Location description from owner

The Rhône-Alpes region

The Bauges, Regional Park is located in the Alps between the Savoie and Haute Savoie. It is near the cities of Annecy , Aix-les-Bains , Chambéry and Albertville.

The landscape is divided into 14 villages nestled between meadows and forests where you will discover an island of unspoiled nature away from the crowds. Its inhabitants, the Baujus, will share with you the love of their country. On foot, on horseback, with a donkey, cycling, paragliding, skiing, and snowshoeing, the Bauges is a field of discovery. The mountains are home to a remarkable diversity of flora and fauna. 1600 species of flora were identified in the Parks territory, Some of them are strictly protected like the lady's-slipper orchid. The fauna is also very varied, golden eagles, Peregrine falcon and the black grouse can be seen, often from our chalet. The chamois is the most symbolic large animal of the park and others such as deer and marmots can also be seen.

Savoie nurtures a variety of mountain crafts, most importantly traditional cheese making. The alpine park produces its own Tome des Bauges, a mild creamy cheese with a relatively low fat content. Some farms, such as the Fruitière in Val d'Aillon, are open to visitors, offering the chance to discover ancient trade secrets and even lend a hand. Other locally made products include wine, honey, jams, chocolate and lots of fresh produce sold at weekly markets throughout the region.

Pottery, often decorated with dots, and woodcraft are widespread. This includes the so-called 'Bauges silverware', the wooden dishes and bowls once made for the poor now turned into prized souvenirs.

Le Chatelard

Le Chatelard is perched on the side of a valley and is easily accessible by road but still remains unspoilt and retains a certain charm with its old store fronts and little alleys leading up towards the church. It is a quiet, friendly village with a good size Carrefour supermarket, bakery, bar and hotel/restaurant, tourist information, bank and post office and a local food market every Friday morning. It is at the heart of Les Bauges mountains, an area of outstanding natural beauty, heritage and tradition and it makes a great base to explore a wide range of outdoor activities or to simply relax.

We would like to share with you this little explored part of France, an area we think is a hidden gem!

Winter Ski
Aillons-Margeriaz is only 20 minutes drive from La Bonne Vie and opens the week before Christmas. This great 'secret' resort is used by the locals and has enough slopes to suit skiers of all abilities It also has the toughest black run in the alps and plenty of off piste. Lift passes at Aillons-Margeriaz are only 108€ for a week and children's rates go up to 18 years. Day ski passes are available at 23€. You can hire a good selection of ski equipment and arrange lessons if needed, from the ESF ski instructors. Cheap ski hire can be arranged in advance online - check out the winter section at www.realalps.com
This resort is a great place to escape to, you can try a whole variety of winter sports while enjoying being in a typical unspoilt village with its own unique identity. The winter landscape is breathtaking and the slopes spanning the 2 ski areas are perfect for families There is nordic skiing, a snowpark, snowshoe trails, dog sledging and 40 km of ski slopes: Margeriaz is for beginners and intermediates and Aillon-station for the more experienced.

La Bonne Vie is a great base to try skiing for the first time and get real value for money away from the crowds. Other ski resorts nearby to try are Le Feclaz/Le Revard or Semnoz, all about 30 minutes from the chalet.

Summer
Our property is ideal for anyone who enjoys the outdoors. Walking, cycling, paragliding, canyoning, horse riding, fishing, climbing, flora and fauna and swimming in the pool at Les Aillons or in the lake at nearby Lescheraines or Lac Annecy - it's all there on our doorstep!

With its beautiful and varied countryside, Le Massif des Bauges region offers a wide variety of cycling opportunities of all levels of difficulty. Mountain bikers can use the ski lifts at Les Aillons in July and August to take them up to Mont Pelat and La Rochettes and challenging downhills from Le Feclaz to Chambery and Le Revard to Aix les Bains. There are plenty of family friendly routes - around the lakes in Leschaines and Annecy, so all the family can enjoy this exhilarating activity.

The hiking trails are excellent and suitable for all abilities (details can be found in a booklet kept at the chalet). If you have children the hiking with a donkey is really popular, so if they get tired just put them on the donkey! Le Chatelard has a tourist office providing all the information you may need.