Abondance is a small French village located in the Haute-Savoie region, on the banks of the Drancy River.

The village is one of 12 resorts that make up the Porte du Soleil ski area, which combines 266 slopes, with a total length of 650 km.

Abondance has had its ups and downs – in 2007 the resort was closed due to melting snow and avalanches caused by global warming, and therefore ceased to be popular with tourists and finally went bankrupt. But already in the 2009-2010 season, the Abondance resort regained its lost glory and today firmly occupies a place in the line of Port du Soleil resorts.

History of Abondance

Abondance was founded ten centuries ago by Augustinian monks who came to this area from neighboring Switzerland. Before the appearance of skiers on these slopes, the clergy, farmers and grazing cows reigned supreme here. The spotted red and white cows brought the region worldwide fame – their milk had a unique taste and served as the basis for the famous hard cheese “Abondance”.

Today, tourists visiting this village are divided into two main categories: about half of them are food lovers, because the local cheese is recognized as a real delicacy. The second half are skiers who appreciate measured skiing, the absence of a violent après-ski and the beauty of untouched nature.

However, Abondance cannot be called boring. Rather, traditional. Here they honor their history, crafts, preserve and restore ancient buildings and gladly lead excursions through them. In 2003, for the careful attitude to its past, the village received the honorary medal “Land of Art and History” from the French Minister of Culture.

Getting there

Abondance is located in the Northern Alps, not far from the Swiss border.

The nearest international airport is Geneva (47.4 km).

The nearest train station is 30 km away, in Thonon-les-Bains, on the shores of Lake Geneva.

From La Chapelle-d’Abondance, a free shuttle bus takes you to all the ski resorts in the Portes du Soleil region.

Slopes and lifts

The height of the slopes in Abondance ranges from 930 to 2,438 m, the length is 25 km, the number of slopes is 13 (4 red, 6 blue, 2 green and 1 black). Tourists are served by 9 lifts (2 chairlifts, 7 towpaths), the resort has a snow park, 40 km of cross-country ski trails and snowboard trails. The Esser lift is located at the very foot of the village, it takes tourists to the slopes of any slope.

Abondance justifies the title of a real family resort – the slopes here are mainly for calm skiing: three green and seven blue. But there are three red and two black slopes for advanced skiers and snowboarders. The highest point the lift will take you to is 1730 meters.

There are separate areas for children’s ski school, with its own ski lift. If the 25 kilometers of slopes in your home region are not enough for you, you can consider the global Porte du Soleil (266 slopes, 650 kilometers long), with the resorts of which Abondance is connected by a ski bus system and a single ski pass.

The nearest snowboard parks are located 14 kilometers from Abondance, in the resort Chatel: a huge Happy Park with big apes for every taste and Smooth Park, which boasts a variety of jibbing figures.

Recommendations for the prepared

Amateur athletes have 13 trails with a total length of 25 km, of which 2 are very easy and 1 is difficult, all the others are intended for confident athletes.

Recommendations for experts

Most of the Abondance trails are difficult, there are trails for real extreme sportsmen. A snow park and equipped border-cross trails are available for snowboarders.

Infrastructure

Abondance is famous for its hospitable residents and beautiful landscapes. The village has bars, restaurants and cafes, banks and souvenir shops. As souvenirs, vacationers are happy to buy wooden doves made by village artisans, which are considered a symbol of goodness and well-being in the house.

The local cuisine is rich in natural farm products and a good selection of national dishes, a mandatory component of which is the delicate Alpine cheese “Abondance” with an amber crust.

Ski pass

A one-day ski pass for adults is 21 euros, for children from five years old the ski pass is equal to their age, but not more than 15.5 euros, teenagers and seniors pay 18 euros for one day.

A weekly ski pass for adults is 108.8 euros, for children from 5 to 15 children 17.7 euros, seniors and teenagers 16-19 years old 93 euros.

Selected hotels in Abondance

Hotel Le Ferraillon 3-star hotel

Le Ferraillon is located 3 km from the city centre and 8 km from the Châtel ski slopes. It offers free Wi-Fi in public areas and free access to an indoor swimming pool and hot tub.

All heated rooms feature mountain views, wooden floors and a flat-screen TV with cable channels. The bathroom comes with free toiletries and a bath or shower.

A buffet breakfast is available every morning at Le Ferraillon. The hotel’s restaurant serves Savoyard cuisine. Packed lunches are also available on request.

The hotel is eco-friendly and features 16 solar panels to heat the hotel and 8 solar panels to heat the swimming pool.

Guests can enjoy mountain biking, skiing and paragliding. The hotel has a fitness centre and Evia-les-Bains is 37 km away. Free private parking is available on site.

Les Chateaux d’Abondance

Les Chateaux d’Abondance is located in Abondance, 1.1 km from Gondola de Esser and 2 km from Teleski le Lac.

Each unit features a fully equipped kitchen with a dishwasher, a fireplace, a seating area with a sofa, a flat-screen TV and a private bathroom with a bath and a hairdryer. A microwave, a fridge and an oven are also featured, as well as a kettle and a coffee machine.

