By Donna Richardson
As Les Gets celebrates 90 years since its first ski lift, the traditional Haute-Savoie village is looking beyond the pistes—with new experiences, cultural attractions and a renewed focus on its Alpine heritage.
Les Gets has a particular charm when you arrive. Rather than feeling like a resort that happens to have a village at its centre, this corner of the French Alps retains the rhythms and character of a working mountain community. Timber-clad chalets line the streets, farms and food producers remain part of local life, and the surrounding peaks provide the backdrop for a ski area that has grown considerably since its first lift opened 90 years ago.
This winter, Les Gets is celebrating that anniversary with a season that looks as much to its future as it does to its past.
The 2026–27 season will bring anniversary editions of the resort’s Red Ski Show on 8, 15 and 22 February and 1 March 2027. Expect the spectacle of freestyle skiing alongside demonstrations from piste patrol teams and the snow groomers—the unsung machinery and expertise that keep the mountain moving each day.
But the most interesting changes are perhaps the quieter ones.
A ski resort embracing its past and reusing it
On Mont Chéry, Les Gets is taking a distinctly circular approach to its lift infrastructure. Components of the Grains d’Or chairlift are being reused for the new Pointe chairlift project, replacing three older installations.
Meanwhile, on the Chavannes side, the eight-seater Rosta chairlift, upgraded last year, has taken over the capacity previously provided by Grains d’Or.
There is something fitting about this emphasis on reuse in a resort celebrating nine decades of skiing. Rather than simply replacing the old with the new, Les Gets is finding ways to carry parts of its infrastructure—and its history—forward.
For newer skiers, there is also a fresh reason to explore the mountain. A new beginner-friendly snowpark is being created beneath the La Croix chairlift, replacing the mini boardercross course. Its obstacles are designed for riders taking their first steps into freestyle, making it a gentler introduction to the discipline.
The Alps for those who have never skied them
Les Gets is also making a concerted effort to welcome people who have yet to discover the pleasures—and occasional frustrations—of learning to ski.
The inaugural 1er Ski Festival, from 20–27 March 2027, is designed entirely around first-time skiers. Mornings are devoted to ski lessons, while afternoons bring other activities and evenings are centred around communal meals. It is less about chasing vertical metres and more about discovering the social side of a mountain holiday.
Packages start at €699, making it an appealing entry point for anyone who has always regarded a week in the Alps as something reserved for experienced skiers.
Solo travellers are similarly catered for through the Ski Gathering, which brings adults travelling alone together for a week of skiing and shared experiences. Prices start from €600, with trips suitable for different ability levels.
When the snow becomes the backdrop
Les Gets is increasingly making the case that you don’t need to spend every hour attached to skis.
For those drawn to adventure, there are guided electric fat-bike excursions through snowy trails, while dog-sledding offers a slower, more elemental way of experiencing the winter landscape.
The four-season mountain luge provides something rather different, reaching speeds of up to 40km/h. After dark, Alta Lumina transforms a one-kilometre forest path into an immersive journey of light, sound and storytelling.
And for those who prefer their Alpine pleasures indoors, the village offers a surprisingly rich cultural scene.
The Museum of Mechanical Music houses more than 900 instruments, an extraordinary collection that reflects the craftsmanship and ingenuity of the region. At the family-run Perrières cheese dairy, meanwhile, visitors can discover a tradition that stretches back to 1906, while local potters, farmers and historians offer further glimpses into the life of the village beyond its ski credentials.
A village with stories to tell
That sense of heritage is becoming even more prominent.
The former presbytery is being reopened as a 750-square-metre media library, spread over four floors and designed as a new cultural gathering place. Alongside reading areas, a children’s floor and games library, there will be a digital cultural room, with plans for an immersive exhibition exploring the history of Les Gets.
It is another sign that the village is investing in experiences that make sense beyond the traditional ski season.
Sustainability is part of that story, too. Les Gets uses reusable wooden lift passes and has introduced measures to protect black grouse, including designated winter refuge areas and visibility markers on chairlift cables. Visitors arriving by train can also take advantage of discounts through the AlpinExpress scheme, encouraging a lower-impact journey into the mountains.
This winter will also see the opening of a Montagne Verte second-hand shop in the old village.
A festive Alpine Christmas
For those who prefer their mountains dusted with festive magic, Christmas in Les Gets runs from 20–24 December 2026.
A new show will take over the village centre, while Christmas Eve brings the traditional combination of a street parade, torchlit procession and fireworks—a suitably theatrical way to spend the evening beneath the mountains.
The ski season itself is due to begin with a partial opening on 12 December, snow conditions permitting, followed by the planned full opening on 19 December. The season is scheduled to run until 11 April 2027.
Ninety years after its first ski lift, Les Gets is still changing. But its appeal lies precisely in the balance: modern enough to offer new experiences and infrastructure, yet rooted enough in its farms, food, crafts and village traditions to feel distinctly different from a purpose-built ski resort.
For a winter escape in the French Alps, that combination may be its greatest luxury.
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