Category Archives: Chalet Locations

Gourmet suggestions in Les Carroz

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The Grand Cerf team has unearthed the best gourmet addresses that Les Carroz has to offer. From the laid-back setting of a pub to a gourmet or stylish restaurant, there is something for every taste!

BISTRO

Time for an aperitif? Come to Le Grizzly, a charming brasserie in the style of a typical English pub located at the heart of Les Carroz. With the added bonus of a cosy lounge area and a south-facing terrace! Check out: a wall of whiskies and a whole range of high-quality draft beers from all over the world!

1, place de l’ambiance , 74300 Les Carroz d’Arâches, Tél. 04 50 90 02 77

 

SOUTH-FACING TERRACE

Once you have taken off your skis, how about a nice drink at the foot of the slops on the south-facing terrace of the Milk Hotel.  At midday, you can enjoy an organic lunch based on original and generous bistro-style cuisine..

459 Route des Servages, 74300 Les Carroz-d’Araches

 

RESTAURANT

L’Igloo is an authentic Savoyard cabin located at an altitude of 1,598 m, at the arrival point of the Bergin (Morillon) chair lift. Open every day with continuous service, you can enjoy specialities from the Savoy region, daily suggestions and home-made desserts in the comfort of a flower-decked and sun-kissed terrace in the midst of the alpine pasture. Fondue, potato fritters, péla, etc. Cédric slow-cooks a range of traditional and top-notch specialities!

433, Route de Flaine 74300 Les Carroz d’Arâches Tél. 04 50 90 14 31 & 06 87 81 17 05

 

GASTRONOMIC

Renowned gastronomic restaurant, Les Servages d’Armelle welcomes its guests to a very cosy space which affords a unique view of the mountains, whether you are seated inside, on the south-facing terrace or on the veranda which is a continuation of the terrace.

The talented and passionate chef, Pascal Flécheau, expertly produces dishes of modern cuisine which are meticulous, generous, inventive and refined all at the same time.

Special mention goes to the St Pierre fillets and grilled squid, not to mention…traditional fondue served with boletus mushrooms, an original variation that beautifully combines three jewels of Savoyard gastronomy: cheese, wine and mushrooms.

841, Route des Servages 74300 Arâches-la-Frasse Tél. 04 50 90 01 62

 

SLOW AND STEADY…

At Café de Balme, there is no menu but a slate which changes on a daily basis according to season and availability! Philosophy: promote fresh products produced locally. Here, everything is home-made and the dishes simmer for hours on end on the ancient range cookers Aga and La Cornue…

The secret to the flavours of days gone by and authentic family cuisine is time!

309, route des grottes de Balme 74300 Magland Tél. 04 50 91 26 31

 

THE ESSENTIAL RECIPE: TARTIFLETTE

This dish, made with potatoes, lardons and onions and completely covered in reblochon cheese, is the star winter attraction par excellence. Where is it served in Les Carroz? Authentic tartiflette is served at Alpage de l’Airon, a 15-minute walk from the Airon bend or from the top of the cable car.

Ingredients for 4 people:
1.2 kg of firm potatoes
200 g of lardons
1 onion
1 reblochon farm cheese
2 tablespoons of crème fraîche
1 bottle of Apremont

# Tartiflette has not been around that long. See Wikipedia for more information!

 

 

Col du Corbier, montagne douce

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The Col du Corbier is situated on the pass between the Morzine and Chatel valleys. If you are planning to drive between the two passing over the col is the quickest route, despite what many visitors think the col is kept open throughout the winter. Apart from the fact it is the quickest route between these two busy valleys it has to be kept open because there is loads of accommodation on the col itself, about 750 apartments/chalets with 4,000 beds. It is an old ski resort that used to go by the name of Drouzin le Mont, it has a rather tortuous history.

Probably the best place to get the background is from Wikipedia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Col_du_Corbier This English version is not bad

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Col_du_Corbier but the French version is better.

Montagne Douce.

