One hour from Geneva by road, this skiing and mountaineering haven has become popular the world over with skiers, mountaineers, climbers and mountain lovers alike.
The valley itself is dominated by Mt Blanc, as well as other ranges meeting in this most dramatic mountain area. Towering pillars of granite dominate the area often bewhildering you with the very scale that they represent. It is difficult not to be impressed once the clouds lift, the peaks towering above you like sentinels.
Chamonix has become very popular with the British, who have now gathered there in significant numbers, though many leave and go somwhere else once the ski season is over.
Scandanavian peoples also appear to favour the area, and, of course, there are the French.
Chamonix has become so multicultural in some areas that it would be easy to say that it is not typically French. Though French is widely spoken, you will never be far from a British accent. Most Brits have picked up the baton, so to speak, and learnt French, but a minority remain who expect to use English wherever they go. This has lead to small amounts of friction between the two communities, but nothing too serious.
If you are going to go to Chamonix, you should expect to speak some French.
As a ski area goes, Chamonix has some of the most extreme skiing available to man. There are many resorts, all reachable via a small bus or cable car ride from Chamonix or the surrounding area. For the more extreme routes like the Vallee Blanche you should look to find yourself a guide, or ski the route with people that know the way, or you may find yourself in a crevasse.
Some skiers complain of the layout that Chamonix offers - of course you can't please all the people all of the time - if you want extreme skiing, come to Chamonix, and expect to take a few short journeys to the venue of your days skiing, that's all.
As well as being a mecca for skiers and snowboarders, Chamonix offers excellent climbing and mountaineering options, with climbs up fantastic granite cliffs suitable for all comers, stretching to huge extreme alpine rock routes like the Walker Spur. Pleasant woodland walks can also be easily found!
Not far from Chamonix are the mountain villages of Argentiere and Les Houches. Les Houches is only a 20 minute bus journey from Chamonix and is actually a ski resort in its own right, so you don't need to be in Chamonix itself to enjoy some of the best skiing the Alps has to offer.
The Chamonix Valley, Online Guide http://www.chamonix-valley.com
Tourists visiting France who bring along their clubs will not be disappointed or have to face the challenges of arranging tee times as they typically do when visiting Scotland and Ireland. In France there are 280,000 registered golfers for 340 courses. This means lots of available tee times and no crowds on a course.
An unhurried pace of play results from this opportunity for tee times. There is ample space in front of you and behind you while playing golf in France. Golfers can normally walk in on their own without reservation and make their own tee times at courses in France.
A great holiday golf destination needs the following; good accommodation at a fairly decent price, plenty of bars and restaurants for your evening entertainment. The Loire valley region in France offers great accommodation at a reasonable price, lots of things to see and do and, of course, a multitude of superb courses. This region has been providing a temporary home for golfers from England for the past few years.
One of the Loire Valley's chief attractions is that usually an impressive, majestic castle overlooks the golf course. It is a visually striking region and one that definitely deserves special attention for any budding photographers out there.
As its names suggests, Chateau de Cheverny is a grand setting for a day's golf. The course was designed in 1989 and is located among 350 acres of gorgeous woodland, lakes and open countryside for a quite magnificent experience. Ardree, a rolling parkland with natural lakes, is overlooked by a turreted 16th century chateau that is awaiting development. Tourraine is another beautiful course. Although short, its raised small greens make approach shots extremely tough while various natural hazards keep you on your guard at all times.
Les Aisses is another of those European style courses where you can choose from three loops of nine to form your round. Limere Orleans and Chateau des Sept Tours are also not to be missed.
The finest course in the region, however, is Les Bordes, consistently ranked in the top five of France's best courses. The golf course is thoroughly deserving of its secluded location not far from Chateau Chambord and a work of art. In terms of convenience and cost, Les Bordes is eminently achievable and should rank high on your itinerary.
Built at the behest of the industrialist Baron Marcel Bich (of the Bic empire) and his Japanese trading partner, Mr Yoshiaki Sakurai, Les Bordes was originally dreamt up as a private club for their own pleasure and that of their friends. Leading architect Robert von Hagge was drafted in and handed a simple but determined brief "to create a golf course that would prepare French golfers to play the finest courses in the world without being intimidated".
Construction began in 1984 and, with money no object - a useful condition in anyone's contract. Von Hagge's creation is today the centrepiece of a course that enjoys to the full its charmed position in the Sologne, the ancient lake-studded forest at the heart of the Loire Valley.
In accordance with the owner's instructions, scrupulous care was taken to minimise disruption to the surroundings, and what was once Bich's hunting domaine has been blessed with a course that has been ranked as one of the finest - and toughest - in Europe. Best of all, the place retains an air of privilege and privacy, but is without the tiresome airs and graces that can so often put you off a destination.
The risk-reward element is very much the name of the game at Les Bordes, and though the course does open up a good bit on the homeward nine, your ball-striking is tested even more thoroughly, with the slightest errors multiplied the further back you choose to play. Jean van de Velde's course record of 71 gives you some idea of just how demanding the course is, not that the difficulty should in any way put you off playing here.
Les Bordes is one of only two courses in Continental Europe to enjoy the highest rating in the Peugot Golf Guide to 1000 European courses. All in all, the Loire Valley offers everything the travelling golfer requires.
Both Andy Ward & Corina Clemence are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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