Les Houches – The Hidden Gem Of The Chamonix Valley.

Les Houches – The Hidden Gem Of The Chamonix Valley.

In the heart of the French Alps, in the north east of the Rhone Alps region lies the village of Les Houches. Nestled at one end of the Chamonix valley in the Mont Blanc region of the Haute Savoie Les Houches had long been the considered a mere satellite village of its much more illustrious neighbour Chamonix – the world capital of skiing and mountaineering. Of course the locals knew better and many high mountain guides, ski instructors and pisteurs had long since migrated to this quite and peaceful corner of the Chamonix valley – drawn as much, perhaps, by its magnificent setting at the foot of Mont Blanc, its peace, tranquillity and traditional ambience as its more affordable property. However, it wasnt long before the resort became recognised as a little gem in the centre of the Mont Blanc Massif and tourism bloomed due in a large part to Les Houches incredibly easy access to and from Geneva airport.

It wasnt always so. It was only with the construction of the new road between Le Fayet and Chamonix during 1860-70, and then with the arrival of the train in 1901, that Les Houches began to open...