For nature lovers the lure of a holiday in Morzine in the French Alps is as much about being close to nature, as it is about rest and recreation. Morzine is one of best places to plan your escape. This favourite alpine resort is only a few hours from European urban life.

Morzine is one of the most popular year round resorts in the French Alps. It is easily accessible less than two hours easy drive from Geneva airport. Even if you only have a few days for your break you can find special deals throughout the year. In winter Morzine is a great place to ski while in summer you can hike and mountain bike along many wilderness trails.

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In the snow there are a number of ways to get about to see nature at its best. Make sure you have good water proof boots for hiking; try snow shoes for deeper snow and Nordic walking/skiing along trails. In summer the temperatures are often mild so good walking shoes or boots will take you most places. You can also access a lot of the trails on mountains bikes. The main thing is keep noise to a minimum if you want to see wild animals. They will most likely see you first and they won’t hang around if they perceive you as a threat.

Animal, Plant or Mineral

The Alps are one of the last remaining truly wilderness areas of central Europe and wild animals still survive there. There are no longer many carnivores, mostly herbivores such as chamois, marmottes and mountain hares. There are however a few foxes and extremely rare lynx cats.

Anytime of the year you can take a nature walk along the trout filled Dranse river which follows an old trail to Nyon. When you reach Nyon you can take in the alpine waterfall, Cascade de Nyon or climb higher to Lac des Mines. In winter you may find it easier to snow show but the incline is easy and wide. If you are lucky you may even glimpse an alpine fox going about his business looking for food. The best time to see foxes is early morning or on dusk.

There are also birds that frequent the area around Morzine at various times of the year.  In late summer ornithologists record migratory birds as they fly south for their winter. They capture and release more than 10,000 birds annually to identify, record their weight and tag.

For your own bird watching there is a nature walk around the Morzine Valley and Les Maudites to the station at Col de Bretolet. Some of the birds living in the area all year round include the royal eagle and bearded vulture, both with wingspans up to two metres. You might also catch sight of some sunbathing reptiles or more likely, a glimpse their tails as they disappear into a rock crevice.

In spring insects take to the air and it seems like whole alpine meadows are alive with butterflies fluttering around the wide variety of blooming plants. Plant life changes with altitude so accordingly there are a wide range of species. The trees lower down are often deciduous, with spruce and larch as you go higher followed by conifers at the higher altitudes. Only a few hardy bushes survive about 2500m.

You can also find an extraordinary amount of different minerals and rocks in The Alps around Morzine and the Mt Blanc Massif.  These gems are continually being exposed through erosion young of these geologically young mountains. You might be lucky to find crystals, fossils in sedimentary rocks as well as metamorphic and volcanic rocks.

Travel Responsibly

Sustainable travel is always responsible travel. Consider how your visit will impact on the alpine area. “Take only photos and leave only footprints,” is a good way to travel anywhere. Morzine is sure to please any nature lover whether you are looking for animal, plant or mineral there are plenty of things to discover. Plan your future French Alpine escape at Morzine now and have a natural holiday.