Since the ski area ceased operation the local commune of Le Biot has made huge efforts to support the community and maintain a life on the col. They have overseen the dismantling of the ski lifts, something that is often overlooked. In addition they have constructed a large restaurant and bar that is the current focus of all the activities. I’ve been there a few times recently and can attest to its popularity! Unsurprisingly because of the history the property prices have fallen considerably which has increased the interest in the area, despite this there are still plenty of activities to do and the skiing is not far away.

# St Jean d’Aulps (Espace Roc d’Enfer)- 18min
# La Chapelle d’Abondance – 22min
# Morzine – 26 min
# Chatel – 30 min
# Avoriaz (Ardent) –  30 min

You don’t even need a car in the holidays. There is a bus that runs 4 times a day to and from the Espace Roc d’Enfer.

I had read about the various activities that are being promoted at the col so decided to go up to look. It was on a freezing cold grey day and I was amazed by what I saw. Plenty of people having a great time, all for free. A great opportunity in the holidays.

Activities

# Electric powered Fat biking, guided and with bikes provided.
# Snowshoeing, guided by the well known local guide Michel Robin.
# Ski-joering and pony riding organised by Samuel et Catherine Bailly from the Ranch in St Jean d’Aulps.
# AND…Archery, blow pipe target shooting! Sledging and some food.

These activities don’t run everyday so you’ll have to keep an eye on the “animations” page of the Vallée d’Aulps Tourist Office https://www.valleedaulps.com/animations.html or their Facebook page.

I rode as far as Drouzin on the pisted track

The commune is still grooming one of the tracks after each snowfall, it is not too steep and suitable for a fatbike trip or an easy ski randonnee that will give access to the old pistes. A great introduction to the sport. I’ve included a map here of the groomed track track. You should call the Mairie if you need to check if it is open (04 50 72 12 06)

The Mairie has mentioned developing the activities in the summer and possibly putting in an “espace loisirs” by the lake. Watch this space.

Our property that is gaining all the attention is Chalet Snowy, 3 bedrooms, 237,000€, click on the picture for more information.

A video from 2019 is here

 

French Capital Gains Tax

Just like in the UK, if you sell property in France for more than you paid for it there is tax to pay. If the property is your main home then there is a 100% exemption (so you’ll have no French Capital Gains Tax to pay). If the property is a second home then things get more complicated.

I’ve been collecting some articles on the subject from the web. A good place to start would be the French Notaires website.

https://www.notaires.fr/en/capital-gains-tax-property-0

More from the French government here. Dealing with the specific case of what happens when there is a delay in selling what was a principal residence.

http://droit-finances.commentcamarche.net/faq/2342-delai-de-revente-de-la-residence-principale

also

https://www.frenchentree.com/french-property/french-tax/capital-gains-on-a-property-sale/

and some Brexit related comment here

https://www.frenchentree.com/brexit/what-happens-to-capital-gains-tax-after-brexit/

An apartment for all budgets in Morzine !

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As the summer continues to sizzle in Morzine with plenty of sporting and other activities in town, and thoughts turn to the possibility of being able to re-live the mountain dream every summer and winter in your own holiday home, we are lucky enough to be able to offer a selection of delightful apartments with something to suit every pocket……

If you are thinking of taking the plunge and buying a property in our great little town, take a look at some of the apartments that are currently available, and get in touch for further details or to set up a visit or two!

Appt Le Ressachaux, 295,000€
Only about 15 minutes walk from the Tourist Office, with a ski bus stop right outside, this apartment represents very good value indeed in Morzine. There are two good-sized bedrooms, a separate kitchen and a large living room with a cosy fireplace. It is a sunny property and the living area and master bedroom both open onto a super, long balcony/terrace to enable you to make the most of the summer. Storage is not a problem as the apartment comes with private loft-space of 19m2, and of course there is a ski locker at ground level. Excellent rental potential too from this super town property!
https://alpine-property.com/morzine/appt-le-ressachaux/2974

Appt La Plagne, 345,000€
A very pretty apartment in a well-looked after residence in a tranquil setting but right on the ski bus route. This apartment has two good-sized bedrooms, a lovely sunny living room and a separate kitchen. Carefully renovated, it feels very spacious, helped by the long balcony and super mountain views. On a practical note, there is covered parking, separate guest parking and cave storage at street level. A delightful gem of a holiday home-from-home!
https://alpine-property.com/morzine/appt-la-plagne/3081

