The Grand Massif, between the Arve valley and the Fer-à-Cheval cirque

Settling in the Grand Massif

Settling in the Grand Massif means living next to a ski area of 265 kilometres of pistes, with a direct train to Geneva from Cluses and 9,445 hectares of nature reserve at Sixt and Passy.

Transport and access

Cluses station is served by line L3 of the Léman Express, which runs direct to Geneva-Cornavin in around 1 hour 20 minutes. From this station, the Altibus bus climbs to Flaine on reservation. For Les Carroz d’Arâches, the Les Carroz Flaine Express bus leaves from Cluses coach station, with booking compulsory.

There is no railway station in the Giffre valley, which is home to Samoëns, Morillon, Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval and Verchaix. The nearest stations, Cluses and Magland, are on line L3, which makes the train possible towards Geneva after a journey by bus or car.

Geneva airport is around 70 kilometres from Flaine. From exit 19 of the A40, at Cluses, the resort is 30 kilometres by road.

Education and schools

The Charles Poncet multi-purpose sixth form (lycée polyvalent), in Cluses, takes students from seconde, the first year of general and technological upper secondary school, to industrial BTS higher technician diplomas, with first-year options such as drama, Latin or engineering sciences. In the Giffre valley, the Jacques Brel secondary school is in Taninges.

Healthcare and services

In Flaine, the Forum medical centre sees patients without an appointment for general medicine and mountain sports injuries, but it closes out of season and then relocates to Les Carroz d’Arâches. The A&E department at Sallanches hospital is open 24 hours a day, and the Alpes-Léman hospital centre, in Contamine-sur-Arve, also has an A&E department and a maternity unit.

Living in the Grand Massif: five resorts and three valley communes

Choosing to live in the Grand Massif means choosing between five resorts linked by the same ski area and valley communes such as Taninges or Cluses, with a very different rhythm. Eight communes are presented here. Population figures come from the latest census.

Flaine

At the centre of Flaine, at 1,600 metres, the Forum was built in 1966 and 1967 and has carried the Architecture contemporaine remarquable (remarkable contemporary architecture) label since 2003. The ecumenical chapel, built in 1973, has been listed as a historic monument since 2014, and the resort is shared between Arâches-la-Frasse and Magland. Discover our prime properties for sale in Flaine.

Les Carroz d’Arâches

A village in the commune of Arâches-la-Frasse, which has 1,764 residents, Les Carroz d’Arâches is reached by the D6 from Magland, 15 minutes from the A40 exit. Free shuttles link its hamlets to one another. Browse our prestige properties available for sale in Les Carroz d’Arâches.

Samoëns

The centre of Samoëns, at the market square, stands at 698 metres. The Gros Tilleul, a lime tree planted in 1438, has been a protected site since 1909, the church of Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption has been listed as a historic monument since 1987, and the Wednesday market is held from 7 am to 1 pm all year round. Explore our luxury properties for sale in Samoëns.

Morillon

Morillon, which has 719 residents, is one of the five linked resorts of the Grand Massif. The Les Esserts sector lies there at 1,100 metres, and the ski area offers Nordic skiing at Morillon, as at Flaine, Les Carroz d’Arâches and Samoëns. View our high-end properties available to buy in Morillon.

Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval

Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval has 736 residents and contains 8,468 hectares of the national nature reserve created in 1977, whose altitude ranges from 870 to 3,100 metres. The 14-kilometre Cascades blue piste links the summit of Flaine to the village. See our prestige homes for sale in Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval.

Verchaix

Verchaix has 830 residents, and its village stands at 788 metres. The Joux-Plane alpine pasture belongs to the commune, and a snowshoe trail waymarked by 15 signs starts from the village. Discover our properties in Verchaix.

Taninges

Taninges has 3,491 residents and is home to the Jacques Brel secondary school. The market is held on Thursday, from 8 am to 12 noon, on the banks of the Foron, and the Mélan charterhouse is among the commune’s old buildings. Browse our high-end homes for sale in Taninges.

Cluses

Cluses has a town hall built in 1901, whose electric clock of 1911 was made by pupils of the watchmaking school. The Léman Express station and the Charles Poncet sixth form are both here, and the market is held on Monday, from 8 am to 2 pm. Discover our luxury real estate to buy in Cluses.