Megève Old Village Centre
Megève's pedestrianised medieval core is a rare thing: a genuinely old Savoyard village that somehow survived the ski-resort building boom intact. Cobblestone lanes wind between 15th-century stone chalets, a Baroque church and boutiques that range from local fromageries to discreet haute couture.
The historic heart
Place de l'Église anchors the whole neighbourhood, its 17th-century church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste rising above a fountain and timber-framed café terraces. The church interior has an ornate gilded altarpiece worth five minutes of your time even if you're not religious.
Wander Rue Charles Feige and Rue Ambroise Martin for the densest concentration of independent shops and restaurants. The streets are deliberately car-free, which means you can amble without watching for traffic — a pleasure increasingly rare in Alpine resorts.
Luxury with soul
Megève was essentially invented as a chic resort by the Rothschild family in the 1920s as a French alternative to St Moritz, and that DNA still shows. The village has Chanel, Hermès and independent jewellers alongside bakeries and hardware shops — an unusual coexistence.
The covered market hall (Halle du Marché) near the church dates from the 19th century and still functions as a local gathering point. Its stone pillars and timber roof are worth photographing even when no market is on.
After dark
As the sun drops, the old village glows with warm light from chalet windows and restaurant lanterns. The terrace of Les 5 Rues bar on Place de l'Église is the classic spot for a Génépi digestif or a glass of Roussette de Savoie while watching the après-ski crowd drift past.
The village stays lively until around midnight in peak season. In the quieter shoulder months of May and October many shops close, but the architecture and atmosphere remain, and you'll have the cobblestones almost to yourself.
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