Appt Mignon, 370,000€
Nowhere could be more central than this apartment! Right in the heart of Morzine’s rue du Bourg, everything is on the doorstep, from skibus to bakery, bars and restaurants. The apartment is light and airy with two double bedrooms, a pretty kitchen, and a modern bathroom. The huge living area has plenty of space for relaxed dining, lounging after a long day on the mountain, and even space to tuck in a sofa bed without disturbing the flow of the room. There is separate cave storage at street level. A very rentable property, and absolutely worth a look for its flexible accommodation and fantastic position in the town!
https://alpine-property.com/morzine/appt-mignon/2816

Appt Slalom 12, 525,000€
In one of the most ‘sought-after’ residences in Morzine, bang in the centre of town next to the Tourist Office, this apartment offers two double bedrooms and a pleasant open-plan living area with a super sunny balcony over-looking the town square. Very convenient for the town and the slopes, this property would make an excellent holiday base winter or summer, is an ideal rental potential, and a solid investment in terms of resale prospects!
https://alpine-property.com/morzine/appt-slalom-12/3012

Appt Creve Coeur, 735,000€
On a quiet side street in an elevated position (so with great views!), Creve Coeur is only a 5 minute walk from all the action on the rue du Bourg, and is barely 100m from the nearest ski bus stop. The apartment is very spacious with 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, a roomy dining/living area with balcony access, and an open fire for a bit of ambience in the winter! With street level cave storage, and dedicated parking, this property is an ideal holiday home and also has fantastic rental potential!
https://alpine-property.com/morzine/appt-creve-coeur/3131

Our agents in Morzine, Ailsa and Marie-Anne, will be happy to answer all your questions about these and other apartments that we currently have on our books, as well as to organise visits if you plan to be in town – drop us a line or give us a call !

All the properties we have for sale in Morzine.

 

Spartan Race Morzine 2

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What is the Spartan Race?

An assault course or “obstacle race”, from 4km to 42km. It started 10 years ago in the US and is now franchised to 14 countries. France and the UK have half a dozen races each a year. But of course across Europe the number of accessible races is huge, there is one or two running every weekend throughout the spring and summer. In the US there is even a spin-off TV show!

 

 

In Morzine this year around 8000 are taking part, on the Spartan Sprint, Super Spartan, Spartan Beast and Ultra Beast. The 42km Ultra has 60 obstacles and the winners will cover this in 7 hrs, I guess the last people to cross the line will take 12hrs or so!

 

 

The obstacles seem to involve plenty of rivers, slippery walls, steep slopes, spear throws, monkey bars, ropes, more ropes and if you fail any obstacles the penalty is 30 burpees. From what I saw some of the harder obstacles are almost impossible to complete when tired so that will mean a lot of burpees! The last obstacle to cross is a fire jump!

 

 

Running each event is a huge undertaking, permanent staff and volunteers have to muck it to build the 60 obstacles and manage the event across the weekend. Entry fees for the competitors range from 40€ to 240€ depending on the length of course.

 

 

New Ski Lift News in Morzine and the Portes du Soleil

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Back in April 2009 I first wrote about the proposed lift linking Morzine to Prodains (and then Avoriaz)…AKA “l’Express Morzine-Avoriaz”. It was part of a clutch of integrated projects the Mairie was proposing. The Department’s application for the Winter Olympics failed and it was suggested the l’Express Morzine-Avoriaz would fall by the wayside with that.

In that earlier blog I listed the projects.

1. The current Prodains lift is due to be replaced, it is old, inefficient and some say it is condemned thanks to the fact it sits (just) within a rockfall zone. NOW DONE.

2. The whole of the Prodains area need redeveloping, it was too busy for the current infrastructure. SOME OF THIS WAS DONE AS PART OF #1.

3. The county (Haute Savoie) has just won the opportunity to bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics. WE LOST OUT TO PYEONGCHANG..it’s next year!

4. Avoriaz is just starting a fairly major expansion and remodelling. We have some of the new apartments for sale. NOW DONE.

