Chalet Le Moulin

A Modern Mill

Le Moulin is situated in the hamlet of Le Praz on the edge of the lake that is frozen in winter. Le Praz is a real gem, an alpine village of old streets, quaint buildings and a gentle heart. It has kept its identity and retained its rustic charm (although polished up with elegance and a Michelin star restaurant) while connecting seamlessly with the thoroughly up-to-date lift system of the Trois Vallées. Chalet Le Moulin fits in well. It is one of those new chalets reassuringly built with local stone and chalet shaped architecture that then offers bright contemporary space and beautiful comforts once you step inside. It is also delightfully well located.

The living rooms extend out over the top floor, a stunning cathedral like space where a beamed ceiling soars and reflects the majesty of the landscape the other side of vast windows. The style is smart modern alpine with touches of flamboyance in the lighting, the splashes of modern art and the central wood-burning fireplace. The open kitchen is equipped to suit a semi-professional gourmand, so a large party might want to ensure the dinner rota is planned accordingly. Breakfast will be served by chalet staff, a happy prospect on those mornings when newly groomed slopes sparkle with temptation.  

There is plenty of space. The rooms are large and there are many of them. Six double bedrooms spread out over the two middle floors and an elevator connects the house, a boon when your legs are too weary for the stairs. They are all en-suite and one of them is a generous family room with a bunkbed for two under 12s as well as the double bed. They are spacious and bright and open onto wooden balconies.

Then, down on the lowest floor, is that joyful area that celebrates “wellness” aka filling the time after the ski lifts have closed, you have partaken of enough vin chaud for now, and dinner. It is a steamy haven of warmth and relaxation, with a Hammam and a massage room and the opportunity to invigorate the senses (dulled perchance by the second vin chaud) with a scamper to the jacuzzi on the terrace or the barrel shaped Norwegian sauna in the garden. If that sounds too energetic then the indolence of the cinema room might be an attractive prospect. For anyone who braved the epic Eclipse piste (very black, experts only) as the final descent of the day, you deserve to stretch out on that sofa.

But most of you will have taken the more sedate, and yet still so pretty, Brigues piste to the village. The red one that will land you close by your chalet - Le Moulin is so well positioned. In the morning, it’s an easy 100m stroll to get on the lift. But now, as the light fades, you face a decision. Whether to go straight to the jacuzzi or to leave the ski boots on their warmers and take a wander down the picturesque streets of the village and, maybe, stop by some cosy bar from which live music floats. That vin chaud is calling. Whose turn was it to cook dinner?