Chalet Béthanie - Samoëns
Samoëns Haute-Savoie Founded in 2000
Chalet Béthanie, located in Samoëns in Haute-Savoie, is a warm and welcoming place run by the community of the Épiphanie et de la Croix, in the heart of the Alps. Originally a Savoyard farmhouse dating from 1880, renovated and expanded in 1960, the building was entrusted in 2000 to this Catholic lay community, which grew out of the Charismatic Renewal and brings together people from all walks of life. The chalet is today led by a lay couple on mission, Odile and Denis.
A large three-story chalet surrounded by meadows at an elevation of 2,600 feet and 1.2 miles from the village center, it offers a spacious shaded terrace and the fresh mountain air. Guests come for a few days with family or friends, to rest or to work, in an unspoiled natural setting. The glacial valley of Samoëns opens onto numerous hiking trails in summer and the slopes of the Grand Massif ski area in winter.
What awaits you
Practical information
Accommodation
Four renovated apartments in a Savoyard chalet style, each with a double room (140 cm), a twin room (2 × 90 cm), a fully equipped kitchenette, a sofa bed, and a bathroom. Total capacity: 19 people.
Accessibility
One ground-floor apartment is adapted for people with reduced mobility. Odile and Denis recommend that people with disabilities be accompanied, given the mountain setting.
Manual work
Manual work is regularly needed: snow clearing in winter, fruit picking in summer. It is possible to participate in exchange for accommodation (scouts, students), or to join the community for 1 to 3 weeks during the year.
Activities nearby
In summer: hiking, canoeing and kayaking, paragliding, canyoning, swimming pool, stand-up paddleboarding, horseback riding, and more. In winter: downhill skiing (164 km of slopes at Grand Massif, just a few hundred meters away), cross-country skiing, biathlon, sledding. Adaptive sports available.
Liturgy
Everyone is welcome to join the community's offices: Lauds, Vespers, adoration, and praise. Participation is free.
Getting there
Cluses train station, 17km away
Take the A10 then the A40 from Paris // via the A42 then the A40 from Lyon
Expect some serious effort to match Thibaut Pinot