Genepi - the Alpine Liqueur

If you get the chance to try Genepi do.

It's a traditional Savoyard liqueur that has strong herbal overtones and, if you prefer a liqueur that isn't too sweet, may be just to your liking.

It is possible to buy a bottle in the town to take home. It is traditional for the locals to make their own Genepi in August when they harvest the rare alpine flowers that give the liqueur its distinctive flavour.

If you eat out in one of the many restaurants in Morzine the proprietor may offer you a complimentary drink after your meal and often this will be the local Genepi.

Try a Grolla or Friendship Cup

There are many unique treats that can be experienced in Morzine, not least of which is a 'Grolla', or Friendship Cup.

Enjoying a Grolla is a real experience, and one most definitely to be shared with close friends. It is served in a specially carved round wooden cup with several spouts and a lid, which is carved out of a chunk of tree trunk. It sounds weird, and yes it looks wierd, but is a lovely way to round off a memorable meal with friends.

Inside the cup is served a drink made of coffee, Genepi (a local herbal liqueur), citrus zest and sugar.

The coffee is flamed just before the lid is ceremoniously put in place to extinguish the flame and 'seal in the devil'. The Grolla is passed around your table, without being put down, until every last drop is finished. Because of the Grolla's unique design it's important to block the spouts either side with your thumbs otherwise as you pour some of the contents into your mouth you run a definite risk of pouring hot coffee onto your shoulders!

If you enjoy your Grolla experience, you can purchase one to bring home as several of the shops in the town sell them. At the very least, having read this post you'll now know what the wierd spouted wooden things are when you see them!

Is Culture and History More Your Thing?

There are a choice of events that will help you lap up the local culture and history.

Guided Tours and Demonstrations

You can take a tour of Old Morzine and learn about the town’s history or visit a slate mine.

My favourite is to visit the Fromargarie and see the local cheese being made. The demonstrations are only made on Wednesday and Thursday mornings so, if you want to go, you’ll have to plan for it.

Alternatively, you can also visit the dairy farmer in his cow shed – he’s there at 6pm each evening in the winter and is always happy to see visitors. For details visit l'Alpage on Route de la Plagne.

Music Recitals

There are often music recitals held in the ancient church in the old village of Morzine. Details of events can be found posted up around the village and from the Office du Tourisme.

A Gentle Walk

You can take a gentle walk through the woods alongside the river Dranse.

Simply make your way to the Palais des Sports at the bottom of the Route de Palais des Sports and follow the river down into the woods. There are several bridges that cross the river so you can easily do a cuircuit to get back to the Palais des Sports. One of the excellent things about this route is that it is on a gentle slope and is even suitable for pushchairs.

If you need to find somewhere to give your children a chance to stretch their legs when they’re not skiing, there’s an excellent children’s playground beside the river.

Morzine – 5 Things for the Active Non Skier to Enjoy

When most people think about Morzine in winter, they think ‘Skiing’. However the town has so much more to offer, so non skiers can have a fabulous time too!

Enjoy walking?

There’s a huge choice of lovely walks available for walkers of all abilities. You can take a gentle walk through the woods alongside the river Dranse.

Or, for something a little more exciting, ascend the mountain in a ski lift and take one of the marked walking routes (the Office du Tourisme provides free maps).

But for the ultimate in mountain walking why not try snow-shoeing? Guided treks are available.

Once you’re up in the mountains and away from the hustle and bustle of the slopes you’ll feel as though this world belongs to you exclusively! Go at your own pace and enjoy the breathtaking scenery and peaceful silence of the mountains.

Ice skating

Morzine boasts two ice skating rinks in the winter; an open air one in the centre of town and one in the Palais des Sport situated at the end of the Route du Palais des Sports which runs alongside the river Dranse. Incidentally, the Palais des Sport is also the home venue for the Morzine-Avoriaz ice hockey team the ‘Penguins’ who can often be seen competing in their league games on a Wednesday evening.

So take your chance to retrace the steps of Torvill & Dean and find your balance on one of the ice skating rinks.

Husky sledging

It’s a fabulous, if somewhat surprising sight, to watch a pack of huskies whisk by pulling a sledge, but this is an absolute possibility if you walk in the mountains above Super Morzine. As well as the traditional sleds pulled by a pack of dogs there are also smaller single dog sleds.

Snow mobile or Snow Scooter

If speed and machine combined are more your thing, why not take the opportunity to drive a snow mobile up in the mountains? All the freedom of the mountains but with a bit of power behind you – fantastic!

And finally, that perennial favourite, Tobogganing!

Whether you choose to use a traditional wooden sledge or go down the mountain on a small ‘bottom sledge’ there’s masses of fun to be had bouncing (at speed) down the slopes on the Plenny side of the valley.

So by now you can see that Morzine has so much more to offer than just skiing - you may want to book your holiday for two weeks!