The French hills are alive….

The summer is a wonderful time to visit the mountains, the pure air and choice of activities on offer are hard to beat meaning that these beautiful destinations are now visited as much in the summer, as in winter.

There are a number of great reasons why you might consider the mountains this summer, from the lack of crowds and traffic jams to the wonderful activities you can enjoy.  These range from relaxing mountain hikes and wildlife spotting; to paragliding, mountain biking, water sports on crystal-clear lakes, or adrenaline-inducing rock climbing – there’s something for everyone. A lovely lazy lunch at a mountain restaurant after an energetic hike is hard to beat. 

For a restful time, there are ancient Savoyard crafts and customs to discover, from cheese and wine-making to sampling local cured meats or aperitifs. Finally, there are some great properties available to buy, and here are three to try for size…

Great five-bedroom house in the Hautes-Pyrenees for a superb price: €265,000! There’s plenty of privacy and space in this house with a gite 30 minutes from Tarbes.

Charming four-bedroom stone village house in the haley of Les Allues in the Meribel valley. Offering a south-facing terrace it offers lots of potential to add value and would be a great year-round home.

With the Jura mountains behind, and glistening Lake Leman in front, this is a stunning four-bedroom waterside property. Author Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein after staying there, but rest assured there’s nothing monstrous about this special property.