With so much on offer, there’s no real need to leave the St Gervais valley, but if you do decide to travel further a field, then two of our favorite places are Chamonix and Annecy.

The well known town of Chamonix, just half an hour away, sits at the foot of Europe’s highest and most dramatic peaks. From there you can take a trip up Europe’s highest cable car to the summit of the Aiguille du Midi, taking you to the dizzying altitude of 3842 metres where the views are out of this world. Click here to see the view from the top

The town of Annecy is an hour away and can be reached by car or train. This chic medieval town sits on the shores of Europe’s cleanest and perhaps most beautiful lake. You can easily spend the whole day exploring its ancient streets and monuments, or just do a spot of shopping and discover its many cafés and restaurants. From the quay side you can hire pedalos and motor boats, or relax in the lakeside gardens.

For a truly international experience you could always pop over the nearby borders to visit Switzerland, or make a trip through the Mont Blanc tunnel to Italy for pasta and chianti in the picturesque town of Cormayeur.

Relaxation & health

Although mountain sports activities tend to dominate, there are many options for the less sporty, or for those who simply want to relax.   

All around are great spots for a leisurely picnic. Sit in an alpine meadow, admire the wild flowers, listen to the cow bells, enjoying your favourite book or just take in the views.

To really spoil yourself you could always take a trip to the thermal baths. Here you can receive a variety of health and beauty treatments in the world famous spa waters. The thermal baths also have an excellent swimming pool, as does St Gervais, where you can swim on your back looking up at Mont Blanc and the Dome de Miage mountains.

Massage, aromatherapy and beauty treatment sessions are available and can be provided in the privacy of your own apartment with qualified practitioners.

Fishing, golf, horse riding, white water rafting and canyoning are all available nearby, as are sailing and windsurfing. For the flight of a lifetime, why not book a tandem parapente flight, or light aircraft flight over the mountains.

There are also nearby lakes; an ideal place for a family BBQ, a sunbathe and a swim.

More information about St Gervais

The traditional Savoyard town of St Gervais, situated at 850 metre's altitude, boasts a long history as a leading alpine resort. The first ski lifts were installed in the 1930s and the renowned thermal baths have attracted visitors to their therapeutic waters since 1806.

St Gervais retains much of its original character and, unlike some purpose built resorts, you'll be in no doubt that you are nestling in one of France's historical alpine towns. As you would expect, there's a good selection of bars, restaurants, creperies and takeaways to tempt you, as well as several supermarkets for your everyday provisions. On Thursday the market comes to town where you will find all sorts of delicacies and local Savoyard fayre. A huge "Carrefour" hypermarket in the nearby town of Sallanches is also worth a visit.

St Gervais and the surrounding villages are steeped in local culture. There are some magnificent Baroque churches to visit as well as alpine culture and farm museums. In the last decade St Gervais has made quite a name for itself among lovers of the performing arts. Throughout the year the town plays host to all kinds of festivals, fetes and concerts, from rock and jazz to comedy and classical recitals. The town also has a cinema, a theatre and a nightclub.

St Gervais is also well equipped with all the facilities a resort town needs, such as a train station, sports shops, banks, dentists, doctors and pharmacists as well as regional product shops.