The 5 best places to relax

in the French Southern Alps

Just imagine yourself in a hot whirlpool tub face to face with the mountains or waking up in the middle of lush natural surroundings in absolute peace and quiet. We’re sharing our list of cocooning accommodations in the French Southern Alps for the perfect combination of well-being and mountains.

A zen Mexican atmosphere at Villa Puebla

Villa Puebla which dates back to 1880, is one of Barcelonnette’s emblematic dwellings, and one of the oldest Mexican houses in the Ubaye Valley. And what does it promise? Sweet dreams and delicious homemade breakfasts with a view over the Mercantour. A listed Historical Monument, Villa Puebla also has the Fondation du Patrimoine label, the Art Nouveau decoration which belongs to the end of the 19th century will plunge you into the romanticism of yesteryear. Its roof and its iconic bull’s eye window, the facade and its colourful tiles, and the magnificent cement floor tiles all make up a fully-fledged mansion that was chosen by the TV programme Des Racines et Des Ailes. So what could be better than an exotic wander around the shady grounds with their fountain, fruit trees, old greenhouse and even the boules ground to perfect your game and just have a good time?

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Relaxation high up in the Baronnies

There’s only one motto for Terre des Baronnies: relax. It’s a real sensory immersion in a cabin or an eco-gîte right in the middle of the Baronnies Provençales Natural Regional Park. These guest cabins are intimate areas where you can make the most of the natural surroundings around you in a special way. You’re sure to succumb to the charm of the La Grange Valeur Parc Naturel Régional and Gîte Panda-approved eco-gîte with its thick stone walls, beams, bread oven and cast iron. It has four ‘épis’ and the perfect blend of old stone and contemporary organic and ecological materials will make you feel great. Nature has invited itself into the guests’ intimacy with soothing top-end bedding, linen bed sheets and bamboo bath linen. Make the most of the peaceful setting all year round on the covered terrace or comfortably seated in a deck chair.

Stay in tune with nature in Auzet

Welcome to heady natural surroundings whose colours and scents will free your soul. At the Au Diapason bed & breakfast in the village of Auzet, it’s time for an enchanted break where the Blanche and Bès valleys meet. Here, between Digne-les-Bains and Seyne, Sébastien and Clara’s rooms have mountain, geology or music-themed décors, according to what you like. In summer and in winter, it’s the ideal place to go back to your roots to the tune of the river, moments suspended in times moments rhythmed by the church bell in Auzet. Sébastien, a nature lover and mountain leader, offers hikes to discover the surrounding area. You can also visit a farm or follow animal tracks and observe them discreetly. After a lovely day of surprising encounters and discoveries, you’ll share a good, family and 100% local meal at the resident meal table.

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Back to your roots in the Hautes-Alpes

La Ferme de Beauté, a lovely surprise in Châteauroux-les-Alpes, welcomes you to an authentic 18th-century farmhouse. It has been renovated following the age-old principles of eco-construction and is now a charming bed & breakfast and health centre. We have chosen the Céleste suite with its breathtaking view over the Durance Valley and the rising sun, ideal for revitalization. You can fill your days with a range of activities for all seasons. From summer outings for paragliding or canyoning to winter snowshoe hikes and dog sledge rides, you’ll want it to go on forever. A special mention for kitesurfing, the Via Alta or the much coveted high peaks of the Écrins.

Taking it easy in a mountain resort

Come and be pampered at Pure Montagne Resort & Spa, a 4-star “village-vacances” at the entrance to the Mercantour and just next to the town centre of Saint-Martin-Vésubie. In all, there are 34 upscale suites designed as mountain huts spread over five big Alpine chalets. All the comfort and luxury you need with the Espace Nordique made up of a sauna and a hammam and which offers beauty care to take care of yourself naturally. The ideal base camp for many indoor and outdoor activities guarantees some lovely moments. You’ll find occupations that will give you a boost of adrenaline and others that will awaken your curiosity at Vésubia Mountain Park. A good dose of laughter at the resort of La Colmiane with summer tobogganing and the zipline.