Le Grand-Bornand Is Ready For Winter 25 - 26

Le Grand-Bornand, traditional French alpine village in the Aravis mountains, just an hour from Geneva and 40 minutes from Lake Annecy, welcomes visitors to ‘Grand Bo’:

• NEW Chalet Valora 3*. Reborn this winter, previously the iconic 60s built La Joyère hotel, now totally renovated as ‘Chalet Valora’ and offers 95 beds, as 21 studios and apartments, open year-round, with an elegant Scandinavian design including indoor swimming pool and indoor working spaces. Rates: from €608/week in a 2-person studio  chalet-valora.com
• NEW Avalanche Rescue Course. Organised by the Bureau des Guides in Le Grand-Bornand, these new three hour training courses will include search and rescue techniques for avalanche victims and the basic principles of operating a DVA (Avalanche Victim Detector). Thursdays and Sundays from 2 PM to 5:30 PM From €90/person guides-grandbornand.com  
• NEW Boutique Aulp: the Haute-Savoie Store. Aulp – whose name means 'alpage' in the Savoyard dialect, is a brand of technical and outdoor textiles created in 2017 in the Haute-Savoie. Now opening its first 84m2 flagship store in the commercial heart of Le Grand-Bornand. Open daily your round from 9 am to 12:30 pm, and 2:30 pm to 7 pm. aulp.fr 
• UPCYCLED: La Taverne Chairlift. The oldest chair lift in Le Grand-Bornand will re-launch this winter after an upcycling project whereby the old fixed-grip 2-seater chairlift has been replaced by a partly refurbished fixed-grip 4-seater. Poma Group has made a chairlift by recycling parts from two old ones, including the Les Gettiers chairlift that was dismantled in Le Chinaillon to make the Le Charmieux detachable chairlift in 2019. The result has meant reduced transport requirements, working with local businesses, reusing inspected and reconditioned parts and using pre-manufactured equipment: good for the planet with a lower carbon footprint and good for the budget. Carrying 900-1800 skiers per hour, the new La Taverne chairlift connection with the La Joyère cable car will offer a better option as a secondary lift to the Le Rosay plateau alongside the cable car of the same name. After dismantling the old La Taverne chairlift, locals and fans were able to buy the seats at auction. The vintage seats have since been repurposed as garden chairs and home accessories, giving them a new lease of life and bringing the unique upcycling project full circle. 
• EVENT: 5.5 Million to Children’s Charities – The Biggest Mountain Charity event in France. Glisse en Coeur, entering it’s 17th year, is the biggest charity event in the French mountains, raising to date, over 5.5 million euros for 31 children’s and public interest charities. 24 hrs of non-stop relay skiing in teams from 2pm on Saturday to 2pm on Sunday, creates a buzzing atmosphere with live music from French headliners every winter. Teams race down the namesake piste [participants ski the equivalent of a round-the-world trip over the course of one weekend]. One of the charities supported at this year’s event is ‘Ma Chance Moi Aussi’, a charity supporting children with learning difficulties. Glisse en Cœur – 21st- 23rd March 2026: www.glisseencoeur.com 
• OFFER: Christmas in Le Grand-Bornand – Children ski free! From 24-30 December, Le Grand-Bornand celebrates Christmas in ‘Place a Noel’ at Chinaillon above the village of Le Grand Bornand, from 3-7pm daily.  Special offer: A 6-night stay from 21st -26th December is from 460 euros including a free child ski pass [up to 11yrs] for every adult ski pass purchased [20% discount on adult price also offered: saving 220.50 euros]. https://reservation.legrandbornand.com/
• Le Grand-Bornand joins Magic Pass. Le Grand-Bornand has joined the Magic Pass network and established a dynamic pricing strategy for all annual ski passes available online for winter 2025/26. Guests are encouraged to book early for the best prices and Magic Pass gives access to over 100 different ski resorts. Current: 444 €/adult – 299 €/child (under 15) magicpass.ch

In Numbers

• Opening Dates :  13th December 2025 -10th April 2026
• No of Residents: 2054
• No of Cows: 2060
• Farms: 35
• Traditional houses 400+
• Oldest house 1664 
• Biathlon visitors Dec 67,000
• Olympic Biathlon 2030

Whether you’re looking for sport, nature or culture, everything in Le Grand-Bornand exudes authenticity, excellence and good living, just like the village centre with its beautiful houses clustered around the granary and church. The pastures cascade down to the typical hamlets and their 450 chalets, some of which date back to the 17th century, creating the perfect backdrop for discovering a well-preserved mountain with a strong character, a boundless outdoor playground where visitors and locals form a single, invigorating, open and happy community.

Le Grand-Bornand can be discovered in three distinct places, each with its own character and charm. Le Grand-Bornand Village, the historic heart of the resort, nestles at an altitude of 1,000 m, with its lively little streets and emblematic church. Higher up, at 1,300 m, Le Chinaillon is the place to be for lovers of skiing, wide open spaces and heritage, with its vast ski area in winter, lush green mountain pastures in summer and century-old chalets. The more discreet Vallée du Bouchet offers a peaceful yet sporty atmosphere, ideal for contemplation and Nordic activities. Three facets of the same territory, where everyone finds their own BO!neur to the rhythm of the seasons.