The center of town is easy to find in la Clusaz.



The church on the central square can be seen for miles around, its sturdy-looking tower topped by a distinctive clock and graduated wedding-cake steeple reaching high above the surrounding wood-shingled rooftops. Newly restored and modernized with excellent acoustic properties, it doubles as a concert and lecture hall for visiting dignitaries and performers. During a good winter, this town is hard to beat for intermediate family skiing.

Here is the the interactive La Cluaz village map.

La Clusaz has been a bustling village since the 16th century, but today in the peak season, its 2,050 year-round inhabitants open their doors and hearts to as many as 22,000 visitors. The first ski lift here was built in 1935, but La Clusaz has succeeded in keeping its lived-in, workday atmosphere. Visitors are initiated into the traditions and customs of “Les Cluses,” as they call themselves, rather than the other way around. In winter on Mondays, farmers turned innkeepers and local merchants put on humorous welcome-night races that end in convivial silliness on the village green (now white), a large snow-play area adjacent to the skating rink and cable car and flanked by restaurants and outdoor tables. During the day it provides a safe playground and sledding slope for children.

The compactness of the village, its wraparound views of ski runs, forests and peaks, its old winding side streets and leisurely pace make La Clusaz a winner for skiers or boarders who wish to get away from the hustle of modern life. Children are welcomed, and families will find this resort easier to manage than most. Don’t expect to find noisy, swinging nightlife except on weekends—here the emphasis is on lingering over dinner with family and friends, and the traditional French Alpine atmosphere makes it hard to believe that Geneva is actually a 60-minute drive away. (On weekends it becomes much easier to believe when the city-dwellers stream in.)

La Clusaz Maison du Tourisme,
Place de L’Eglise, 74220 La Clusaz, France
Country code: 0033
Telephone: 04 50 32 65 00
Fax: 04 50 32 65 01
Email: infos@laclusaz.com
Internet: www.laclusaz.com

For ski/snowboard packages call La Clusaz Tour (04 50 32 38 33)

Note: All prices are in Euros unless otherwise noted.

For more information on skiing and staying in the country of France, click the map.