Renovated Barn in the Chartreuse National Park

La Grange details

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La Grange in full bloom. Summer 2007

First winter snow arrives. December 2007

Amongst the best areas in France for hill walking.

Home description

Visit the little known and mysterious Chartreuse region just South of Chambéry. A quiet and tranquil retreat at the heart of nature. The Parc Naturel de la Chartreuse is also one of the best areas for summer hill walking in France and is an excellent and undiscovered venue for winter skiing, snow-show tours and winter sports. Little known to English tourists, La Chartreuse offers the authentic alpine experience. This calm mountain retreat also provides an ideal location for language learning. Courses are available for small groups (see 'Activities' at the bottom of the page).

La Grange was constructed in 1830 and was in use until about 10 years ago. The walls are 50 cm thick and naturally provide a cool haven in warm summers and good insulation against the winter cold. Little has been changed on the outside since the Parc National de la Chartreuse are very keen to safeguard the traditional nature of the buildings and planning restrictions are tight.

External features on site

• Barbecue
• Garden
• Scenic views

Les Claret is situated on a col between two valleys. The views from around La Grange are quite stunning - both summer and winter. The main Summer activity is rambling. Several trails depart directly from La Grange and, with well planned circular routes, will lead you back home when you can walk no further. The same trails double up as snow shoe tours in the winter. We supply maps, advice and directions when required and may even decide to join you!

Accommodation detail

The lounge with wood burning stove.

La Grange is a recently renovated barn superbly situated in the heart of the Chartreuse National Park at 3000 ft plus, in a tiny rural alpine hamlet just south of Chambery. Classified as Gîte de France 3 star, it offers all comforts for 7 people (plus a further 5 people if required on sofa beds, 2 mezzanine floors and a small couchette).

The total area of the living accommodation is about 114 square metres. Apart from the ground floor kitchen, all of the rooms have been constructed almost entirely with wood. By contrast, the kitchen and dining room retain the original stone walls and vaulted brick ceiling. The location is very sunny with the front facing due south. The situation is South facing and very sunny until late afternoon.

La Grange retains many of the original features and comprises:

Ground Floor

• Kitchen / Dining room – large double glazed doors open into a delightful room of 32 square metres featuring the original stone walls, beams and vaulted ceiling of the stable from which it was made. The kitchen/dining room is fully equipped with modern limed oak units, an electric ceramic hob and oven, all of the usual kitchen gadgets (including equipment for making both raclette and fondue meals), crockery and cutlery for up to twelve people and a large table with seating for twelve.
• Laundry room – with large freezer, addtional fridge, dishwasher, washing machine, tumble dryer and microwave oven.
• Toilet

Second Floor

• Lounge – 28 square metres featuring pine floors, exposed beams, original stone walls, wood-burning stove, VCR, DVD player and satellite TV (French only) plus a collection of approximately 150 videos and DVDs. There is also one double sofa-bed plus an additional settee (seating for 10/12).
• Balcony - 17 square metres in wood. Offers a nice space for sunbathing/dining outside
• Bedroom 1 - 10.5 square metres, with double bed, electric convector (supplementary heating), antique wardrobe and chest of drawers.
• Shower room - with large built-in shower (good water pressure), sink and toilet. Wall mounted electrical fan heater.

Third Floor

The third floor features a number of creative touches such as triangular windows, mezzanine floors and a concealed 'couchette' (sleeping gallery) for children. Bedrooms 2 and 3 are very light and spacious.

• Bedroom 2 - 13 square metres, with two single beds plus a mezzanine (4.3 square metres, accessible by ladder). All of the original barn beams are exposed and the ceiling slopes up into the eaves within which large triangular windows have been fitted. Electric convector heating. Mezzanine accommodation is optional and intended for children or small adults only.
• Bedroom 3 - 10.5 square metres, with double bed and small mezzanine plus under-roof couchette. Electric convector heating. The couchette and mezzanine are optional and are intended for children or small adults only.
• Bedroom 4 - 5.5 square metres, with single bed and electric convector.
• Shower room - with cabinet and toilet.

About the location

Once you are at La Grange, Chambery is 35 minutes away by car, Grenoble is 50 minutes, local village is 5 kilometres (3.2 miles). A good range of shops are available in the local village.

Good restaurants accessible with transport. Quiet visits to the Chartreusian Monastery. Visit the ancient cities of Annecy and Grenoble or take the children to the 'Indian Forest' Adventure Park in Sappey en Chartreuse or St Pierre de Chartreuse. The museum of prehistoric bears is close by, as are the 'caves de Voiron' where the world-renowned Chartreuse liquor is made.

La Grange is situated on 500 square metre plot in the centre of a pretty hamlet called Les Claret. There are few fences apart from functional farm fences which keep summer cattle, horses and the occasional donkey where they are supposed to be. Pets are generally very welcome in the hamlet as long as they are reasonably well behaved. The owners have found the attitude to pets in this rural region a little more relaxed than one might find in England.

In the Vallée des Entremonts, there are 52 hamlets which are named after the families who worked the alpage 50 years ago. The area is still a major producer of organic food stuffs and the butcher in St. Pierre d'Entremont is known all over France for the quality of his produce. Moreso, there is an excellent cheese co-operative in the village where one can buy tomme de Savoie, comté and an excellent fruity beaufort for a fraction of the price one would pay in England or the rest of Europe. There are also several local vineyards (close to Chambery) producing fruity reds and and serveral excellent whites.

Les Claret is a little unusual since the owners still have a member of the original family living here. In fact, she is the owner's representative in France. Moreso, there are 5 families living here full time and several families with weekend retreats.  Weekends can be quite lively with walkers and family groups dining outside in the traditional French fashion. During the summer, the weather here can be glorious. At 3,000 feet altitude, in can be hot but not at all humid. Winter brings its fair share of snow and plenty of opportunity for snowshoe tours in the wilds of nature, ski de fond and ski de piste at St. Pierre de Chartreuse (13 kilometres - minibus available from local village). A little known fact is that St. Pierre de Chartreuse was the first ski resort in France. Today, it offers an authentic alpine experience both winter and summer.

Les Claret is situated on a pass ('col' in French) between St. Pierre d'Entremont and Entremont le Vieux. Consequently, the views from here are absolutely stunning with Grand Som and Chamechaude to the south and Le Pinet dominating the northern view. For adherents of 'Feng Shui', the energy in Les Clarets is always refreshing. The owners are sure that is why everybody seems to want to come back!

A number of themed/activity weeks are available including French Tuition and guided walks. All themed/activity weeks include food and supporting visits/guided activities (see Activities).

See Local guide and map for information on nearby towns and facilities.

Activities nearby

Adventure park, Bird Watching, Boating, Boules, Canoeing, Canyoning, Caving, Cycling, Fishing, French tuition, Gourmet dining, Hiking, Horse riding, Kayaking, Mountain biking, Paragliding, Photography, Rambling, Riverside activities, Rock climbing, Shopping, Sightseeing, Skiing, Tree adventure park, Via Ferrata, Walking, Water skiing, Wind Surfing, Wine tasting, Wine touring

See Activities and attractions for more information on nearby activities and places of interest.

How to get here

Les Claret is a good day's drive from ferry ports in the North of France. Normally it takes 8-10 hours (including an hour for lunch). Cheap flights are available to Chambery, Lyon, Geneva and Grenoble (particularly in the winter months) with car hire available at the airport. Travel times from the airports vary from 45 minutes for Chambery to 1.5 hours from Geneva. Various train options available by TGV/SNCF.

See Local guide and map for information on nearby towns and airports.