If you’re planning a summer escape to the mountains, why not consider the Chamonix Mont-Blanc Valley, Europe’s year-round action mountainsports capital where there’s a vast choice of outdoor activities to enjoy.
But just because you enjoy adventuring in the great outdoors, you don’t have to rough it! Instead, plan to base your summer escape in the village of Vallorcine Mont-Blanc in the heart of the Chamonix Mont-Blanc Valley.
Here the 5★ Residence & Spa Vallorcine Mont-Blanc offers 50 spacious self-catering apartments just a five-minute walk from the biking roads and hiking trails.
Located 15 minutes away from the centre of Chamonix, in the charming village of Vallorcine, the property offers cosy chaletstyle apartments from one-bedroom to three-bedroom family suites with their own balcony/terrace.
Guests of The Residence are offered a free train pass upon arrival and can leave their cars in the indoor private parking facility until the end of their stay.
The main building has a reception, tearoom, lunge and wellness centre with a large indoor heated swimming pool, two saunas, gym and a beautiful spa by Cinq Mondes, where massages and beauty treatments are available on request. There’s even the chance to enjoy some spa time with your children (aged 7 to 16 years) with the ‘Kids’ Spa’.
In-room TVs are fitted with a modern interactive system, providing a wide range of movies and music. Additional facilities include free and unlimited wi-fi and one indoor parking space per apartment. Towels are provided and the beds are freshly made upon arrival.
The resort has a superb location set between the vibrant Chamonix town and the Swiss border. The trails around Vallorcine are a favourite for trail-runners (see our separate article Chamonix’s Vallée du Trail for more information) and for cyclists from across the world, with the high altitude providing breathtaking views. The Valley and its surrounding peaks have long been a world famous draw for hikers and alpinists too.
There are 80km of maintained hiking trails adapted to all hikers and starting from the centre of Vallorcine. You could also sign up for whitewater sports including rafting, hydrospeeding and canyoning in the pure “Black Water” River, for paragliding, fishing, pony riding or dog-hiking (“cani-rando”) in French, together with friendly husky dogs…
Vallorcine’s main lift still runs in the summer of course, and you can ascend by gondola to the hiking trails of the Le Tour/Vallorcine area. Or you can drive up to the fabulous Emosson Dam in Switzerland, where the Tour de France 2016 is stopping on 20 July 2016 (above Vallorcine). There’s also an Alpine zoo and outdoor pool to visit in nearby Les Marécottes (Switzerland), and Chamonix has its own leisure park complete with summer luge.
Easy to reach by fast modern roads from the Channel, the close proximity of Geneva Airport (110km away) also makes it the perfect easy-to-reach location for outdoor activities around the Mont-Blanc massif.
For more information visit www.chamonix-vacances.com
