Le Chalet des Troncs

A road winds up from the village of Le Grand Bornand to Le Chalet des Troncs through a high, narrow Alpine valley whose pastures are dotted with picture-perfect Swiss chalets in the shadow of towering, majestic peaks. With a real love and respect for the local architecture, Jean-François Charbonnier has completely rebuilt a clustering of weathered mountain chalets terraced up a hillside of flowers, masterfully outfitting them with all the comforts and modern conveniences without compromising the ambiance. Two guestrooms, individually housed in their own cottage, enjoy their own entrances off a private garden terrace and are especially cozy and romantically rustic, with lovely old furnishings and beautiful Alpine fabrics set against a backdrop of exposed stone walls and hand-hewn beams and planks used for ceilings, floors, and clever partitions between bedroom and bathroom. Since my last visit they have added two handsome suites and a covered pool. Le Chalet des Troncs’ dining room receives well-deserved accolades for its cuisine and intimate ambiance, whether on the garden terrace or in one of the three cozy dining rooms. Christine and Jean-François live life with a passion and their love of the region is infectious.