Ideally located 750 metres above sea level, in a wide glacial valley with a flat bottom, on the banks of the Giffre and at the foot of the majestic Criou, Samoêns is an endearing village, which owes its charm as much to the beauty of the site as to the authenticity of its architectural heritage.
Close to Lake Geneva, Geneva and Switzerland, but also Italy, it is an ideal place for holidays combining mountain sports and tourism.
The only winter sports resort to be classified "City of Art and History" by the National Fund of Historical Monuments, this town in Haute Savoie has also been awarded a "Coq d'Or" which goes to the most beautiful villages in France.
Directly connected to the Grand Massif ski area by cable car in 8 minutes, Samoëns offers 265 km of slopes and more than 30 km of Nordic ski trail.
In summer there are numerous hiking opportunities, especially in the Sixt Fer à Cheval Nature Reserve.

The main square in the centre of the village, is decorated as its name indicates by a huge lime tree that dates back more than five centuries (it was planted in 1438).
A hall from the 16th century "la Grenette" and a beautiful fountain with bronze beaks complete its layout.

A beautiful walk allows you to discover a group of old farmhouses in the raw state or already restored, still active or transformed into residence or gite.
Each step brings is a pleasure for the eyes: here a beautiful vegetable garden, there a fountain or a watering trough or an orchard without forgetting the chapel.
It is a magnificent reminiscence of agro-pastoral architecture.

Created in 1905 by a child from Samoëns, Marie-Louise Cognacq-Jaÿ (founder of the La Samaritaine store), this garden built on a mountainside on an important slope, presents on more than 3 hectares, in a natural setting, an admirable collection of 5000 species of alpine and mountain flora from the five continents.
Unique in the Alps, this park has its charm amplified by a small stream with multiple waterfalls, the ruins of the castle of Tornalta (XII th century) having belonged to the Lord of the Faucigny and a chapel dating from 1687.
Reaching the highest point of the garden you can enjoy a beautiful view of the village, the valley and the surrounding mountains. The garden is managed by the National Museum of Natural History (Department of Botanical and Zoological Gardens).
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The Mirolda Chasm, located in the Criou massif that directly overlooks the village, has a depth of 1733 m. Until 2004 it was the deepest chasm in the world before the discovery of a deeper one in the Caucasus.
The Jean Bernard Abyss located under the Folly mountain is also one of the deepest in the world, its height difference is 1602 m.
These two geological curiosities, difficult to explore, contribute to make Samoëns a world capital of speleology of very high level.

The lakes are one of the countless treasures of the Haut-Giffre Massif.
►the Lake of Gers is a pleasant objective of family walk, easy and without difficulty, the route, starting from the Pont de Lédedian;
▶︎ the Lac des Chambres, the Anterne Lake and the Vogealle Lake are the goal of hikes reserved for good walkers due to the length of the route and/or the difference in altitude.
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The Samoëns landscape is inseparable, from the chapels (number 9) and the numerous oratories that decorate the different hamlets.
The great majority of them, date from the XVII th century (except the chapel of Bérouze (XV ) and that of Allamands (XIX ).
Their bulbous bell towers are one of the architectural specificities of the Faucigny.

Built from the 12th ° Century.Flamboyant Gothic chapel.

Guided tour: reading the landscape, traditional Savoyard farms, Saint-Symphorien chapel (XVII°).
Information at the Tourist Office.

This museum allows you to discover the history of a family in the upper Giffre valley by visiting an authentic farm where the collection of Pierre and Simone Déchavassine is collected.
A traditional farmhouse dating back to 1815, the Clos Parchet ecomuseum offers the public guided tours led by the Heritage Guides of the Countries of Savoy. Restored and furnished in the spirit of its time, this farmhouse is listed in the Additional Inventory of Historical Monuments.
It contains a collection of over 2000 utensils evoking the work of the fields and the ancient crafts of the high valley of the Giffre: agro-pastoralism, traditional crops, woodworking and stone etc...