Discover Les Houches

Choose Les Houches to suit your travel interests

Les Houches offers several distinct areas of interest for planning your trip: culture and local history, nature at Parc de Merlet, seasonal winter sports, and trails and leisure activities. When looking for a hotel, you can first consider which theme you want to shape your stay. The specific highlights range from an ethnographic collection and church architecture to animal species, a marked orienteering course and several winter sports. Your travel dates also matter if you want to plan around seasonal activities.

Cultural sites and local history

The Musée Montagnard is housed in a historic building in the centre of the village of Les Houches. Its ethnographic collection includes objects that were once used in the Chamonix Valley. This makes the museum a cultural experience with a different focus from church architecture: it centres on objects and their former use in the valley. During school holidays, the Musée Montagnard offers guided tours, workshops and activities for children and adults. If a tour or workshop is important to your plans, check the information for the relevant holiday period.

The Church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste in Les Houches was consecrated in 1766; its façade features characteristic elements of the Baroque style. The footpath alongside the church is named “Passage Chagall” in honour of the artist and serves as an exhibition space. A cultural stay can therefore offer different perspectives: the museum and its ethnographic collection, and the church with its history of consecration, façade design and exhibition along the path.

Nature and leisure activities

Parc de Merlet covers 21 hectares and is home to numerous animal species living in semi-freedom. The park lies at an altitude of 1,500 metres on the southern slope of Les Houches and was formerly an alpine pasture. Its size, elevation and former use together help describe this destination: its scale, location and history.

The Base de Loisirs des Chavants at Lac des Chavants in Les Houches offers opportunities for walks. The facility also includes a climbing area, children’s play equipment and water games. These provide a range of activities: walking, climbing and playing. The climbing area, children’s play equipment and water games may vary seasonally. If these specific activities are important to your travel plans, check the information for the relevant period.

Winter sports and trails

The Les Houches / Saint-Gervais ski area extends from 1,000 to 1,900 metres in elevation. Activities available include alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, telemark skiing and ski jumping. The selection covers several different types of winter sport; you can check which ones suit your plans. As these activities are seasonal, it is advisable to check the information for your planned travel dates.

The Les Houches – Les Chavants orienteering course is 2 kilometres long and marked with 18 control points. The distance and number of control points describe two different aspects: the course’s length and its layout. Le chemin des villages is a walking and cycling path through the village of Les Houches, where you can avoid using the main road. Unlike the orienteering course, it focuses on walking or cycling through the village. Weather and maintenance can affect trail conditions; if you plan to use this path, check conditions for your visit.

Discover more destinations: Cruseilles, Arthaz-Pont-Notre-Dame, Saint-Jorioz, Dingy-Saint-Clair, La Côte-D'arbroz, Reyvroz, Marin, Thonon-Les-Bains

For the broader travel guide: Haute-Savoie.