Summer in Châtel:  Gorgeous scenery, and so much to do

 

We absolutely love skiing, but summer in Châtel is spectacular.  

 

The mountains of Châtel and the Abondance valley are stunning with their low valleys, high mountain peaks, streams, waterfalls, and mountain pastures with contentedly grazing cows.  Châtel’s authentic Savoyard charm, farming heritage, and range of activities on offer means that it has developed into one of the best year-round alpine resorts in Europe.  

 

The centre of Châtel is always busy in the summer, with people enjoying food and drink outside on the sun terraces of the local restaurants and bars, and the multitude of floral displays lavishing the village with colour.

 

Get out and about

 

You like the outdoors?  You could spend years trekking around all the walking trails (and many people do).  Châtel is well known for its fantastic mountain biking and road cycling (you can find out more about them here), and in addition to that there’s a vast range of activities in and around the village to suit everyone:  from those looking to gently relax in the beautiful unspoilt natural surroundings to the adrenaline junkies looking for their next rush. 

 

Do you want to finish your book in the south facing garden at Chalet Isobel, occasionally glancing at the surrounding mountains?  Or perhaps take a lift high up above the valley floor, and follow a walking trail in the heart of the Portes du Soleil?  Or maybe you’ll go rock climbing, white water rafting, horse riding, fishing, paragliding, dare to take on the via ferrata, have a go on the summer bobsled run, or literally fly down the mountainside on the crazy Fantasticable zip-line?!  Perhaps you fancy all of the above!

 

Explore the wider area

 

Chalet Isobel is also a superb base for exploring the wider area.  Close by is the historic village of Abondance, with its 12th century abbey.  A short 30 minute drive through gorgeous scenery will bring you to the banks of Lake Geneva, where you can take a boat trip along the lake or visit Thonon, Evian, or get lost in the labyrinth at Le Jardin des Cinq Sens in Yvoire.  

 

Within 1 hour’s drive are the Swiss towns of Montreux and Lausanne with their festivals, galleries and museums and Chateau de Chillon, the beautiful castle made famous by Byron, which sits on the very edge of the lake.  Further afield but still within a couple of hours is the beautiful lakeside town of Annecy. 

 

Perhaps you’ll end up joining the huge numbers of ski enthusiasts who find that they prefer the Alps in the summer to the winter.  Come and give it go, and find out!