Along the Dranse, La Chapelle-D'abondance offers groomed cross-country ski trails, as well as different ski areas, deer at Parc à Daims, a church with a history spanning several phases, and insights into cheese-making. When planning, the type of experience and its conditions are especially important: some activities are seasonal or available by reservation only.

Cross-country skiing, orienteering and ski areas

The municipal Nordic ski area is located along the Dranse and offers 23 kilometers of groomed cross-country ski trails, from green to black runs. The layout may vary by season. If you have a particular trail in mind, check the seasonal selection before planning your visit. The area also includes sections for beginners, ski orienteering and biathlon. Cross-country skiing is therefore not the only focus: orienteering and biathlon are also featured in their own right.

The ski areas offer other points of comparison. La Panthiaz/Braitaz is characterized by fir trees and has an elevation difference of 800 meters. Crêt-Béni offers green and red runs for all ability levels. The areas can therefore be distinguished by different features: elevation difference and fir trees are the focus in one, while run colors and ability levels define the other.

Deer and church history

Parc à Daims is a municipal, lightly wooded and slightly sloping area of approximately 4,000 square meters on the edge of the forest. A municipal visitor description from 2024 mentions a small path and a footbridge that allow visitors to see the deer living there. If this option is important to your plans, check in advance whether the path and footbridge are currently accessible.

At Église Saint-Maurice, it is worth distinguishing the building's construction history from the present-day structure. The church was built between the 14th and 18th centuries. The current building is a 19th-century reconstruction from the Sardinian era and was restored in 2008. The long construction period and the later reconstruction thus refer to different historical phases.

Église Saint-Maurice can be explored with an audio guide and a map. If you plan to use these aids, confirm that they are currently available on site.

Cheese, farming and seasonal visits

Several activities at Ferme du Féto focus on cheese and farming. In summer, visits to see farmhouse cheese being made by hand at the Alpine chalet Lou M'nias take place every morning by reservation, followed by a tasting. Check the seasonal dates in advance.

Visitors can also accompany the herdsman to bring the cows to the chalet and then help with milking. Another activity is a one-hour hike with the herdsman from the farm to the alpine pasture, offered once a week by reservation. This is followed by a traditional meal and an escorted return by torchlight. The stated one-hour duration refers to the hike; the meal and return follow it.

At Chèvrerie des Thoules, visitors can milk goats and watch cheese being made by prior reservation. Fruitière de La Chapelle d'Abondance makes artisanal Savoy cheeses daily and ages them. Tours of its facilities are offered in season by reservation; check in advance whether a tour is currently available. The options therefore differ, ranging from tastings and activities with animals to seasonal tours and daily cheese-making.

Discover more destinations: Draillant, Sévrier, Étrembières, Bonneville, Montagny-Les-Lanches, Cluses, Faverges, Épagny.

For the broader travel overview: Haute-Savoie.