Ski storage space is available and skiing can be enjoyed nearby.

Téléski de la Pêche is 3 km from Les Chateaux d’Abondance, while Grand Frémoux Ski Lift is 3.2 km away. The nearest airport is Mayette Airport, 101 km from the property.

2-star hotel Les Touristes

Les Touristes is a family-run hotel located in the heart of Abondance. It offers free Wi-Fi and a garden with a children’s playground.

The rooms are equipped with a bathroom, a TV and a telephone. They overlook the mountains and some rooms have a balcony.

The hotel has a flowered terrace and a garden. A bar, a lounge and a reading room provide comfortable places to relax. There is also a restaurant serving typical French and Savoyard cuisine, including fondue.

Les Touristes is located 200 metres from the Abondance ski lift. The hotel offers free parking and a garage for motorbikes and bicycles. There is a free public shuttle service to the Porte du Soleil ski resort.

The 4-star Les Gentianettes Hotel & Spa

Les Gentianettes Chalet Hotel is located in the heart of the Porte du Soleil ski and mountain resort. This 4-star hotel, built in a traditional chalet style, is set at an altitude of 1050 metres and offers an indoor swimming pool, a hammam and a sauna. Free Wi-Fi is available.

The rooms have a private bathroom and a TV. Some rooms have a separate toilet. Each room has a view from its private balcony. Lift access is provided.

Guests can relax on the terrace. The hotel has a Savoyard restaurant and a semi-gastronomic restaurant. A selection of French and international wines is available.

Geneva Airport is just 72 km away. Free private parking is available on site. A private ski bus takes you directly to the Châtel Linga ski area.

Sights

«Abondance» means «abundance» in French. It is customary to call the village, the valley in which it is located, the monastery and the famous cheese «abundance». In time immemorial, monks bred a variety of red and white cows under the name Abondance, made the first cheese from their milk and in 1381 sent almost a ton of cheese as a gift to the papal court in Avignon. Since then, this monastery cheese has gained popularity. It has a fruity-nutty aroma and an amber-golden crust. The cheese is an ingredient in the national dishes berthoud, poelee baise, crouton campagnarde and fondue savoyarde.

Abondance cheese

Invented in Chablais, this whole unpasteurized milk cheese is produced in the mountains of the Haute-Savoie department. In 1990, it was awarded the category of “Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée – AOC”, and in 1996 – “Appellation d’Origine Protégée – AOP”. In the 14th century, the monks of the Abbey of Abondance bred the eponymous breed of cows, organized pastures and began to produce their own high-quality cheese, which soon became known outside the abbey: already in 1381, Abondance cheese was served to the table during the enclave in Avignon, which gathered to elect a new Pope.

A cheese with a semi-cooked pressed dough, with curved edges and a viscous rind. From 70 to 120 liters of milk are used for one head of cheese. In order for the delicate aroma that the pasture grass gives to the cheese to appear, it must ripen for at least three months. A head of Abondance cheese is easily recognized by its blue casein label: farmer’s cheese is marked with an oval label, all others – square.

A small head with a viscous, often moist brown-orange rind. The flesh is yellow, the shade of which varies depending on the time of year when the cheese was made. A fairly dense texture with small eyes formed during the fermentation process, sometimes with small cracks.

Abondance Resort includes such attractions as the ancient Abondance Temple, a market famous throughout the world for its breed of cows, and real craftsmen who work with wood also live there. You can take a touching dove carved from pine as a souvenir, as it is believed in these parts to bring happiness and prosperity.

The ancient 11th-century temple in Abondance was founded by Augustinian monks who came here from bordering Switzerland. It later became an abbey and gave rise to the farming settlement of Abondance. There are no monks in the monastery now, but the main attraction of the village is open for tourist visits. The temple is of great historical value and is very carefully guarded by the local authorities.

Visit a master class by a famous local resident – woodworker Gerard Bert. He will teach you how to carve a dove from a pine tree, which brings prosperity to the house. And don’t forget to buy a famous cheese with a pleasant fruity-nutty taste as a gift for your family and friends.

House of the Abondance Valley

Here you can learn about the history of Abondance, its traditions and crafts. A large exposition is dedicated to farming. A nice bonus: tourists are offered to eat spiritual food with local cheese, fresh bread with herbs and drink it with steamed milk.

Ticket price: adult – €4.00, child (8-15 years old) – €3.00. For cheese tasting you will have to pay an additional €2.00.

Abbey of Abondance

The monastery was founded in the 11th century. Around this time, Abondance cheese was invented here. Since the 18th century, the monks have not lived in the abbey, but the building is open for tours. An interesting Gothic cloister and a covered bypass gallery, which was created on the site of the inner Romanesque courtyard of the monastery.

Entrance ticket for adults – €4; for children – €3. Children under eight years old go free. Guides to the abbey are available in English, German, Dutch, Spanish and Italian.