La Chapelle d’Abondance

Hotel Esprit Montagne is located at an altitude of 1,000 meters in the picturesque mountain village of La Chapelle d’Abondance, in the panoramic Vallée d’Abondance. In the winter, the village is one of the twelve stations of the famous Portes du Soleil ski area. Each week, there are interesting activities on the agenda, such as torch-lit hikes, raclette evenings or skiing demonstrations. The area features cozy restaurants and bars, tea rooms, a library, a skiing museum and various art galleries.

But don’t expect any boisterous après-ski here. La Chapelle is a quiet village. Nevertheless, one of the bars is worth mentioning: Le Fer Rouge. They still brew their own beer here, and their specialty is “bière brulant”, or warm beer. For true après-ski, the neighboring village of Châtel particularly suitable.

Location

Altitude: 1,000 meters
Geographic location: Vallée d’Abondance, on the southern side of Lake Geneva, a 20-minute derive from the border with Switzerland.
Distance from London: 620 miles
Distance from Manchester: 835 miles
Gondola: 300 meters
Cross-country trails: 300 meters
Hiking paths: 300 meters
Village center: 1,500 meters
Bus stop: 30 meters, in front of the hotel
In the winter, the complimentary ski bus rides around in the village and we sell bus tickets for the Colombus, a public bus that connects the various villages in the valley.

Spring, summer and fall

We also have warm summers here and a gorgeous fall. After the winter, most skiing villages change into abandoned ‘ghost villages’. La Chapelle d’Abondance, on the other hand, is inhabited throughout the year. Here, every season has its charm.

In the spring, dozens of different varieties of alpine flowers color the meadows and the famous Abondance cows once again have plenty of room to graze in the green landscape. Slowly it becomes summer, and nature shows itself in all its splendor. Suddenly, you understand how the ‘Vallée d’Abondance’ got its traditional name. Starting in early September, the valley exudes something mysterious and fairylike: bright autumn hues against clear blue skies, a warm autumn sun and wonderfully cool night. The game season begins, wild mushrooms and wild berries, long walks and hearth fires.

Would you also like to immerse yourself in ‘overabundance’? If so, visit our summer page or take a look at the website of the La Chapelle d’Abondance tourist office.