What did Emily in Paris miss in the ski resort of Megève?

The idea of horse-drawn carriages rolling over the cobbled streets of a quintessentially French ski resort may seem like a mere fantasy invented for Emily in Paris, but think again. The scenes from aristocratic French ski resort Megève in Season 4 were a true depiction of one of the chicest vacation hot spots in the French Alps – only often the weather is a little better.

On the Netflix show, Emily had to make do with cloud and fog on the slopes, which was unfortunate because when the sun shines in Megève after a fresh snowfall, there are fewer more beguiling places to experience European skiing. Megève is elegant, chic and truly an outpost of the French capital – once coined “the 21st arrondissement of Paris” by writer Jean Cocteau.

Just an easy hour’s drive from Geneva airport, Megève was an old farming village when its potential was spotted in the 1920s by baroness Noèmi de Rothschild, who was keen to distance herself from Switzerland’s ultrachic St. Moritz.

Megève quickly became the first ever purpose-built ski resort in the Alps – but unlike some of the Brutalist later resorts such as Flaine, Val Thorens and Alpe d’Huez, Megève has been carefully curated in exquisite traditional Savoyard style by the world-class architects employed by European nobility.

Visitors from North America should know that the skiing here is at a lower altitude. The town centre is at 1,100 metres and slopes range from 850 m to 2,353 m – Megève and its neighbours St-Gervais and Les Contamines have something of a microclimate and the resort’s wide, gentle pistes are set almost entirely among the trees. There are 450 kilometres of runs available on the “Evasion Mont Blanc” lift pass, more than enough for a week’s skiing, many of which are cruisey blue (blue denotes easier routes in France) and red (intermediate) runs set over three areas, Rochebrune, Le Jaillet and Mont D’Arbois (featured on the Emily in Paris episode).

One of the reasons de Rothschild was so attracted to the area was because of Megève’s spectacular views of Mont Blanc, Western Europe’s highest mountain at 4,809 m. But during the filming, which took place over three days, the weather didn’t play ball and Emily (and her viewers) missed Megève’s strongest selling point. She also failed to stop and marvel at the (approximately) 3,000 Swarovski crystals that adorn the Christmas tree in the town’s fairy-tale market square, the Place d’Eglise, which is the beating heart of the resort.

There wasn’t any après-ski action, either, for which Megève is famed. Emily should at least have visited Le Tigrr for a cocktail off the slopes (it has another location in St. Tropez) or later at night popped in to the legendary Club Les 5 Rues, one of the oldest jazz clubs outside of Paris.

Since Emily wasn’t too comfortable on skis, perhaps she should have stopped for fondue at La Petite Fontaine, which this year won the accolade of best fondue at the Toquicimes Megève food festival, which celebrates mountain cuisine.

Or maybe Emily should have worn her faux-fur coat and strapped on snow shoes to make her way to the “apérigloo,” an igloo built in the Le Leutaz valley, for an “apéro” (predinner drink) under the stars with vin chaud (warm mulled wine) and locally produced nibbles such as Val d’Arly cheese, mountain bread and sausage. An experience priced at a very reasonable €38 ($56) for adults.

While it’s possible still to pick up a quaint French souvenir in town (beware trying to take cheese and sausage home in your luggage), shopping in Megéve is best left to the well-heeled – there are endless designer boutiques to browse on the town’s winding streets. By far the best way to enjoy this beautiful ski resort is to soak up the truly French-Parisian ambience and just people watch. Find your own Emily in Paris.

If you go

Megève is quite spread out, and while the Residence Le Mont Arbois is four kilometres from the centre of town, it is right on the slopes and is an excellent accommodation choice for those on a budget. A studio apartment starts at €520 ($782) for seven nights, for two.

For some authentic French charm, try the three-star, 22-room Hotel Au Coin du Feu, a ski chalet complete with a crackling fire and wood-clad interior, just a five-minute walk from the centre of town. Rooms start at €140 ($210) a night, based on two sharing and including breakfast – but don’t miss dinner in the hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant, Le Saint-Nicolas.

If you’re looking for the ultimate in luxury, head to the ski-in, ski-out Four Seasons Hotel Megève, as seen in Emily in Paris and the only hotel on the slopes of Mont d’Arbois. The hotel is also home to the region’s largest spa and Michelin-starred Japanese pan-Asian fusion restaurant, Kaito.

Fancy some authentic European nightlife? The infamous French nightclub on the slopes, La Folie Douce, has an outpost on the top of Mont d’Arbois, on the border with Saint Gervais. Or a little more glam and Emily in Paris-style, the Savoyard Chalet Sauvage – also on the Mont d’Arbois, but off the Piste des Mandarines – is a Megève institution and the chicest spot for après-ski in resort.