7
www.leggettfrance.com
Many of us dream of owning a chalet
in the Alps for cosy gatherings in the
winter, or to use as a sunny base for
active summer holidays. Heather
Byrne, Leggett Coordinator for
the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and
Hautes-Alpes, tells us why it's a
good place to live.
T
he Rhône-Alpes is
the finest outdoor
playground in the
world - the people
here are energetic,
passionate and full of life. It lays
claim to the best ski resorts, the
most dramatic mountain passes
and the most invigorating cycle
paths in Europe. The whole
region is exceptionally beautiful
and has a wide range of appeal,
a year-round destination that
is as popular as ever due to its
clean mountain air and outdoor
lifestyle.
It is a diverse and stunning
area with everything from
historic cities to vast mountain
ranges to the largest lakes in France and some of the
most famous ski resorts in
the world, including the Three
Valleys, Chamonix-Mont-Blanc,
Paradiski, Portes-du-Soleil, Les
Aravis, Les Deux-Alpes and
Serre Chevalier.
Aside from the ski areas
and the mountain flora and
fauna, the French Alps feature
the attractive, ancient cities of
Lyon, Chambéry, Annecy and
Grenoble to name but a few,
all with fascinating histories.
Getting here is easy with the
international airports of Geneva,
Lyon, Grenoble and Chambéry,
the TGV Eurostar and excellent
motorway links make travel very
straight forward.
SAVOIE (73)
In the heart of the Savoie is the
Three Valleys, the largest ski area
in the world. We have 600km of
pistes which cater for all levels
and 2,100 snow cannons ensure
that the skiing and boarding is
always top quality.
The Belleville Valley is
nestled in the Three Valleys
along with Méribel and
Courchevel, which together
make up the largest interlinked
ski area in the world. The
Belleville valley is a beautiful
place to own a property, be it
as an investment, a permanent
home or a ski pad for family
and friends. Resorts include Val
Thorens (the highest ski resort
in Europe), Les Menuires and
Saint Martin de Belleville, each
of them has a different look,
feel and architecture. Property
prices vary substantially and it is always best to work with
an agent that knows the area
intimately. If you like winter
sports, then there is nowhere
better.
Don't worry if the Three
Valleys isn't your cup of tea;
there are plenty of other resorts
to choose from. Just look at La
Plagne - which, along with Les
Arcs, forms the popular Paradiski
area - Tignes, Val d'Isère or Ste
Foy-en-Tarentaise, all of which
have a character of their own
and offer something different.
Leggett Agent Emma
Horsfall moved to the French
Alps in 2010 and was drawn to
the Three Valleys which she says
is a stunning and exciting place
to live. "I lived in Annecy for the
first couple of years which was
fantastic, but with my love of the
mountains and snowboarding, I
was quickly drawn to the Three
Valleys. I absolutely love the
distinctive four seasons in the
mountains with the transition
from the warm summer days
where we can enjoy endless
activities such as cycling, hiking,
lake swimming and paragliding,
to the snowy winter days with
skiing, snowshoe walking and
cosy evenings by the fire." Emma
has been working with Leggett
Immobilier for almost 10 years
and loves sharing the alpine
experience with her clients.
HAUTE-SAVOIE (74)
The Haute-Savoie borders both
Switzerland and Italy. You will
find the beautiful Lake Geneva,
Lake Annecy, and a mixture
of world-famous ski resorts