Morzine
Morzine (French pronunciation: [mɔʁzin]; Arpitan: Morzena), alternatively known as Morzine-Avoriaz (pronounced [mɔʁzin avɔʁja]), is an alpine commune on the Swiss border in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Southeastern France.
It is located in the French-Swiss Chablais historical area, south-southeast of Évian-les-Bains and just west of Champéry in Valais. As of 2020, it had a population of 2,690. The town of Morzine is situated in the French Alps' Vallée d'Aulps (Aulps Valley), which stretches from Morzine to La Vernaz in the northwest.
A traditional market town in the heart of the Portes du Soleil, Morzine is dominated by chalets spread across a river gorge, bordered by partially wooded slopes allowing skiing in po...Read more
Morzine (French pronunciation: [mɔʁzin]; Arpitan: Morzena), alternatively known as Morzine-Avoriaz (pronounced [mɔʁzin avɔʁja]), is an alpine commune on the Swiss border in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Southeastern France.
It is located in the French-Swiss Chablais historical area, south-southeast of Évian-les-Bains and just west of Champéry in Valais. As of 2020, it had a population of 2,690. The town of Morzine is situated in the French Alps' Vallée d'Aulps (Aulps Valley), which stretches from Morzine to La Vernaz in the northwest.
A traditional market town in the heart of the Portes du Soleil, Morzine is dominated by chalets spread across a river gorge, bordered by partially wooded slopes allowing skiing in poor weather conditions. Situated at an altitude of about 1,000 m, it is one of the most northerly of the French Alpine resorts, weatherwise benefiting from the Mont Blanc microclimate. The locality enjoys panoramic mountain views and modern ski facilities, as well as hotels and restaurants in the town itself. The ski resort of Avoriaz is located on the territory of the commune.
In 1181, Morzine (Latin: Morgenes, or "border area") was a grange of Aulps Abbey, a Cistercian monastery 7 km away.[1] In the Middle Ages, granges were agricultural centres from which the monks exploited their landscape and co-ordinated farming and industrial work. The grange was fundamental to the Cistercians' successful expansion and management of their mountain land. The granges supplied the monastery's food, clothing, utensils and building materials. The granges were manned by lay-brothers, who cultivated the lands and reared livestock.[2]
From the 18th to the early 20th century, the exploitation of slate quarries was an important economic activity of Morzine, before winter tourism took over around in 1930.[3] Between 1857 and 1870, the commune received national attention for an unusually high number of women claiming to be possessed.[4][5] In 2015 only a few quarries were still being exploited.
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