Situated in France’s famed Pays Du Mont Blanc ski region, Saint Gervais has been popular as a place of relaxation since ancient times. Formerly a Roman spa village, the ski resort boasts some fantastic architectural heritage combined with extensive and enthralling skiing and snowboarding.

Perched at 850m at the foot of Mont Blanc, Saint Gervais has stunning views that complement its authentic traditional architecture. There are some great old historic buildings spread around the medieval market town. Additionally, there are plenty of quality accommodation alternatives. Saint Gervais is geared toward families, and there are some excellent childcare facilities available.

Saint Gervais has a total of 65kms of pistes that consist of 47 runs catering mainly to beginners and intermediates. Slopes are divided into 45 per cent for beginners, 38 per cent for intermediates and 17 per cent for experts. With a total of 27 lifts creating a capacity of 24,000 skiers per hour, you won’t be waiting long between trips down the mountain. Experts will love the vertical drop of 1,200m.

The resort offers a fun park and half-pipes for snowboarders, with some good terrain for free-riding; while there are 30kms of trails for cross-country skiers. Saint Gervais is part of the vast Pays Du Mont Blanc pass area, so you have a further 700kms of runs in the area accessible from the resort.

While not as lively as some other resorts in the region, Saint Gervais has its fair share of après-ski options as well as some unique attractions. Leveraging its spa status, the resort has plenty of health and beauty establishments offering quality services.

Around the town are artists’ studios, traditional pottery-making studios, youth clubs, museums and markets, complementing the more exhaustive sporting alternatives such as paragliding, ice-skating, curling and swimming. Evenings are relaxing and quiet, although there are several bars, a nightclub and a casino for night owls.

Saint Gervais’ ski and snowboard season runs from early January to the end of April with ski pass rates staying the same all season. Buy one of the special passes giving you access to some other fantastic resorts in the region, available from the resort itself.

Geneva Airport is the gateway to Saint Gervais, being just 70kms (an hour) away by car. Alternatively, you can catch the high-speed TGV from Paris to Saint Gervais during the season, taking just five hours in total travel time.