MEGEVE: Where tradition meets contemporary

Photography and words by Paul Brechu

As a skier, should you be a ski bum, a freerider, a racer, no matter your style, we all heard about Megeve at some point. Evoking both traditional village and alpine luxury experience, Megeve has preserved its identity in the prestigious setting of the Alps and Mont Blanc.

"Mageva" as it used to be called, is the Latin name of Megeve which means “in the middle of the waters”. Before becoming one of the most famous ski resorts in the world, following the footsteps of St Moritz, Megeve was locally known, not for its snowy slopes, but its fertile land.

In 1916, the baroness Noémie de Rothschild sought to create the “French St Mortiz”. Places like Davos and St. Moritz had become unattractive because of the world war tensions. The skier, Trygve Smith searched for the ideal site for her, choosing Val d'Isère and Megève, which was preferred because of its easier access and gentler, sunnier slopes.

Together with her husband, Maurice de Rothschild, she built the Mont d'Arbois area and will open in 1921 l'hôtel du Mont d'Arbois. A flamboyant building planted on hundreds of hectares and equipped with an ice rink... They are quickly met with success, the King of the Belgians Albert the First enjoyed a stay in Megeve and was soon followed by the French aristocracy.

In 1933, the first cable car in France dedicated to skiing, the Rochebrune cable car was built! A true pioneering ski destination at the time. The famous local Emile Allais, born in Megève, will become the first great French alpine ski. Roger Allard, Henri Duvillard, and many other world-renowned skiers will follow…

In parallel of skiing, Megeve has been awarded several prestigious statuses, such as the Marianne d'Or (Sustainable Development), integration into the international network Best of the Alps (with Chamonix, Zermatt, Davos or Saint-Moritz...) and three stars Michelin for the now-famous Marc Veyrat and his restaurant La Ferme de mon Père.

In the space of a few years, 6 hotels received the classification of 5 stars including the mythical Chalet du Mont d'Arbois. Many new restaurants mixing both traditional foods with world-renowned chefs, are now keeping Megeve alive more than ever. A 3 stars Michelin guide, the Flocons de Sel is also run by Emmanuel Renault.

Megeve ski area is now an integral part of the Evasion Mont Blanc ski area, which offers 445 km of pistes with the resorts of Combloux, La Giettaz, Saint- Gervais, Saint-Nicolas-de-Véroce and Les Contamines-Montjoie.

L’hotel Coeur De Megeve is the perfect example of the eternal rebirth of Megeve, having been a true institution for decades, it was completely rebuilt in 2018 to offer modern comfort, contemporary design while remaining a local best to eat and sleep!

The Four Seasons Megeve settled in the Mont D’arbois and owned by the Rothschild family is perpetuating the tradition settled by the baroness in the ’20s.

L'alpette, a mountain restruant, was completely rebuilt to identical after it burn down. offering a classic style with cosy and stylish interior design.

Netsled at 1,027 m (3,369ft) and going up to 2,485 m (8,153 ft), close to the Mont Blanc, the place gets very good snow conditions most of the time.

Should you seek for a peace place to stay, a perfect restaurant in a winter wonderland or the sweet spot between a ski resort that offers good snow conditions and hot après, Megeve is the place to experience .