A fully renovated 3 bedroom apartment in an old farmhouse in the ski resort of Sainte-Foy-Tarentaise, Chalet de l'Ours is spread over 2 floors and also benefits from a mezzanine area off the main living/dining area.
Rates are negotiable for stays of 4+ weeks, especially outside the peak weeks of Xmas, New Year and the school holidays. We can also offer a Friday check-in and Sunday check-out for the price of a standard week during these periods. Contact us for details as it is not always possible to reflect longer term offers.
At 115sqm Chalet de l'Ours is considerably larger than most 3 bedroom apartments. The spacious living and dining areas will comfortably accommodate 8 people and benefit from stunning mountain views whilst the mezzanine offers an extra space for relaxation or for the children to play.
The living area has 2 large, extremely comfortable Chesterfield sofas, a matching club chair, west-facing balcony, log fire and a large smart TV. There is also a mezzanine area with a Chesterfield sofa-bed and expansive views to the north. Large windows facing north also offer fantastic, uninterrupted mountain views. These windows and the balcony offer a huge amount of natural light.
The main bedroom offers en-suite facilities and also benefits from a west-facing balcony. There is ample room for a cot should that be necessary. The second and third bedrooms have uninterrupted mountain views to the north whilst all 3 bedrooms have extremely comfortable double beds and hand-crafted, made-to-measure storage built in. The 3rd bedroom can be offered as a twin rather than a double.
Both the en-suite and family bathrooms offer bath, shower and wc facilities and have large, well lit mirrors over the sink and there is a 3rd wc. The large boilers will support two people running a bath simultaneously.
The kitchen is fully equipped with a butler sink, 110cm range-style cooker featuring a double oven, microwave, fridge/freezer, dishwasher, washing machine and a Nespresso coffee maker.
Outside the ski season:
Chalet de l’Ours offers great walking, hiking and mountain biking opportunities direct from the front door.
During the summer holidays the resort's Grand Plan lift opens for foot passengers and mountain bikers.
Sainte Foy is a great resort for children. The village is small and very safe and there is a lot of outdoor space for them to run around. The apartment has plenty of space for baby items such as push chairs and cots. However, if you have toddlers please be aware that we have 2 open staircases and none of the drawers or cupboards are currently child-proofed.
We also have a second property - Chalet Susie (VRBO p8153984) - directly below Chalet de l'Ours that can sleep 2 additional guests.
The area
The wider Haute Tarentaise and Savoie area has a rich and varied history having been ruled at various times by both Italy and France. The resort itself shares a 25km border Italy and several historic fortifications are within an easy drive. These include the Fort de la Platte, Fort du Truc and Fort de la Redoute Ruinee.
There are several nature reserves in the area with the Réserve Naturelle des Hauts de Villaroger being a 15 minute drive away. Please be aware that this area serves as a refuge of the Tetras-Lyre and can only be accessed with an approved guide.
The apartment contains several maps and books detailing local walks for all levels of fitness. The walk to the hamlet of Le Monal is easily achievable whilst the return hike to Lac Noir is likely to take most of the day but is well worth the effort. May and June are particularly colourful months as the meadow flowers are in full bloom.
The Winter season:
We operate a Sunday changeover for most of the Winter season. This offers clients the dual benefits of travelling to and from the resort when the roads are quiet (the main changeover day in the wider area is Saturday and traffic can be extremely heavy, especially during the peak weeks) and being able to enjoy a Saturday on the slopes as the final day of their holiday (as most people are either leaving or arriving on a Saturday the slopes are generally very quiet on a Saturday).