Le Grand Bornand - France
It is a mystery why Le Grand Bornand (Le grand bor-non) isn’t better known when you consider the ease of access at under an hour’s drive from Geneva. The resort itself is far from being a purpose built monstrosity, quite the opposite. This typical French market town is steeped in history and full of traditional alpine charm, with regular markets and bustling shops that make it a lively summer destination too. The ski season runs from December until April and the resort is just a few kilometres from La Clusaz, a more extensive ski area that is covered on the same Aravis ski pass.
On the downside the altitude at just 1000m makes Le Grand Bornand one of the lower resorts in the French Alps, but the traditional 17th Century farming of Chinaillon 6km away sits higher at 1300m and is the start point for a lot of the best skiing. A bus service links the two and skiing back to Le Grand Bornand itself is not always possible.
At a glance
| Resort altitude | 1000m - 1000m |
|---|---|
| Highest lift | 2100m |
| Lowest lift | 1000m |
| kms of piste | 90km² |
| Black pistes | 6% |
| Red pistes | 26% |
| Blue pistes | 50% |
| Green pistes | 18% |
| Snow parks | 1 |
| Glacier | No |
| Snowmaking | Yes |
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Five to try
- take a dog sleigh ride
- try some snow walking to get those legs working
- paraglide from the top of Le Mont du Lachat
- Visit the beautiful medieval town of Annecy
- Dip in the pool at La Clusaz
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Planning your trip
The closest major airport is Geneva (Switzerland) which is just 50km from Le Grand Bornand and has the most transport links to transfer you to the resort. The next biggest airport is Lyon St Exupery. Chambery and Grenoble are between these two larger airports in distance, if not convenience. Trains are an easy and more...
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Where to stay
Le Grand Bornand is not often covered by the standard UK ski holiday companies and for this reason is a lot quieter and more French than the better-known resorts. It is growing, with MGM currently building apartments in the area - whether this is a good or bad thing is up for debate. There is the standard sort more...
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Food and drink
As with all ski resorts these days there are plenty of places for pizza and pasta but there are also lots of restaurants which specialise in traditional Savoyard fare; tartiflette is particularly important here as the distinctive Reblochon cheese is produced in this valley. There are almost 30 restaurants between Le Grand more...
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Things to do
There’s not loads to do in Le Grand Bornand, but if you’re off the slopes for a couple of days or trying to fill your evenings there are some great little activities to more...
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On the piste
Le Grand Bornand has 39 lifts that serve 90km of piste, some of which is above 2000m and the resort has also invested in snowmaking facilities to aid 18km worth of lower slopes. There is something for everyone locally but if staying for a full week anyone of more than a confident intermediate standard will want the more...
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MadDogView
Pretty village close to La Clusaz. Access to good intermediate and beginner slopes. If you're there, visit nearby Chinaillion, which is 6km higher. It's full of tradition and deserves some exploring when you're off the slopes.
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Map
- Download piste map
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Our favourites
Baron Noire
This is the place to go for all night partying. With a good friendly bar, a pizza and pasta in the restaurant and a night club downstairs. Smart and sophisticated it isn't but it is always surprisingly busy and friendly. -
Useful stuff
