Samoens is a beautiful village, which is located in the Giffre in the French Alps. This village has 2300 inhabitants and is part of the Giffre valley. Samoens is 671 to 2665 meter above sea level. This place is part of the department Haute-Savoie and it is 46 km south-east from Geneva. The brooks Nant d'Ant and Clévieux flow through this geographical area. It is a wonderful place for winter sports and thus there are a lot of Samoens ski hire shops.

Show sights

In the 17th century Samoens was very famous for its stone masons. Some stonecutters still continue their work and the association "La Société des Maçons" organises guided tours to their historical places.
The town's landmark is the "Gros Tilleul", which is a large lime tree. This lovely tree was planted in 1438, when Duke Amadeus VIII of Savoy stated that Samoens owns more meadows in the neighbourhood.
The botanical garden Jardin botanique alpin Jaysinia was set by Louise Jay-Cognacq in 1906. Here you can see up to 5000 different alpine flowers. It covers an area of over 3 hectares and the difference in altitude between the bottom and the top of this beautiful place is over 80 meters. There is no garden like this in the Alps, thus this peaceful place is an absolutely "must" for every visitor. Here you can relax.
In the area of Samoens are thirty dairy farms and their cows complete the landscape. Some farmers own a ski hire Samoens shop as well.
At Farm Fiolk Museum you can see how farmer lived in the 19th century. Old furniture, the traditional farmland and the visualisation of old trade routes can be visited.

Show destinations

The Cirque du Fer à Cheval is a tourist attraction for hikers. This place in the Upper Giffre Valley is one of the 25 most famous sites in France. It consists of semicircle walls, which are between 500 and 700 meters high. The summit is even 3000 meters high and is the second largest mountain of this country. You will find different shops offering ski hire in Samoens.
If you are looking for action, the Giffre River should be a splendid place for you. Rafting, kayaking and hydrospeed are possible here. It is a normal mountain river at the bottom of a valley that offers a lot of fun.
Joux Plane Lake is ideal for family walking. You can go to this destination by car and here you can do fishing, walking and hiking. During winter time skiing is also possible, because of a ski hire.
The Cascade du Rouget waterfall is over 80 meters high and quite spectacular. This place is 6 kilometres away from Samoens.