{"id":489,"date":"2014-08-11T12:42:34","date_gmt":"2014-08-11T10:42:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mountainpassions.com\/wordpress\/?p=489"},"modified":"2021-03-25T10:42:00","modified_gmt":"2021-03-25T09:42:00","slug":"ski-flaine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mountainpassions.com\/winter\/ski-resort-reviews\/alps\/ski-flaine\/","title":{"rendered":"Flaine"},"content":{"rendered":"
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It\u2019s already snowing hard as we pass Les Carroz<\/a>, with a further 14km of steady climbing ahead of us before we reach Flaine<\/strong>. Around the mid-way point we pass the base station at Les Molliets chairlift, barely visible beyond vast accumulations of drifted snow, leaving us in no doubt that the Grand Massif\u2019s reputation as a snow-magnet is well-founded. By now we can sense that we\u2019re almost there, but nevertheless tackle the final hairpin descent into Flaine Forum with due reverence. Then we see it \u2014 the vast snowy bowl bounded more by vast ridges than peaks, and at its heart the unmistakable, assertive outlines of the Bauhaus-influenced apartment blocks styled by Marcel Breuer back in the mid-\u201960s. Countless images in the press have shown us how it looks; now we\u2019re finally about to see how it all feels.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\nThe vast snowy bowl bounded more by vast ridges than peaks, and at its heart the unmistakable, assertive outlines of the Bauhaus-influenced apartment blocks styled by Marcel Breuer back in the mid-\u201960s.\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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All the way up<\/h2>\n
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The village is car-free but today, at least, parking is no problem. Within minutes we\u2019re walking around the heart of the village, an experience which proves a lot more uplifting than we\u2019d imagined. As for the architecture, the overall effect, when softened by a pristine snowscape, suggests that style and functionality can co-exist \u2014 although quite how successfully is a more subjective judgement. Whatever we might feel, there\u2019s no doubt in our minds as to the quality and quantity of the skiing on offer. We arm ourselves with Forfait Grand Massif lift-passes giving us access to a total of 265km of groomed terrain, allowing us the freedom to seek out the very best conditions, no matter what the weather might decide to throw at us. But there\u2019s more to this decision than mere convenience, as we\u2019ll discover.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n


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The Bauhaus-influenced apartment blocks styled by Marcel Breuer, now listed as an Historic Monument.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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