Summer in the Alps - July & August

In late Spring the villages of the Tarentaise region come alive. Their breathtaking views change as the snow melts and the abundant wild flowers cover the mountain sides. As Spring rolls into Summer the long warm days and cool nights make it a perfect place to visit in even the hottest months. With mountain biking, golf, hiking, White Water Rafting, Climbing, Parapenting and even Summer Skiing, the Tarentaise should appeal to the most active person.

But the unique charm and character of the mountain villages makes them a truly magical place to simply relax and soak up the atmosphere. They're not purpose built holiday resorts; they are living, breathing villages where traditional alpine lifestyle's survive.

The small farms raise the ‘Tarine’ cows, a hardy fawn coloured beauty specially adapted to a high altitude life. The exceptional and unspoilt diet of the Tarine cows can be tasted in the cheese made from their milk. It’s collected daily from the village to make creamy Beaufort, often called the king of Gruyere. Many local farms still keep a variety of animals and on up from Les Échines-Dessous at 2000m there's a small goat farm at the 'Forte De la Platte', still producing unique hand made cheese using age old traditions. The breath taking '5 Lakes' walk starts from the fort and takes around 2 hours.

The Cormet de Roseland, which passes below the village, provides the spectacular setting for a famous stage of 'The Tour De France'. Along this route towards Beaufort lies the extaordinary L'aiguille des glaciers, part of the Tour du Mont-Blanc, a protected vallee only accessible in Summer that retains it's glacier snow thoughout the year. A hearty alpine meal can be enjoyed at Auberge de La Nova , a beautiful twenty minute drive from Les Échines-Dessous

"We had a wonderful week in this well equipped, cosy chalet. We were a mixed group of hikers / motorcyclists and the chalet was a great base for exploring the surrounding region. The mountain views were superb and it was a great place to relax completely.' July 2010 .A H