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Aravis Alps to Lake AnnecyFrom snow-capped peaks to deep blue waters
Nights: 7
Starting point: Hotel les Cimes (3*), Chinaillon. Your welcoming first hotel is a typically authentic Savoyard chalet, charmingly decorated throughout. You stay on a bed and breakfast basis. Day 1: Chinaillon is a pretty village tucked in the foothills of the Aravis mountain chain. Paths beckon you to explore, and there are several walking options for your day here. (up to 15km) Accommodation: Hotel les Cimes (as above) Day 2: You follow a challenging route along the Aiguille Verte and Col de la Forclaz ridges, although you may prefer an easier path through woods and meadows to the village of Le Grand Bornand. (14km) Accommodation: Chalet les Saytels (3*), Le Grand Bornand. Located centrally in the village, this hotel combines the best traditions of Alpine hospitality with a cosy intimacy. Le Grand Bornand is the home of the famously creamy, herb-flavoured Reblochon cheese and one of the hotel’s two restaurants, Les Caves, specialises in regional cheese dishes such as fondue, tartiflette (a delicious dish of potato and cheese) and raclette. Day 3: Enjoy a pleasant walk through Les Bois de la Cure, a wonderful forest coating the foothills. (7km) Accommodation: Les Chalets de la Serraz (3*), La Clusaz. You will be warmly greeted by the Gallay family to their charming and cosy hotel which boasts a swimming pool, sumptuous décor and creative cuisine. Day 4: From La Clusaz, you walk to the authentic market town of Thônes via the Pointe de Beauregard from which there are (as the name suggests) spectacular views over the Aravis Alps and the Mont Blanc range beyond. (12km) Accommodation: Hotel l'Hermitage (2*), Thônes. Your simple, yet comfortable, family-run hotel is set below the cliffs of the Roche de Thônes. Day 5: A short transfer takes you up into the mountains and you ascend towards the Nantets Pass before descending to Talloires on Lake Annecy, where a neat harbour nestles in a pretty bay beneath the cliffs of the Roc de Chère. (15km) Accommodation: Hotel la Charpenterie (3*), Talloires. Your final hotel is situated just five minutes’ walk from the lake. You stay on a bed and breakfast basis, leaving you free to take your pick of the local restaurants. Day 6: On your day in Talloires, enjoy a boat ride across the lake to explore the picturesque town of Annecy, where you can visit the Palais de l’lle, the Château Musée and the twisting lanes of the Old Town. Alternatively, enjoy a refreshing swim or the pleasure of a lakeside stroll, looking back with fond memories up into the mountain peaks where your journey began. Accommodation: Hotel la Charpenterie (as above)
Walking chart: the chart gives the distance and an approximation of the ascents and descents involved each day. If comparing holidays, please note the scale of each chart as this can differ.
Upgrade option: For a real treat on your last two nights, upgrade to the lakeside Abbaye de Talloires (4*), a former Benedictine monastery, where the monks’ bare cells have been converted into cosy bedrooms. Add £145 per person (B&B). Take the Train and break your journey for a night in Paris on the way, staying at one of our favourite Parisian hotels. Hear what one of our travellers has to say in her personal travel diary. Other information: if you would like to see the brochure page, you can download this (and the pages for any other holidays you are interested in) by using our brochure creation system. Similar holidays: The Chablais Alps (grade2-3), The Vaudoise Alps (grade 2-3), The Bernese Oberland (grades 2 & 3), The Mountains of the Auvergne (grade 3), The High Dolomites (grades 2 & 3), Villages of the Engadine (grades 2 & 3), Zell am See - Austria's Alpine Heartland (grade 2-3) Prices & travel 2008:
Recommended destination airports: Geneva or Chambéry Extra night prices 2008 (extra nights can be booked at any hotel):
> Notes on prices > Any queries? Let us call you back  |
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Deep in the heart of the French Alps, the Aravis range extends southwest
towards Lake Annecy, making this one of the most spectacular mountain
landscapes in France. Below the snow-capped peaks, the foothills are covered with majestic pine forests
that give way to flower-strewn alpine meadows and traditional farms, linked by winding
roads and quiet footpaths that lead to quaint villages, small market towns
and eventually down to bustling Annecy and the glittering waters of its lake. Each day brings a
new walk and ever more
amazing views. 
Typical Alpine scenery 
