Megève

Background

For many years Megève was little more than an agricultural village but in the early 1900’s it began welcoming visitors in the summer months as a health resort. A visiting  journalist encouraged the hotels in the area to open also during the winter to capitalize on the new trend for skiing and Megève’s annual ski season began, albeit on a small scale. The fortune of the town changed when the Baroness de Rothschild, disenchanted with St Moritz, decided to create a resort of equal prestige in France and selected Megève, with its pretty town centre, as the ideal location. In 1921 she opened an exclusive hotel, the Domaine du Mont d’Arbois, which boosted the development of the town. Royalty and aristocrats began to visit the town, cementing its international reputation and, after World War II, the opening of fashionable bars and boutiques heralded the arrival of chic Parisian society prompting Jean Cocteau to nickname Megève ‘the 21^st arrondissement of Paris’. 

Profile

Megève ’s typical Savoyard character and winding streets make it one of the most characteristic and romantic towns in the whole of the alpine area. Aside from being popular with golf enthusiasts, Megève is also often chosen as a second home by lovers of good food and good lifestyle thanks to its high number of high-quality spas and restaurants. It is also appealing to families thanks to its range of activities for small children as well as the possibility of being able to utilise a second home in various different periods of the year.

Some of the most luxurious chalets can be found in the higher areas above the center of the village but there are also prestigious properties available in the neighbouring localities such as the upscale homes in the Demi Quartier, the chalets in Jaillet (with views of the surrounding mountains) or Combloux, and the sumptuous chalet complexes of Mont d’Arbois. Buying a property close to the traffic-free centre of Megève guarantees that you do not need a car and you can fully appreciate the convenience of living in the centre of town as well as living in a village which remains relatively tranquil even in the evenings of high-season.

Thanks to the hilly relatively large area, it is also possible to find a limited number of new chalet developments which have been constructed in the typical Savoyard style and boast fine furnishings and decorations.