L’Ancienne Ferme France

This stunning, traditional Savoyard chalet has been lovingly restored to combine original features with the demands of modern living. It’s ideally placed in the heart of Les Houches, just 200 metres from the ski lift, shops, bars and restaurants.
Inside, L’ancienne Ferme is packed full of character with original wooden beams and a double height living room with a wood burning stove. There are personal touches everywhere, making the chalet feel homely and inviting as well as luxurious. Outside there is a garden with views of the Aiguille du Midi, mountain ranges and the beautiful St Marie aqueduct. Prices are based on self catered stays.
A picture-postcard town, Chamonix is a mountain community and a world renowned ski resort. Chic, boutique shops mingle with delis selling Savoyard cheeses, saucisson and Genepi at the foot of Europe’s highest mountain.
From the town, visitors can take the cable car up to the Aiguille du Midi, which at 3,842metres is the perfect viewpoint to take in the majesty of the Mont Blanc massif. From there, experienced skiers and snowboarders can attempt the guided 17 kilometre off piste decent known as the Vallee Blanche. For non-skiers there’s plenty to do from enjoying a patisserie-standard cake in one of the many cafes to a pampering afternoon in a local spa.
For those who want a little more adventure there’s snow shoeing, husky sledging, cross country skiing and helicopter pleasure rides to choose from. Chamonix also has a large leisure centre with an indoor pool. There are plenty of mid-range eateries perfect for an informal diner out as well as high end restaurants serving up Michelin starred cuisine!
Even livelier in summer than the winter months, Chamonix is a fantastic summer holiday destination. With blue skies and warm sunshine throughout most of the spring and summer season, there’s a hive of outdoor activities on offer from mountain biking and climbing to white water sports, paragliding and golf.
If you visit in summer, it’s well worth looking into taking a hike. There are a great range of gentle walks in the area as well as day long treks and challenging hikes, all taking in the spectacular scenery of the Alps. All of the walks are carefully signposted with estimates of how long they take, so if you change your mind half way up the mountain then you can veer off and take a shorter route.
For experienced hikers there are plenty of routes starting from Chamonix valley including the Haute Route to Zermatt with mountain huts to stay in along the way, and the spectacular Tour of Mont Blanc. From Les Houches there are a number of picturesque walks from the village centre or from the top of the lifts, which run regularly throughout the summer.
Climbers and mountaineers from all over the world also come to Chamonix to take on the challenge of its high mountain peaks, and steep, exhilarating tracks wind down the mountains and through the trees offering some of the best – and most extreme – mountain biking in the Alps. Do be aware though – mountain biking in the Alps is not for the faint hearted. Those attempting Chamonix’s down hill trails are advised to use a specialised down hill mountain bike, body armour and a helmet. The Tourist Office has plenty of maps showing the bikeable trails with information about the rules and regulations of biking in the area.
As for water sports, you can take your pick from canyoning, white water rafting and hydro speed. Paragliding is also an extremely popular sport with locals and frequent visitors to the Chamonix valley, and if you pluck up the courage it can be done from a number of high altitude jumping off points including the Aiguille du Midi.
About five miles from Les Houches (going towards Argentiere) there’s an 18 hole golf course with spectacular mountain views. It also boasts a fantastic restaurant, La Cabane des Praz, which can be accessed separately and is well worth a visit.
But there’s plenty of other stuff on offer too – from Chamonix town centre you can take the Montenvers train to view the Mer de Glace – an impressive glacier with access into the ice caves, or you can take the cable car to the Aiguille du Midi for breath-taking views of Mont Blanc. Chamonix is also ideally placed for day trips to other Alpine areas including the beautiful lake side town of Annecy, the cosmopolitan city of Geneva in Switzerland or the quaint Italian town of Cormayeur.At Excellence Luxury Villas we pride ourselves on going that little bit further for our guests. If there is anything you would like to arrange for your stay, please contact the Excellence Luxury Villas VIP Concierge Team who will be happy to help. We can usually put you in touch with the right people arrange any of the following:
– Cook/catering- Maid service/extra cleaning- Local day-trips or tours- Airport pick-up/drop-off- Babysitting service- Welcome hamper/pre-stocked fridge
This is by no means an exhaustive list, so please just contact Excellence Luxury Villas VIP Concierge Team to help you arrange any of those little extras that can really make the difference.