|
LUXURY PROPERTY IN THE ALPS
Running from the Swiss frontier in the north with Lac Leman (aka Lake Geneva) in Haute Savoie (Morzine, Samoens, Chamonix and Megeve amongst many resorts), along the Italian frontier with the Savoie (Val D’isere, Courchevel, Meribel), past the Isere (Alp D’huez and 2Alpes), Haute Alpes (Serre Chevalier, Briancon), all the way down to the Alpes de Haute Provence and into the gentler Alpes-Maritime on the mediteranean - the French Alps are a truly massive year round playground.
For the purposes of home hunts Alps property searchs, we have defined the Alps as Haute Savoie, Savoie, Isere, and the Haute Alps - to include nearly all of the French ski resort areas and everything in between. Whether you are looking for a chalet bolt hole in the ski resorts, a solid property investment with a ski holiday included, or a lifestyle change with year round living, the Alps have it all.
The French Alps have some of the largest linked ski areas in the world. In the Tarentaise valley (Savoie) you’ll find the worlds largest fully linked range - the 3 Valleys of Courchevel, Meribel,Val Thorens and the recently added Orelle (the 4th valley!) with over 600km of pistes and some of the most beautiful luxury chalets in the world. The valley winds up past Les Arcs and La Plagne, recently linked to form Paradiski, with 420km of pistes, into the Haute Tarentaise, past St Foy and Rosiere, haven for he heli-skiers, up to the “Espace Killy” of Val D’isere, destination of the rich and famous, and the “super-resort” of Tignes, with 300km of some of the highest altitude pistes in the world.
Read More
To the North, in the shadow of Europe’s highest peak, Mont Blanc, you’ll find the offpiste meccas of Argentiere and Chamonix - the birthplace of mountaineering, and one of the most awe inspiring settings in the world to live all year round. Further south past Grenoble into the Isere and Haute Alps, you’ll find the resorts of Serre Chevalier (250km of pistes), Deux Alpes and La Grave (220km of pistes) and Les Grandes Rousses (Alp d’Huez and friends, with 240km), famous for its Tour De France hill climb.
Most people only think about ski holidays when they imagine the mountains, but there is so much to do year round – from walking in the national parks (Vanois, Ecrins, Pilats and Vercour), to swimming, jet skiing, sailing and countless other watersports in the lakes of Annecy (the paragliding mecca of Europe, and also considered France’s most beautiful lake town), Geneva and Aix les Bains, or simply relaxing in the countless health spas and wellness centres from Evian to Brides Les Bains.
All the resorts are closed in the inter-season (often there are times you can’t even buy a baguette, let alone the paper!), from late April, depending on their altitude, until the summer season of July and August, and then from the end of August until the snow comes around December – so your reason for buying a property in the Alps is important. If you are looking for holiday luxury and activity, then look into the actual resorts. If you’re looking for year round living, then often slightly further down the valleys is probably best – the Annecy lake area and Arve valley (Chamonix) have the most activity year round, but be prepared to pay the price. As an investment, then the high altitude ski-ranges and resorts offer the best return.
|
FEATURED PROPERTIES
|
