What are your must-see places in Samoëns?
Cirque Fer à Cheval: Walking past the immense cliffs and imposing waterfalls of the spectacular Cirque Fer à Cheval is almost unreal it’s so beautiful. Continue all the way to the back of the cirque and you will find yourself at the end of the world (Le Bout du Monde)! You can also enjoy a great lunch in beautiful surroundings at the Restaurant du Fer a Cheval.
The cirque is unique, a horseshoe of limestone mountains rising to 3000m from the valley floor with huge waterfalls cascading down rock faces. Plenty of great walking, from easy to extreme, all marked clearly. The easy walks are along the valley floor, although a favourite (but tougher walk) is up to Chalet du Boret (only in summer). Simple food at the chalet is a treat.
The Botanic Garden: This alpine botanic garden was created in 1906 by Marie-Louise Cognacq-Jaÿ who founded La Samaritaine department store in Paris. It is an exceptional garden classified "Jardin Remarquable". Carved out of the south-facing side of the mountain, overlooking the village, La Jaÿsinia covers an area of 3.7 hectares on steeply-sloping terrain (there is a difference of 80 metres between the top and the bottom of the garden). It is the only botanic garden of its kind in the Alps, with 5000 varieties of mountain flowers from all 5 continents, as well as a laboratory where wide-ranging research is carried out.
Walking the narrow path winding its way up the mountainside passing waterfalls and fountains before reaching the ruins of the 12th century Tornalta castle and a 13th century chapel is a wonderful experience. The higher you go, the more panoramic the view of the small town below.