However despite this the Morzine to Prodains project continued to chug along. In 2013 they produced a video presentation.

 

There have been various local objections but the Mairie and most everyone else I speak to is still behind it, last month a question and answer article appeared in one of the local papers.

http://www.lemessager.fr/chablais/a-morzine-la-creation-d-un-telepherique

In short the article says.

1 . The Express Morzine-Avoriaz will form part of a massive redevelopment on the parking area between the Post Office and the Rue du Bourg. This will include a new bus station, parking and social housing.

2 . The link will cut down on the 320 bus movements and speed up getting from Morzine to Avoriaz. It’s planned for 2020/21 and is projected to cost €50 million.

3 . The operating company for Avoriaz will pay for it.

4 . There are plans to extend Avoriaz beyond what was done in 2010, another 2,000 beds, thanks to Club Med and Pierre et Vacances.

So it is obviously still on the cards. Locally the Mairie is pushing the environmental and the business case. Both these arguments hold a lot of water with the local Regional government. In addition the Mayor is making the point that Morzine is in fact a business. Last year’s poor snow season is helping further this argument. For a skier staying in Morzine the quicker they can get to Avoriaz the better!

In other news.

The Swiss side of the Portes du Soleil reports 107 million CHF of planned investment over the next 10 years. More information here.

https://www.remontees-mecaniques.net/forums/Les Portes du Soleil pg 58

Les Gets Mairie has approved almost €9m of work for their area. The bulk of which is the replacement of the main Ranfolly chair.

https://www.remontees-mecaniques.net/forums/Les Portes du Soleil pg 54

The liaison from St Jean d’Aulps to Les Gets is still being discussed in the face of considerable environmental opposition.

http://www.lemessager.fr/chablais/liaison-les-gets-saint-jean-d-aulps-necessite-ou-heresie

 

 

 

French Property News March 2017

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One of the properties we have for sale has been featured in French Property News this month.

chalet in chatel

There is a lovely article about how the current owners started a chalet business from the property. You can see the full article here.

FrenchPropertyNews Mar 17 real life

Full details about the property are here

chaletfreinets_2

Chalet Freinets in Chatel, 1 375 000 €uros

https://www.alpine-property.com/chatel/chalet-freinets/2926

 

 

 

 

Trail Running in the Portes du Soleil

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New for 2017, Trail Running in the Portes du Soleil

400km of signposted trails with 48 different routes across the 12 towns and villages of the Portes du Soleil. This is a big project that should be ready for summer 2017. It is one of the results of the drive by tourist offices around the Alps to diversify from a focus on alpine skiing.

It’s a great idea. The Portes du Soleil is ideally suited to trail running, it’s not a new activity, in fact fell running has been around forever, it is however a new idea to “package” it like this, providing signposting and resources to open it up to more people.

There is a website up and running http://tracedetrail.fr/fr/portesdusoleil and there will be leaflets available in the relevant tourist offices. An app is available for iOS and Android that will help with the mapping and tracking of each trip.

http://trailconnect.run/fr/applis-de-territoire/trail-running-portes-du-soleil/

trail runnin

 

The trails are all graded from easyish valley trails to some fairly extreme “skyrun” trails

TRAIL RUNNING X

It looks like they have wisely missed out an obvious candidate for the “Skyrun” routes, the “Roc d’Enfer” pictured below.

trail runnin_5

This is all part of a bigger network of Trail Running centres that can be seen here.

http://tracedetrail.fr/fr/user/portails 

There are already a couple of trail races in the area

http://en.morzine-avoriaz.com/agenda-hauts-forts-trail-race.html

and this

http://www.traildescretesduchablais.com/

and of course the crazy KMV in Montriond now in it’s 7th year

http://www.savoie-mont-blanc.com/offre/fiche/kmv-de-nantaux-portes-du-soleil/196583

 

 

 

Le Grand Cerf, ski in-ski out in Les Carroz

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LE GRAND CERF
LES CARROZ

An authentic alpine village resort, situated under an hour from Geneva airport, Les Carroz forms part of the magnificent Grand Massif ski area with its 265km of slopes. Skiing has been taking place in Les Carroz since 1936 !! And since then, the resort has never stopped evolving. Big changes are on their way and a fresh wind is already blowing, maintaining the charm and authenticity of the resort at the same time. The key words are : comfort, accessibility, security, integration and diversification.

image7

Totem, a subsidiary of Ebenis, the designer of the Le Grand Cerf project, has completely understood all of this and put everything in place so that their new development falls perfectly in line with this concept. To this end, it has surrounded itself with experienced and passionate local partners in order to fulfill the necessary criteria required to achieve a residence of exception.

