St Jean d'Aulps is the quiet entry point to one of the world's largest ski areas. The village sits at 900m in the Vallée d'Aulps in Haute-Savoie, a traditional Savoyard community of stone farmhouses, a 12th-century abbey, and dairy pastures that has been farming these mountains for centuries longer than anyone has been skiing them. It's part of the Portes du Soleil - the vast Franco-Swiss ski domain spanning 600km of pistes across 12 resorts - but feels a world away from the busier hubs of Morzine, Avoriaz, or Châtel. The village in the French Alps has kept its farming roots and local identity intact, and that authenticity is its defining quality.

The St Jean d'Aulps ski resort - known locally as the Roc d'Enfer sector - covers 50km of pistes across 33 runs, rising from the valley at 900m to a summit of 1,800m. The vertical drop of 900m is substantial, and the terrain leans firmly towards the experienced end: 42% of runs are graded red and 6% black, making this the steepest sector in the Portes du Soleil. The lift system includes a gondola and 16 lifts in total, and the resort averaged 110 days open last season, running from late December through early April.

Away from the slopes, St Jean d'Aulps has the quiet, self-sufficient character of a proper working village. The ruins of the Abbaye d'Aulps, a Cistercian monastery founded in 1094, stand in a meadow above the village and serve as both a historical landmark and a cultural venue. The Vallée d'Aulps itself is a handsome stretch of alpine farmland, with traditional chalets, local cheese producers, and a slower pace than the more tourist-oriented resorts nearby. Morzine - with its shops, restaurants, and link to the wider Portes du Soleil - is just 10 minutes down the road. Check out St Jean d'Aulps ski deals to start planning your trip.