Goat Village: Everything You Need to Know about Les Lindarets
If you are looking for a day trip filled with fun, food, views and, most importantly, goats (!) then paying a visit to Les Lindarets is a must when staying in Morzine.
This picturesque mountain hamlet has been renamed ‘village des chevres’ or ‘village of goats’ due to its large population of free-roaming goats. The resident herd is tame and friendly, providing a quirky and charming form of entertainment for the whole family.
During the summer the goats wander freely throughout the village, happy to mill around the visitors and even happier to be fed by them. When winter sets in they are taken down the mountain to be stabled in a cosy barn in Montriond.
Besides the goats, Les Lindarets itself is a beautiful Alpine village surrounded by plenty of other nearby attractions. Here at The Farmhouse we highly recommend Les Lindarets as a wonderful addition to your trip’s itinerary.
How To Get To Les Lindarets
In the summer, there are a couple of different ways you can reach Les Lindarets from Morzine. The best part is you don’t even have to have a car. In fact, the whole journey can be made really quite fun by taking the Gondola lift from Ardent:
1. Ardent Gondola Lift
The first way to reach Les Lindarets is by driving to the gondola lift. Make your way from Morzine by car or by bus (line M is free from Morzine to Ardent) to the parking area at the bottom of the Ardent Gondola – this is only 15 minutes from Morzine town centre. From here you can simply hop into a gondola and enjoy the scenic journey up the mountain. Sit back, relax and take in the views from the telecabine.
There’s plenty of space to leave your car in the car park in Ardent and this option requires much less effort than driving up the windy road to Les Lindarets.
2. Drive from Morzine
Instead of driving to and parking in Ardent, the second option is to drive all the way to Les Lindarets from Morzine. During the summer the shorter route to Les Lindarets (which goes past Lake Montriond) is only one-way (going down). This rule is in place from the 1st of July to 31st of August between 10am & 5pm and it means you have to go up to Les Lindarets via a longer, windier road.
On this route you will follow the main road to Avoriaz before having to turn off and head up the mountain towards Les Lindarets. The views are phenomenal but, as you can see on the route map here, windy is probably an understatement!
What to do in Les Lindarets
Despite the village only having a handful of traditional chalets, there are plenty of things to do once you reach Les Lindarets. We encourage you to take your time, bask in the stunning natural surroundings and enjoy the charms of the little hamlet:
Feed the Goats
Besides the wonderful scenery, the main reason people visit Les Lindarets is because of the delightful inhabitants: a large herd of inquisitive goats. They will greet you as you walk into the village, wander on the roads, graze in the pastures and amble along the main street.
The goats are friendly and eager for treats so, whilst you can admire them and take their pictures from afar, they will also encourage you to feed them with the bags of goat feed – available to purchase from the village shops.
Dine in Les Lindarets
Once you have fed the goats you might want to go on to feed yourselves! Although there are not many chalets in the village, Les Lindarets has plenty to offer in the form of cafes, bars and restaurants. The food that is served often reflects the authenticity of the little mountain village. Indulge in specialties of the Haute Savoie and enjoy traditional dishes of days gone by. With a drink in hand and magnificent views, what could be better.
Taste Local Goats Cheese and Purchase Local Products
As you would hope for, Les Lindarets’ cheesemonger offers a selection of local goat’s cheese for you to taste and take home. You can also find goat’s milk and other authentic items and products that reflect the local culture.
Browse and Buy from Souvenir Shops
The village also offers plenty of other gift shops to peruse and purchase souvenirs from. Take your time to browse the many goat related products (that aren’t cheese or milk) and maybe pick up a postcard to keep or send home.
Soak up the Stunning views
We have already mentioned the amazing nature of the views but they really are something else. Les Lindarets is located 1467 metres above sea level, which is pretty high up, and means you have some incredible views of the surrounding valleys, lakes and mountains.
Stop for a moment before you leave to truly admire the scenery and don’t forget to take a picture or two.
Other Things to do Near Les Lindarets
Les Lindarets is an excellent place to visit whilst exploring the Haute Savoie and it is made even better by the multiple other highlights of the region that are easily accessible nearby. We definitely advise adding in a couple of extra stops on your day out to Les Lindarets and we highly recommend the following:
Cascade des Brochaux
The Brochaux waterfall is a magical mountain waterfall that is only a 30 minute hike from Les Lindarets. The path is a gentle uphill gradient but it is well worth it as you are rewarded with a stunning waterfall at the end. If you are planning on going to the Mossettes chairlift you should absolutely go the extra metres along the same path to check out the Brochaux waterfall.
Pointe Des Mossettes
To reach the highest accessible point in the Portes du Soleil, all you have to do is take a 30 minute walk and a chairlift before you’re at the summit of Pointe des Mossettes! At 2277 metres above sea level, the Pointe des Mossettes offers unbelievable 360 views of two countries, as it sits right on the border of France and Switzerland. We can’t recommend the viewpoint highly enough since it’s so easy to reach from the goat village.
Lake Montriond
Whether you have caught the gondola from Ardent or driven from Morzine you will pass the lake on your way home from Les Lindarets. You can also reach it via the free bus (line M) from the bottom of the Gondola station OR you can get those extra steps in and take a pleasant 30 minute stroll down to the lake.
There are loads of wonderful activities you can take part in on and around the water and we’ve put them into a handy guide of things to do at lake Montriond for you to check out!
Stay at The Farmhouse and Explore the French Alps
If you are looking for the perfect boutique hotel to stay in when you come to explore the Haute Savoie then look no further. Here at The Farmhouse we offer the warmest of welcomes and most comfortable rooms in one of the oldest buildings in the area.
We always strive to make our guests stay as special as the surrounding landscape and would love to help you plan your trips to locations like Les Lindarets.
