In the Alps

The village of Les Villards-sur-Thônes is located in the heart of the Massif des Aravis-Bornes, a corner of the Alps which is characterized by great diversity of landscapes and activities. The different valleys of this mountain are alive and active throughout the year.

In summer, the mountains surround you!

It is up to you to ride bicycles or motorcycles, or take the car to discover beautiful roads, which will take you to Col des Aravis (14 km) or Col de la Colombière (18 km), where you'll have extraordinary views. Whether Saint-Jean-de-Sixt, two kilometers, La Clusaz, Le Grand-Bornand, Thônes (5 km), each village in the valley offers plenty of activities, from mountain biking (120 km of mountain bike trails at La Clusaz, 100 km at Le Grand-Bo) to paragliding, through mountaineering, rock climbing, caving, horseback riding, fishing, tennis, via ferrata or summer sledge!

Unable to come to the Aravis without benefitting from hundreds of hiking routes, at all levels and all landscapes, from green to more rocky. Mount Lachat, above Les Villards-sur-Thônes, the breakthrough point, the Tournette and its prodigious view on Lake Annecy, the plateau of Glières, the plateau of Beauregard and the plateau of Parmelan, Lake Confins, Lake Tardevan, Col des Ânes, coombs of Aravis and the surprising Trou de la mouche (Fly's Hole), and many other sights.

The water, here, is everywhere...

... in the hollow of each valley, stream, waterfall and lake. 25 km is the famous Lake Annecy, its romantic banks and all water activities: swimming, but also sailing, skiing-boating. The visit of Annecy plunge you in a flowery canals and old stones, wooded banks. The visit of the lake can also be done by boat, and overflight water paragliding remain an unforgettable memory. Closer, pools of La Clusaz, Grand-Bornand and Thônes will refresh and relax you in summer and winter.

In Winter

The ski resort of Aravis (La Clusaz, Grand Bornand, St Jean de Sixt and Manigod) comprises 220 km of ski slopes, 150 km of Nordic skiing and 26 snow shoeing trails and pedestrian trails.

Discovering our Heritage

But remember that Aravis valleys are also rich in culture and heritage. You can visit museums, farms, church towers and castles, reblochon ("the" local cheese) factories. In late August, takes place each year at Le Grand-Bornand, the festival Au bonheur des mômes, which lasts one week, and is dedicated to shows and events for young people.

Not far, Albertville, at about forty kilometers, let you enter to Tarentaise, the upper valley of the Isere and its famous and immense ski areas. Switzerland is not so far away, and Geneva, 52 km, spreads its huge lake, the water jet and wealthy city. Megève, 37 km, on the other side of the Col des Aravis, is also worth a detour for its upscale village, its beautiful chalets. In addition, Megeve is on the road to Chamonix, 33 km away, with its Sea Ice, the Aiguille du Midi, its "high-mountain" atmosphere and Mont Blanc!

Discovering the Valley

The town of les Villards-sur-Thônes in Haute-Savoie, France, is at the heart of the Massif des Bornes-Aravis in the valley that connects Thônes to the ski resorts of Grand Bornand and La Clusaz.

Les Villards-sur-Thônes: A village with many hamlets

The hamlets of Les Villards sur Thones are scattered along the valley, separated by large meadows and deep forests.

South-facing side with sunshine and north-facing side largely covered with forest where beeches and conifers mingle: the two sides aligned in the murmur of the river that accompanies this nature "up to man". The landscape here is offered to you in its daily mountain. Green in the heart of the summer and wrapped up in the snow during the winter, it enhances color fawn and gold in autumn, and in spring, it dresses subtle flowers of fruit trees scattered on both sides.

Country of rest, relaxation and peace, its many trails predispose to vagrancy, quiet meditation at pace of days, like hiking. Not to mention the proximity of stations for lovers of skiing and adrenaline.

LThe hamlet of Le Liez: between calm and torrent

Located at 800m above sea level on the sunny side, Le Liez is one of these hamlets. It is on the road to the hamlet of Le Plan, where its chapel has a roof made of tavaillons (wood tiles).

Atop Le Liez nestles a small oratory. Further down on the edge of the river, a sawmill remains, a vestige of an era when water was the only available energy. Of course, now, the sawmill runs on electricity, but you can still see the bédiaire, the forebay (bypass channel) which diverts water from the river to bring it to the mill.