Photo : Christophe Martin / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Samoens
Samoëns is a village in the Haut-Giffre valley, in the Haute-Savoie, at about 700 metres. It holds the 'Ville d'Art et d'Histoire' label and owes its appearance to the local tradition of stonemasons, seen in its houses, fountains, wash house and central square.
Above the village, the La Jaÿsinia alpine botanical garden was created in 1906 by Marie-Louise Cognacq-Jaÿ, a native of Samoëns and co-founder of La Samaritaine. Laid out on a rocky slope by the landscape architect Louis-Jules Allemand, it holds a rich collection of mountain plants and the remains of the château of La Tornalta and an 18th-century chapel.
In winter a gondola links the village to the Grand Massif, a large ski area shared with Flaine, Morillon, Les Carroz and Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval. The rest of the year the Giffre and the surrounding mountains offer many walking and hiking paths.
