Alps Cottages

Holiday Cottages in Alps

Welcome to the Alps    

On the south-eastern border of France with Switzerland and Italy is a region of immense beauty, heritage, unparalleled cuisine and fantastic outdoor activities.  A top spot for a country cottage holiday in France, the Alps are renowned for their fabulous scenery and adrenalin fuelled fun, as well as a wealth of top restaurants and spas.  No less than five out of the current crop of 19 three-star chefs are found in this region alone enjoying the high quality of local produce and game. 

Some of the finest skiing in the world can be found in the Alps, sat beneath Mont Blanc, Europe’s highest peak, including Val d’Isère and Chamonix.  Of course the Alps are one of the best places in the world to enjoy winter sports.  Chamonix was the site of the very first Winter Olympics in 1924, in 1968 they were held in Grenoble and there’s a museum dedicated to the 1992 Olympics at Albertville.  In the warmer months these slopes become flower strewn meadows and the valleys crammed with orchards and vineyards flowing down to the country of Beaujolais and Chartreuse – a haven for wildlife, criss-crossed with deep gorges, glittering lakes, rivers and high plateaus, unbeatable for the hiking, cycling and fishing.

With a rich cultural heritage and diverse influences the Alps has a 2000 year history with Gallo-Roman remains, Renaissance architecture, museums, châteaux and monasteries for great days out.  You will also find some of the top spas in France, including Evian-les-Bains on Lake Geneva – home of Evian water.  All in all the Alps are a really wonderful location for a get-a-way-from-it-all country cottage holiday in France.

Things to do in the Alps

In the winter months you can take to the slopes and enjoy bags of snowy fun including skiing and snowboarding.  Each village has its own traditions and tasty specialties on the menu, plus venture in to the towns for festivals, exhibitions and concerts.  Check out too the popular spa resorts of Aix-les Bains, Evian and Divonne-les-Bains.

The mellow warmer months mean the Alps are a perfect place to walk, hike and bike.  With miles and miles of routes to choose from you’ll pass through vibrant little villages en route where you can put your feet up in a street café before moving on to the next breathtaking view. Two long distance alpine trails: the Grande Randonnie 5 and the Grande Randonnie 55, meander through the stunning Vanoise National Park (the first of its kind in France) with its abundant flora and fauna.

Further afield, heritage lovers head for Lyon with its superb Renaissance old town and Gallo-Roman antiquity.  Choose from its 27 museums (at last count) and a wide range of great shops and restaurants.  Nearby you’ll find the vineyards of Beaujolais and gorgeous medieval village of Pérouges.  Visit Grenoble where you can visit the Fort de la Bastille by cable car for history and stunning panoramic views.  There’s Chartreuse’s Carthusian Monastery, Chambéry, home to the Chateau of the Dukes of Savoy and Annecy – ‘Venice of the Alps’, for a spot of boating on the many canals and day at nearby 12^th century chateau. 

Vanoise National Park

Chambéry, town of ‘art and history’

Lyon historical sites

Grenoble Fort de la Bastille

Annecy Canals