Flaine Ski Resort
Purpose built in the 1960s in a large bowl of powder facing West and aptly nicknamed the big snowy bowl, Flaine offers the widest range of skiing in the Grand Massif ski area. The resort is not the most picturesque of them all and for some visitors the severe architecture is too much to take but if you can ignore the ugly concrete buildings and focus on the fluffy white stuff you’ll find a family-friendly resort with excellent facilities. Children are particularly well catered for and good deals can be found on family lift passes. The village centre is mainly car free, compact and convenient.
In spite of its dreary reputation, Flaine is regarded as a cultural landmark in France having been designed in the Bauhuas style by celebrated architect Marcel Breuer. As a result, the resort is a hub for modern arts and at the bottom of the slopes there’s a range of art by abstract artists, the most notable piece being a large Picasso sculpture of a woman’s head.
The resort has, in recent years, undergone a number of refurbishments, and is now making something of a comeback. The Totem, a hotel originally designed by Breuer, has been revamped and rebranded as the ultra-cool and minimimalist Hotel Terminal Neige Totem.
OPEN
Season Start/End: 09/12/2017 – 20/04/2018
ALTITUDE: 1600m – 2500m
PISTES: 15%|42%| 34%| 9%
LIFTS: 24
LIFT TICKETS: from €31.70 to €47.00
