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Le Val Lachard: A breathtakingly beautiful escape in the French Alps! By Brian Franklin.
A visit to Villard-de-Lans in early March this year for a few days skiing at the local ski resort, revealed an absolute gem.
After a bit of a search for somewhere to stay in the Alps for some decent snow, and reasonably-priced quality accommodation, I discovered Le Val Lachard – an ‘Apartment-Style’ Guest House with contemporary flair and family-friendly service.
A recently and cleverly converted farmhouse, perfectly situated in a natural park and protected environment within walking distance of the classic alpine village of Villard-de-Lans.
The exceptional welcome my friend, Dale, and I received on our arrival and throughout our short stay was a delight. The owners and proprietors, Jolette and Thierry Vaillant were perfect hosts, and immediately let us into their inspirational personal story about their highly successful ‘hands-on’ renovation and development of Le Val Lachard.
With his wife Jolette always by his side and supporting all the way with joint ideas for their future home and business, Thierry was conceptual designer, project controller, builder and installer throughout the project. His engineering background was exceptionally useful with all the technical aspects of the renovation and development. Including all the advanced technology, electrical and eco-efficient systems used for the entire building, enabling it to run perfectly and economically as both their home and as their holiday ‘apartment’ guest house business with a difference.
An inspired conversion and original design approach was a key facet in achieving an original and unique style of holiday and business accommodation.
An enthralling story and approach to creating their successful ‘dream’ business and home in a stunningly beautiful part of the French Alps.
Simply, Le Val Lachard guest house apartments meet your needs completely, whether for a family stay, ski-group, or couple. The apartment premises are cleverly adapatable to suit different party sizes and requirements, from spacious suites for 10 persons, family of 4, or single rooms for just 1 or 2 persons. Flexible, comfortable options are available, all with self –catering facilities.
Contemporary, high quality interior and stylish design furnishings. Exceedingly comfortable and peaceful accommodation. Perfect throught the year and especially for winter or summer holidays.
The remarkable story of Jolette and Thierry Vaillant. Jolette has said of their personal journey in creating the wonderful Le Val Lachard:
“Hard to achieve, and long to transform, but lovely to live in : this is the story of our house affair with what has become Val Lachard
We fell in love with this old Vercors farm, the traditional fountain in front of the house and the numerous possibilities the building offered.
It took almost two years before the sale was effective, two years during which we dreamt about the house and its future.
Thierry has many friends-speleologists who took much interest in the project. To study self-sufficient energy building as a past-time you must be somehow ingenious, dedicated, and a total workaholic. And to come for your holidays and to help carry heavy tiles up to the top floors you have to be a really good friend!”
A dedicated friend carrying tiles to the top floors!
Renovation and Development in the early days of Val Lachard !
“It took over fifteen years to finish the house during which we came along from Paris for busy week-ends. But arriving at night near the fountain to find the deers eating apples under the apple-trees made the 6 hour journey worthwhile.
We now welcome guests in our comfortable Val Lachard, and the deers are still coming at night. If you do not see them (because you sleep so well) you might see in the soft light of early morning the pheasants or the fox.” Jolette Vaillant.
Le Val Lachard
chemin des Prés – 38250 Villard de Lans
Tel 0033 (0)476 43 48 06 – email : contact@giteduval.fr
Le Val Lachard is situated in 5mn of Villard-de-Lans, in the regional natural park of Vercors (France) near Lans-en-Vercors, Corrençon, Méaudre and Autrans. The closest town is Grenoble.
Le Val Lachard is a big holiday cottage compound of 4 apartments of flexible hosts (rent separately or grouped) to constitute a very comfortable accommodation of big capacity. These apartments can be also praised in independent or grouped guest rooms. A big fitted out places are dedicated to the outdoor equipments : skis, bikes, speleology, mountain, paragliding, golf…
Le Val Lachard is ideal to spend holidays in family or between friends, but also for your seminars of company. You will have the pleasant setting of the Alps to take advantage of some snow the winter (cross-country skiing or Alpine skiing) on the ski runways of the resort Côte 2000 or to make beautiful rides from spring. You will discover the numerous sports activities offered by the region: walks, golf on a plan in the forest in the edge of the Nature reserve of Vercors.
The duration of rent of hosts ‘apartments and rooms’ can be envisaged for week, the weekend or the mid-week, following the availability of the calendar.
Museum of Fine Arts in Lyon.
The Museum of Fine Arts is one of the largest French and European museums. Located in the heart of Lyon, between the Rhône and Saône rivers, it is situated in a magnificent building dating from the 17th century.
The collections are exhibited in over 70 rooms and offer visitors an outstanding sample of art from antiquity to contemporary art. The museum is regularly enriched, through an active acquisition policy that relies on donors, art lovers, collectors and the descendants of artists.
Our museum is a living entity. One hundred and thirty employees work here every day to welcome you to the permanent collections and temporary exhibitions.
The Museum of Fine Arts – Lyon is one of the largest French and European museums.
Located in the heart of Lyon, between the Rhône and Saône rivers, the museum is located in a magnificent building dating from the 17th century. The collections are exhibited in over 70 rooms and offer visitors an outstanding sample of art from Antiquity to Contemporary Art. The museum’s collections are frequently enriched thanks to an active acquisition policy relying on private donors, art lovers, collectors and artists’ heirs. Five departments illustrate more than 5 000 years of art and history : Antiquities, Artefacts, Medal Collections, 14th to 20th Century Paintings and Sculptures.
Grand Café Des Négociants Lyon.
Built in 1864, the Grand Café des Négociants with its warm Second Empire decor is part of Lyon’s history. This is a place where diamond and silk merchants as well as wholesale butchers traded their wares (using the many mirrors hanging in the main room to communicate secretly using sign language) and politicians, artists and travelling salesmen met.
Here the known and unknown rub shoulders and enjoy a pleasant break. Every afternoon in the tea room you can enjoy our delicious hot chocolate and homemade patisseries… And when it’s time for an aperitif, you can choose between a glass of Champagne or wine served with foie gras or smoked salmon on toast, to the strains of lounge music.
You have to try the amazing chocolat chaud on a cool autumn/winter morning!
Café Fédérations in Lyon.
The essence of Lyonnais cuisine are the bouchons, simple pub-like bistros that serve all known forms of pork, offal and other delights for those who have a less delicate disposition.
The Cafe des Federations, with its gingham tablecloths, sawdust on the floors and sausages on the ceiling, is the most celebrated bouchon in Lyon.
In fact, this classic-traditional establishment was also visited and highlighted by Raymond Blanc during his TV series, ‘The Hungry Frenchman’.
Its full-framed dishes included ‘poor man’s caviar’ (lentil salad in a cream sauce), oeufs en meurette(poached egg in a wine sauce), braised calves head and, perhaps the best of all, quenelle de brochette (pike wrapped in spongy puff pastry with a creamy crayfish sauce).
After the French Revolution, many female chefs, or meres Lyonnaises, opened their own restaurants.
A direct descendant of this tradition was Eugenie Brazier, who became the first woman to win three Michelin stars at La Mere Brazier in the Thirties.
It was re-opened a few years ago by Mathieu Viannay, a talented young man, who now has two Michelin stars himself.
He still serves the Lyonnais classics in the beautifully restored restaurant with its original stained glass and array of original private dining rooms, where guests can eat surrounded by the original art deco tiling on the walls.