commune
A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to:
Administrative-territorial entities
* Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township
** Communes of ...
in the
Haute-Savoie
Haute-Savoie (; Arpitan: ''Savouè d'Amont'' or ''Hiôta-Savouè''; en, Upper Savoy) or '; it, Alta Savoia. is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France, bordering both Switzerland and Italy. Its prefecture is ...
department
Department may refer to:
* Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility
Government and military
*Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...
in the
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (ARA; ; frp, Ôvèrgne-Rôno-Ârpes; oc, Auvèrnhe Ròse Aups; it, Alvernia-Rodano-Alpi) is a region in southeast-central France created by the 2014 territorial reform of French regions; it resulted from the merger of Au ...
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...
in south-eastern
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
.
Located in the northern French Alps, the village lies at the heart of a farming valley in Haute-Savoie. Nestling below the peaks of the "Cornettes de Bise" and the "Mont de Grange" which rise to almost , the Abondance Valley is a verdant mountain pasture amongst the Alpine Peaks of the Chablais Massif. The waters of the River Dranse run through the valley, enriching the fertile pasture land before flowing out into Lac Leman (Lake Geneva) near Evian. There are opportunities for rafting lower down the Dranse, where the sluice gates are opened each day to let a torrent of water down the river,
In the winter, La Chapelle d'Abondance is a winter sports playground. On the edge of the massive
Portes du Soleil
Les Portes du Soleil (literally "The Doors of the Sun") is a major skisports destination in the Alps, encompassing thirteen resorts between Mont Blanc in France and Lake Geneva in Switzerland. With more than 650 km of marked pistes (claimed ...
with access via the Panthiaz telecabine. La Chapelle d'Abondance has accommodation ranging from Gites to Chambre d'Hotes. Several independently run, fully catered ski chalets offering accommodation and meals.
La Chapelle d'Abondance has its own ski areas and ESF ski school for all levels:
Cret Beni ski area – height of top lift 1536 m:
In the shadow of the Mont de Grange (2432 m) is the Cret Beni ski area. The pistes are north facing so ensure good snow conditions for skiing and boarding. There are mountain restaurants offering local cuisine.
Braitaz ski area – height of top lift 1792 m:
A cable car gives access to the south facing ski area. It is possible to ski to
Torgon
Torgon is a village in the Swiss Alps, located in the canton of Valais. It lies in the western part of the canton, in the region of the Chablais, at an altitude of 1,085 metres. The village sits on a sunny terrace overlooking the Rhone valley, ab ...
in Switzerland or ski towards the Super Chatel domain and the vast Portes du Soleil ski area.
Nordic Skiing is also a popular pastime in the area. The valley has 35 km of Nordic Skiing linking Chatel, La Chapelle and Abondance. Equipment can be hired from the ski hire shops in the village.
There are also horse-drawn sleigh rides, sledging and husky dog sleds.
In summer, the network of more than of marked paths provides walkers the opportunity to explore easy riverside paths, or find tranquility and solitude high in the mountains above, where local ski lifts allow easy access to paths which cross the border between France and Switzerland.
Other activities include river fishing and riding the Portes du Soleil mountain bike trails.
Wildlife abounds in the valley from deer, wild boar and stags roaming the hills, to marmots sleeping on sun warmed mountain banks. There is a deer sanctuary tucked behind the old mill above the town center.
Transport
La Chapelle-d'Abondance is located , or 90 minutes' drive, from Geneva airport.