Savoie: A wealth of nature to discover all year round

With its predominantly mountainous topography, Savoie stands out from other regions with its impressive number of ski resorts. For good reason, 90% of the territory is mountainous. The Alps reign supreme, along with their lesser-known sidekick, the Jura. Although the region is famous for its snow and ski lifts, it is also culturally more deprived. Rich in heritage, culture, traditions, know-how and dazzling nature, this alpine region, immaculate in winter and verdant in summer, has hundreds of wonders to offer. Whether it's a weekend with friends, a family holiday, a gourmet getaway or a sporting adventure, Savoie is 100% outdoors.

The Mer de Glace glacier, Mont-Blanc and theAiguille du Midiare just some of the treasures to be found among the region's peaks. Although they adorn the landscape all year round with their majestic eternal white coats, the peaks reveal their true worth in winter. Cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, snowboarding, ice skating and more. There's no end to the activities that can be enjoyed in white snow and opaline ice. These are at the heart of what visitors and locals alike do. After all, Savoie has the largest ski area in the world, with tourists from all over the world sharing the slopes of the 3 Valleys. With 600km of pistes to hurtle down, the resort stretches across Courchevel, Méribel, Val Thorens... All the region's most beautiful towns are within easy gliding distance.

Lake Aiguebelette, with its emerald green surface, and Lac du Bourget, France's largest natural lake, are the region's freshwater treasures in summer. As soon as the first flowers appear in spring, they become playgrounds for kitesurfers, wakeboarders or simply bathers who come to enjoy the calm and pleasant temperature of the water. When the white expanses give way to green plains, it's also a good time to try out Savoie's other numerous summer activities. Hiking and mountain biking can be enjoyed in the mountains and forests of places like the Beaufortain, nicknamed Savoie's Garden of Eden. Here you can admire the serenity of cows grazing on green mountain pastures, as well as other lakes and magnificent views of the Mont Blanc massif.

As the name suggests, these are the same Beaufortain cows that produce the milk needed to make the famous Beaufort, the region's typical hard cheese. Savoie is also famous for all its local produce. These include cheeses such asAbondance, Reblochon and Tomme, as well as charcuterie, spirits, comfort food and, less well known, pastries and sweets. Like all the regions of France, Savoie has its own culinary expertise that is well worth discovering or rediscovering. There's nothing quite like a good dish of melted cheese after a gruelling day in the snow or climbing the peaks.

Discovering a culinary speciality also means visiting the place where it was born. The village of Beaufort, for example, will charm you with its traditional houses and chalets in a bucolic setting. Savoie is full of places like this, which combine culinary history with the history of the region. One of the must-sees is of course Chambéry, the medieval city and capital of the region. But there's also the Fort de l'Esseillon, which protected this once-independent land from Napoleon's attacks. Or the Parc de la Vanoise, France's first national park, which protected the area from the industrial boom of the ski resorts. In all the towns and villages, you can admire the history and typical architecture of Savoie, alongside the many Baroque churches.