PlanetSKI Is In & Above the Alpine Town of Chambery

21st September 2023

Regular readers know we are in France for 4-weeks during the qualifying stages of the Rugby World Cup.

We are following Wales, seeing some Argentina games, plus a few others as and when we get our hands on some extra tickets.

In between matches we are in the Pyrenees, the Alps and next up is the Jura.

We were in the Pyrenees last week.

Now it’s the turn of the Alps.

Chambery to be precise.

The town is a sprawling rather ugly affair from afar, despite the great backdrop.

But looks can be deceptive.

This is the old town at ground level:

The construction of the Castle of the Dukes of Saxony began in the 14th century.

It was first a stronghold then a royal palace with the seat of power and administration.

The castle has housed the Prefecture and the Savoie council since it became part of France in 1860.

The Hotel de Ville remains a central fixture of Chambery.

The centre bears more more than a passing resemblance to Innsbruck in the Tirol with its murals, architecture and narrow streets.

We are staying on the outskirts of the town at 4* Chateau de Candie in Chambery Vielle.

It is beautifully restored 14th century hotel with 25 individual rooms with original period features.

We arrived at dusk.

By day our first impressions were confirmed.

It even has its own vineyard with Viognier wine produced.

And a wonky stone staircase that every proper chateau should have.

With a great view at the top.

It is owned by the company that runs Purple Ski and Ski France.

Guests have the option of staying here at the beginning or end of their ski holiday.

More of the Chateau later in a separate post – we have never stayed in Chateau in the Alps before so thought it worthy of note.

First it was time for a hike.

We opted to head to Croix du Nivolet that could be spotted (just) from the Chateau de Candie (it’s on top of the mountain).

On the way up there were fabulous views of this part of the Alps

The hike itself starts near Le Village du Nordique, which is a centre for cross country skiing in the winter months.

The distinct buildings certainly have a Scandinavian feel to them.

We even saw a person whizzing past on roller skis as she put in a bit of summer training ahead of the winter ahead.

The first part of the walk is ideal cross-country skiing terrain, through gentle alpine pastures.

Then it was into the woods.

They had a Tolkeinesque feel to them – they were alive with whispers, mumerings and life.

Ancient woodlands, alpine or not, have their own distinctive feel.

We followed the path that is a snowshoe track in the winter.

It became steeper as we progressed.

After an hour or so we approached the top.

Then the cross itself.

With spectacular views across the Alps and down towards Ax-les-Bains.

The round hiking trip took us just over 2-hours.

It was a proper alpine hike.

We’re now packing our bags, getting in the rugby mood and heading west to St Etienne for Argentina v Samoa on Friday and then Wales v Australia on Sunday.

Our stop in Chambery has been the perfect preparation for another weekend of rugby to come.

Come on Wales!

Do check back for that full report on Chateau de Candie as PlanetSKI stays in a chateau in the Alps for the first time…

It really was rather special:

This article was originally published by Planetski.eu. Read the original article here.