Chambery Town

For most Chambery is just the name of the airport that is closest to the Three Valleys ski area and the Paradiski area. But it is actually a lovely town, steeped in history and surrounded by stunning scenery.

The town of Chambery developed around the Le Château des Ducs de Savoie, built back in 1232 by the Count of the Savoie region, when Chambery was the capital of the Savoie region and remained so until the sixteen century. The castle guarded the pass into Italy and still stands guard over the old town, with its narrow cobbled streets. At night the castle and other buildings are illuminated.

Chambery is easy to explore by foot as it is not particularly large and the old town is compact and all around the medieval quarter. There is Place Saint-Leger with coloured facades all around, many court yards and imposing mansions. There is the famous Fontaine Des Elephants and several museums worth a visit such as the Musée Savoisien for Savoyard history.

Chambery has a very unique culture and cuisine and still very much prides itself on its Savoyard heritage with the traditional Savoyard flag hanging everywhere. If tempted by one of the specialities try Raclette, a mass of melted, dripping cheese served with bread and often different cured meats or the filled and satisfying Tartiflette, a dish of potatoes, ham, cream, garlic and cheese.

Around Chambery is a nature lover's delight with mountains and fertile vineyards covering the slopes. Just a little beyond the town is the Bauges National Park abundant in Alpine flora and fauna. The next door town to Chambery is the popular spa resort town of Aix-Les-Bains, on the edge of the Lac du Bourget. This is France's largest natural lake. The spa town also offers thermal baths. 
Of course Chambery is seen as the main gate way point to some of the largest ski areas in the world with the Three Valleys ski area (Courchevel, Meribel and Val Thorens), being a short hour or so's drive away and the Paradiski area of La Plagne and Les Arcs being just a little further.

For more information on Chambery visit the official Chambery tourist website or for more information on getting a taxi from Chambery airport to one of the ski resorts, take a look at TheSkiBug website.