La Clusaz ski | ski holidays in France

La Clusaz - 1 — © La Clusaz, Pierrick Aubert

La Clusaz in short

Height: 1100 - 2600 metres
Authentic French ski resort
Lively atmosphere, varied après-ski
Great downhill and cross-country skiing

La Clusaz is a pleasant mix of old and new, with various hamlets in the traditional Savoyard style. Accommodation is of high standard and the staff very welcoming. This authentic and lively ski resort in France gets its name from the narrow passageway above the ski resort where the river Le Mur flows down the mountain. A “cluse” is a narrow path that water has carved out between two mountains and La Clusaz was originally known as “Clusa Locus Dei”, which means God’s narrow place. The village of La Clusaz has its roots in the Middle Ages and recently celebrated a century of winter sports.

The French village has produced many notable French skiers and snowboarders who have participated in a host of international events including the Winter Olympics in Calgary and Sochi. Perhaps the most famous skier to emerge from La Clusaz is Candide Thovex, who has shaken up the ski scene with his incredible freeriding feats.

Review of La Clusaz

Winter hiking
Cross-country skiing
Aprés-ski
Family/children
Price level

based on 5 visitor reviews

Latest review by Anne

“La Clusaz is a nice ski resort with a good variety of slopes for every level. There are slopes through the trees, a few green and blue slopes for beginners and nice challenging slopes for more advanced skiers. Although there's a freestyle zone, we...”

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Easy Access

Together with the neighbouring ski resorts of Le Grand Bornand and Chinaillon, La Clusaz gives access to around 200km of ski slopes in the ski area of the Massif des Aravis. The village of La Clusaz is relatively low-lying at 1040m above sea level, but the ski area reaches an altitude of 2600m above sea level, ensuring decent snow cover. There is also some fantastic cross-country skiing here. La Clusaz is easy to access from Geneva Airport, Grenoble Airport, Chambéry Airport and by car via Calais.

La Clusaz and the Massif des Aravis

The ski area proper to La Clusaz boasts 1500m of vertical drop and 125km of runs. It’s spread across five massifs: Massif de Balme, Massif de l’Aiguille, Massif de l’Étale, Massif de Manigod and Massif de Beauregard, each with their own distinct vibe. The ski area is suitable for beginners to experts, with steep combes, pretty tree-lined slopes and long, winding blue valley runs that lead straight into the village centre. On the Beauregard, Manigod and Aiguille massifs beginner skiers and snowboarders will find easy slopes through the trees. The Massif de l’Aiguille is home to the freestyle snow parks and halfpipe, while expert freeriders will make a beeline to the renowned off-piste terrain on the Massifs de Balme and Étale. The col des Aravis grants spectacular views of Mont Blanc. Together with the rest of the Massif des Aravis ski area, La Clusaz grants access to more than 200km of pistes. It’s easy to make a day trip to the neighbouring ski resorts of Manigod, Le Grand Bornand or St. Jean de Sixt.

Freeriding and freestyling destination par excellence

The LCZ park by Columbia has rails, boxes, jumps and Big Air for intermediate, confirmed and expert freestylers. Beginner freestylers can get their feet wet on the LCZ Family Run, which has rails, table tops and other jumps and is decorated by wood sculptures by a local artist. La Clusaz is a breeding ground for professional freeriders and freestylers, with more than ten world champions across disciplines. The Balme backcountry ski area provides natural features where the younger generation can keep the tradition going.

Fun for the whole family at La Clusaz

La Clusaz is a family-friendly ski resort and has been awarded the Famille Plus label. Parents have their pick of crèches and nurseries that will give you the chance to grab some time on the slopes without the kids! The Club des P’tits Montagnards takes in tots from 8 months to 3 years old, while the Club des Champions welcomes kids aged 3 to 6. Kid and junior ski passes are available, and children under 5 ski free. The ESF offers private and group ski lessons for children starting from the age of 3, and starting from age 5 kids can also learn snowboarding and freestyling.

Après-ski in La Clusaz

While après-ski in France will never rival the crazy scenes you see in Austria, après-ski in La Clusaz is nevertheless quite a lively affair. Start your afternoon by enjoying a drink on the terrace of the Relais de l’Aiguille up on the slopes. Down in the village there are plenty of bars and nightclubs for partying into the night. Dig into specialty Savoyard dishes at restaurants like La Scierie or the Chalet du Lac, and continue the night at l’Écluse or Club 18. Overall you have plenty of bars to choose from and nobody will ever get bored during après-ski in La Clusaz!

Off the slopes in La Clusaz

There are plenty of activities other than skiing for all ages and tastes in La Clusaz, such as hiking, ice skating, nighttime tobogganing, snowshoeing, dogsledding and a good choice of spas and beauty and health treatments to recharge batteries after a great day on the ski slopes. Cross-country skiers can explore 80km of trails on the Massif de Beauregard and the plateau des Confins, the latter of which has a dedicated nordic skiing area for children. A few times a season during the full moon, some of the downhill slopes open for night skiing.