Alpine Property understands perfectly the Les Carroz market and the requirements of its clients. It is therefore with great excitement that we wish to inform you immediately of the marketing launch of the new apartments of this magnificent high quality residence which will be at the height of all your expectations for resort accommodation :

  • Respectful of ecological and insulation demands;
  • Well thought out living spaces ;
  • A welcoming and modern design ;
  • And above all……above all, the rarest and most sought after criteria : breathtaking views as well as ski in / ski out.

There are 40 apartments from 43m2 to 131m2 distributed between 6 small blocks, ranging from 262,000€ to 1,002,000€ !!!
All sold with, as a minimum, an underground parking space and a ski locker.
Options for some apartments include a fireplace or even a jacuzzi.

Lifts enable you to reach each level effortlessly and, most importantly, to have direct access quickly onto the Timalets slope where a green run gives you access in less than a minute to the main lift for access to all of Les Carroz and the Grand Massif ski area.

More information about the Grand Cerf development in Les Carroz can be found on the Alpine Property website.

image6
“Luxury, tranquillity and exquisiteness”
Comfort, views and direct access skiing

Avoriaz and the magic snow

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I’d been hearing lots of opinion about the skiing at Avoriaz over the last week. Most people will know that the Northern Alps is really struggling for snow at the moment. So it was a surprise to hear:

“Incredible, I could not believe how good it was”

“Really quiet and loads of runs open”

“I don’t know how they’ve done it”

avoriaz

I went up at the weekend to see for myself. It was all true and very impressive. I skied in Linderets and was sure there must have been over 1m of base on the pistes, all the way back to the carpark. In fact the run back to the carpark at Ardent was the best, I went down it at 11am, totally alone and still skiing the “groomers”. I spoke with one of the restaurant owners and asked where all the water was coming from. “Pumped up from Lac de Montriond during the day” was the response.

It’s not the first time that I’ve been to Avoriaz and been blown away by the work up there. It really does give an impression of being the perfect ski destination. It’s not perfect at the moment but it’s certainly not at all bad.

It made me wonder who is behind this slick operation. I know it’s the Compagnie des Alpes, I’ve heard the name enough but what or who are they?

The most relevant points seem to be the fact they own

Les Arcs, Peisey-Vallandry, La Plagne, Tignes, Val d’Isère, Les Menuires, Méribel, Les 2 Alpes, Serre Chevalier, and all of the Grand Massif (Flaine etc).

They are the main shareholders in Chamonix (37.5%) and Megève and have minority interests in  Avoriaz (20%), Valmorel et La Rosière (Sofival)

That’s all quite a mouthful. Basically they are the biggest player in the ski business worldwide. 30% of the worlds ski area revenue goes through them.

That’s not all, they also have an interest in the summer. They have the Astérix Parc, Futuroscope, France Miniature and the 4 Walibi Parcs

Overall they turnover about 700m€, with almost 5000 employees. As far as I can tell from this years 98 page annual report Avoriaz accounted for 37m€ of that and 6m€ in profit.

Further information is available here.

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compagnie_des_Alpes

You’ll see that the Compagnie des Alpes is part of  Caisse des dépôts et consignations.

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caisse_des_d%C3%A9p%C3%B4ts_et_consignations

This is a bank owned by the French state. Not something I think there is an equivalent of in the Anglo-saxon world. But certainly an interesting circular relationship between the ski industry and the French nation.

The Caisse des Depots is probably worth a book on it’s own. “Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations and its subsidiaries constitute a public group in the service of the country’s general interest and economic development. The Group fulfils missions of general interest in support of public policies implemented by the French State and by local authorities, and it can carry out competitive activities.”