR30 trails which cover the lakes and volcanos of the Auvergne region. For those seeking a less strenuous hike, there are also many PR rated trails in the region.
If hiking and skiing are not to your taste the region is also renowned for its excellent fishing. The pristine rivers and lakes in the Auvergne valley are home to trout, perch, carp, graylings and crayfish. Rods and associated equipment are available to rent in the many specialist fishing shops in the village.
For adrenaline junkies, there is also a zip wire which runs some 240m down the mountain into Super Besse. Hang gliding and hot air balloon rides are also available during the summer months from the top of the mountain. The Sancy region also provides a range of rock climbing and abseiling opportunities.
Le Mont-Dore Leisure and Culture
Le Mont-Dore is one of the oldest ski resorts in France and can trace its history back to Roman times when it was renowned for its therapeutic baths. Today it is most famous for its grande Spa, Les Thermes, which was designed by Gustave Eiffel. It was the spa which attracted the railway, with the town becoming one of the first ski areas in France to be connected to Paris by rail in the late 19th century.
Over the next 50 years, the town developed into a chic resort complete with opulent hotels and a casino to keep travellers entertained. Most of the town's buildings date from this period, with elegant Neo-byzantine stone houses lining the narrow streets, giving it a unique feel compared the traditional chalet style architecture of most Alpine resorts.
Much of the glamour of the 1920s has faded, however, with Verbier and Méribel now the favoured places for wealthy tourists. But you won’t find many people in Le Mont-Dore complaining about it, the town is now regarded as one of Frances best-kept secrets. There are no long queues for ski lifts here and the town still benefits from the rail link which connects other resorts in the region including Chastreix, Chambon-des-Neiges and Super-Besse.
Together these four towns form the Massif du Sancy ski region which provides some of the best skiing in the Auvergne Valley. Skiers of all abilities will find plenty of pistes to keep them entertained here, with Le Mont-Dore providing direct access to 42km of runs and the nearby Super Besse resort providing a further 43km on the same ski pass.
Snow and Weather Report in Le Mont-Dore
According to last year's snow report, Le Mont-Dore received 119cm of snow. This is below average for the region which is usually around 250cm and can be as much as 400cm. You can check out the latest snow report with our Le Mont-Dore resort guide here.
According to the last summers weather report, Le Mont-Dore temperatures reached a high of 22º. Average temperatures during the summer months range between 19º-21° which is perfect for hiking and other outdoor activities. You can view the latest weather report with our Le Mont-Dore resort guide here.
Investment Potential in Le Mont-Dore
For those looking at buying a property in Le Mont-Dore, the resort has a good choice of reasonably priced houses and apartments available. With the region popular with families, large flats make the best investment. These should provide good year-round rental income from holidaymakers keen to experience what this incredible region has to offer.
As the area becomes more popular with people outside France, the town centre has seen a considerable amount of investment. Many of the older buildings in the centre of town are being converted into hotels and apartments and new apartment complexes are being built on the outskirts.
New builds in the centre of town are not common due to planning restrictions and the limited amount of space available. This will make apartments in the old town particularly good investments going forward since there are only so many older buildings which are suitable for conversion.
Transport to Le Mont-Dore
Le Mont-Dore is well served by both road and rail, with the local train station serving as a hub for the entire Auvergne-Rhone-Alps region. Trains depart from here to Clermont-Ferrand where mainline connections are available to Paris. The average travel time from Paris to Le Mont-Dore is around 6hrs 50 mins.
The nearest airport is at Clermont-Ferrand where flights are available across Europe. Ryanair serves Clermont-Ferrand with direct flights from London Stansted. The flight takes around 1hr 45mins with transfers available from the airport entrance direct to Le Mont-Dore.
Jan 02, 2024
