Sprawling out across the foot of the famous La Plagne ski area is the idyllic resort of Montchavin. Boasting the authentic charm of a picture-perfect Alpine paradise, Montchavin has quickly become one of the most famous and most popular ski resorts in the Rhône-Alps. Full of rustic, traditional charm, Montchavin is set against the snowy mountains of the La Plagne resort and remains a firm favourite with the families that visit.
Montchavin was constructed in the 1960s, with the mayor investing huge amounts of money in rebuilding and expanding the village. He expanded the construction of chalets and apartments, designed in the traditional Savoyard style with high-quality wood and stone. Since then, Montchavin has been reinvented into a family-friendly, dynamic resort for summer and winter.
The hamlet has expanded out over the bottom of the mountain over the years and continued its construction of traditional homes to retain the rustic alpine aesthetic the town is now famous for.
Living in Montchavin and Things To Do
Montchavin is most famous for its skiing and is home to the Vanoise Express Stations, which can easily take you across the expansive La Plagne resort and high up into the mountains. With 95 total ski lifts available for all skiers, 54% of the slopes are green and above colours. With over 400km of fresh ski slopes, there is something for everyone who visits.
The resort also offers a huge variety of snow activities outside of skiing, including riding dog sleds, luge and tobogganing areas, snow-shoeing and a skating rink. You could even spend the night in an igloo! Brilliant in the winter with guaranteed stunning views, Montchavin is designed to keep you rosy-cheeked and smiling. Throughout the hamlet, there are a wide variety of restaurants of gourmet cuisine that suits any taste you might have, alongside a boulangerie.
If you want an escape from the snow, Montchavin offers a bookshop, local cinema and walking trails in and around this picturesque area. Take a visit to Spa Oceane for a massage or a sauna and cocoon yourself in relaxation and wellbeing.
Close to Montchavin are the neighbouring La Plagne village resorts of Champagny-en-Savoie and Plagne Montalbert. Champagny is great for skiing, bursting with Alpine charm and is mere minutes away from the Vanoise National Park, while Plagne Montalbert is the hub for skiing, a charming little hamlet at the bottom of the mountains.
At least 70% of the resort is above 2,000m which guarantees outstanding snow reliability. Furthermore, summers in the resort are warm and allow for amazing walks across the countryside. For up-to-date snow and weather reports for Montchavin, take a look at our resort guide here.
Montchavin and Culture
The resort prides itself on its family-friendly atmosphere and catering to children and adults equally. Beautifully designed and stunning through all seasons, this traditionally alpine hamlet makes for a perfect escape from the world for a few weeks. There are activities a-plenty to suit the needs of everyone and plenty of chances for parents to relax sans enfants during their holiday too.
Moreover, the hamlet has a strong grasp on its own heritage and offers activities that can help you envelop yourself in the history of the area. You can take a self-guided tour called the Secrets of Montchavin or visit one of the local dairy farms and see how the famous alpine cows make some of the delicious foods and drinks that are enjoyed across the Alps. Or, you can tour the famous Baroque-style church settled into the middle of the mountains, a stunning addition to the gorgeous landscape of the mountain.
Investment Opportunities in Montchavin
Because the resort of Montchavin is relatively new, the properties there remain as structurally sound and aesthetically beautiful as when they were first built. Each chalet and apartment complex are built with the traditional wood and stone in the Savoyard style. The original hamlet is always being expanded across the mountain and thus increasing the number of properties available across the area. Close by, the company Poma have invested in new high-speed chair lifts that half the time of transit from the bottom to the top of the mountain, new for the 2018/19 season.
Montchavin’s facilities and services are settled in the heart of the village and often it only takes mere minutes to get to any one of their unique attractions or restaurants and bars. The resort is one of the most popular in the area, so the community is vibrant and welcoming all year round. None of the original charm built into the village in the 1960s has dissipated over the years they’ve been catering to international visitors.
Transport to Montchavin
Montchavin is easily accessible but can be difficult to get to by road during the winter months. It is recommended that anyone driving use snow chains when travelling to the resort. Close by is the Montchavin Les-Coches train station, which not only provides connections throughout France but also to the London St Pancras-Paris Eurostar train and trains outside of the country, towards The Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland.
The closest airport is Chambery-Savoie, which has some international flights to major UK cities. Less than two hours away are the airports of Grenoble, Geneva and Lyon Saint Expurey. Shuttles, buses and taxis run frequently between the resort and the airports for visitors.
Rustic, charming and filled to the brim with authentic alpine spirit, Montchavin is a vibrant, family-friendly community in one of the most stunning parts of France and is a perfect investment for those looking for property there.
Jan 02, 2024
