Avoriaz 60 Boldness as a legacy
Avoriaz 60
1967–2027: A legacy of bold thinking
Sixty years ago, Avoriaz brought a bold idea to life: a new way to experience the mountains. A fully pedestrian resort, architecture shaped by the landscape, streets you can explore on skis… At an altitude of 1,800 metres, that vision still makes Avoriaz one of a kind.
In 2027, Avoriaz celebrates its 60th anniversary and invites you to share in a special year. It’s a chance to revisit the milestones in its history, celebrate the people who bring it to life, and imagine what comes next together.
Throughout this anniversary year, this page will be updated with events and activities organised for the occasion. Find the latest announcements, upcoming dates and our special 60th anniversary press kit here.
Avoriaz 60: Agenda
Plans for Avoriaz’s 60th anniversary are taking shape! As they are announced, you’ll find the events and activities planned throughout the anniversary year here. Dates, venues and practical information will be added regularly to help you plan your visit and celebrate with us.
*Programme in development…
A legacy of bold thinking
For 60 years, our story has been that of a destination that has never sought to follow trends, but to imagine them. Here, we have always liked to take a different path, to invent, sometimes to get things wrong, but above all to keep moving forward. A pedestrian resort high in the mountains, architecture unlike any other, and wide-open spaces designed first and foremost for the joy of skiing. Daring to be different has been part of who we are from day one.
A bold idea brought to life
In the early 1960s, Jean Vuarnet, fresh from winning Olympic gold in downhill skiing, imagined a new kind of resort on the Avoriaz plateau. Together with young developer Gérard Brémond and architect Jacques Labro, he shared an ambition: to create a place designed entirely around skiing, where every decision would open up a new way to experience the mountains.
At a time when cars were becoming a fixture in towns and resorts alike, they envisioned a completely pedestrian destination. In Avoriaz, people would get around on foot, on skis or by sleigh. This decision shaped the entire resort: slopes run through its streets, every journey extends the pleasure of skiing, and accommodation can be reached on skis. Skiing became far more than an activity: it shaped daily life on the plateau.
That bold spirit is also visible in the architecture. In an era marked by the rise of concrete and Brutalism, Avoriaz chose wood-clad façades and buildings whose outlines echo the surrounding peaks. The buildings follow the contours of the land, their asymmetrical lines recall rocky cliffs, and over time the wood takes on the colours of the landscape. The mountains became the starting point for the design: the resort would adapt to them.
These choices were far from obvious at the time. The project struggled to win support, financial partners pulled out, and construction of the cable car fell behind schedule. But its founders stayed the course. In late 1966, Avoriaz welcomed its first visitors and brought their vision to life. Sixty years later, those bold decisions continue to shape its identity and the experience of everyone who discovers it.
History
Avoriaz 1800, the wild gamble of 3 men who, at less than 30 years of age, defied every pre-conceived idea to create this unique and sustainable resort.
Organic architecture
The architecture mimics the surrounding landscape and blends into the environment, offering an example of the perfect marriage between modernity and nature. The resort's unique lines have officially made Avoriaz one of the great architectural achievements of the 20th century.
60 years of ideas
1967 – Pierre & Vacances: a story that began in Avoriaz
The opening of Avoriaz coincided with the creation of Pierre & Vacances. That was no coincidence: Gérard Brémond was behind both projects, convinced there was another way to imagine mountain holidays. Here, he built the very first Pierre & Vacances residence. The idea took off and, nearly 60 years later, the brand has become a major name in European tourism and the leading provider of mountain accommodation.
That legacy is still easy to see in Avoriaz. Pierre & Vacances now has six residences here, including the premium residence L’Amara, all true to the resort’s distinctive architecture, designed to blend into the landscape.
1973 – Fantasy comes to Avoriaz
To put Avoriaz on the map, Gérard Brémond and Lionel Chouchan made a bold move: they created a festival of fantasy cinema in a ski resort. With its unusual architecture and buildings perched above the cliffs, Avoriaz provided the perfect setting. At the first festival in 1973, the jury gave an award to Duel, by a young Steven Spielberg. For twenty years, actors and directors gathered in Avoriaz each winter, bringing the resort recognition far beyond the ski slopes.
60 years of ideas
1975 – Children deserve a holiday too
At the time, learning to ski often meant repetitive drills and, sometimes, tears before lessons. Annie Famose, a ski champion living in Avoriaz, had another idea: help children discover the joy of skiing through play. Inspired by Austrian teaching methods, she imagined a fun way to learn, with bumps, slides and trails through the snow. In 1975, the Village des Enfants opened. Skiing, games and shows filled each day, with activities suited to different ages. It was a small revolution that transformed holidays for children and their parents alike.
1993 – Freestyle finds a home
As snowboarding and freestyle gained momentum, Avoriaz opened France’s first permanent snowpark: the Arare snowpark. It was a bold move for sports that were still emerging. Features, jumps and new tricks opened up fresh possibilities on the snow. The resort embraced a riding culture built on creativity, experimentation and the pleasure of riding together.
Discover the history of snowboarding in Avoriaz
2006 – The forest inspires a new way to ride
A keen powder rider, Jake Burton wanted to share his passion with his sons, who were more drawn to freestyle. He came up with a playground that brought the two together: a snowpark in the forest, with features built into the natural terrain. Its name, The Stash, refers to the secret spots snowboarders share with those in the know.
Avoriaz was a natural home for this vision and opened Europe’s first Stash in 2006. Deep in the Lindarets forest, its features are made from reclaimed wood, mostly sourced from the same forest. Between the trees, every line invites riders to play with the terrain and find their own way down. It’s another expression of Avoriaz’s bold spirit, where creativity shapes a way of riding that works with the mountain.
2012 – A tropical oasis at 1,800 metres
Avoriaz took on a new challenge with the opening of Aquariaz: bringing a tropical world to the heart of the Alps. A lazy river, heated pools and lush vegetation fill this 2,400 m² water park. It offers families another way to enjoy the mountains between days on the slopes.
The PressKit
60th Anniversary Special
How did a bold idea become a resort unlike any other? To mark its 60th anniversary, Avoriaz invites you to explore its 2026–2027 press kit. From its founders’ original vision to today’s projects, discover the architecture, winter sports and encounters that have shaped its history and the spirit of Avoriaz over six decades.
60 Years of Avoriaz in Pictures
From the resort’s early days to the moments we share today, discover Avoriaz through a selection of photos and videos. Archive images, memories on the slopes, encounters and highlights from the celebrations tell the story of an adventure that is still unfolding.
New photos and videos will be added throughout the year, bringing Avoriaz’s 60th anniversary to life.
