Haute-Savoie is first and foremost an area of mountains, with Mont-Blanc towering over them all at an altitude of 4,810 m.

Water, though, is also a constant feature of the landscape. It has gouged out wide valleys that wend their way prettily around the edges of mountain ranges that are easy to access in summer and winter alike.

Nearby cousins in Switzerland and Italy have given each of the areas some of the discreet charm, pride and dynamism that give it its soul and its diversity.

Delightful villages have become resorts with beautiful chalets, traditional churches, green forests and attractive alpine meadows filled with the sounds of tinkling cowbells in summer and the laughs of skiers in winter.

There are countless small towns with shops, convivial places in which to chat and meet people, many of them lapped by the waters of a lake or crossed by a tumbling mountain stream, their buildings reflecting the impressive architecture of the towering mountains in the background.

The diverse natural environment offers the vivid colours of all four seasons, with holidays very much in mind. The more you see, the more you appreciate; the deeper your understanding, the deeper your love.