This little corner of paradise has been shaped over time, and alternates between deep valleys and soft recesses. The Genevois Haut-Savoyard offers an ideal landscape for mountain biking. Full of picturesque market towns, stunning views and turbulent mountain streams, our favourite trails are:

- Downhill ATB in the Vallée Verte: it's fun!

You have 3 sensational hours to enjoy the banks of the Menoge in the heart of the Vallée Verte. Leave from the plateau des Moises (Habère-Poche) and experience a challenging descent to Saint-André-de-Boëge. It's a stimulating and invigorating experience along the water and under the shade of the trees. The return trip by shuttle is a lot more relaxing.

Price (ATB + helmet + shuttle): adult €17, child €13 (from 11 years).
Contact: Foyer Nordique et de Loisirs des Moises Habère-Poche/Vallée Verte
Tel. + 33 (0) 450 39 50 98
(For arrangements, ATB trip brochure, Tourism Office Habère-Poche Tel + 33 (0)450 39 54 46)

- The Flérier loop: on the elves trail 

This 4.5km trip is easy and has no change in altitude! The paths are flat and there are a few stretches of tarred road which run into undergrowth, a home to elves (or a funny wooden sculpture of them), before leading on to the village of Flérier. Here you will experience the history of a small, yet most beautiful hamlet and its 13th century Gothic-style chapel. And don't miss Flérier Lake, a beaver paradise.

Contact:
Tourism Office, Taninges/Praz-de-Lys, Tel + 33 (0)4 50 34 25 05
Tourism Office, Mieussy/Sommand, Tel + 33 (0)4 50 43 02 72
(Brochure 7 ATB trips: from 45 min. to 2 hours, all levels, see p. 60)

- Le Massif des Brasses: to each his own track

If you are fearlessly seeking thrills or simply looking for a quiet hike, the choice of trips from the plateau de Plaine-Joux satisfies everyone's needs. Routes to discover in an idyllic location!

- The Pesse trail: Mont-Blanc and other unusual and interesting things

This is an 8.5km athletic course, with a 370m rise in altitude and a final stop at 1290m. There are splendid views over the Massif du Mont-Blanc, the Plaine-Joux pastures and peaks all around. This hike is full of surprises, such as stone walls and peat bogs. These areas of stagnant water are low in oxygen, and it therefore causes the plants to decompose very slowly, allowing for a remarkable ecosystem (which in the past was used as fodder). Do not miss these water bodies, before they disappear for good!

Good to know: the plateau de Plaine-Joux is an ideal place to catch your breath and quench your thirst. Visit the bar-restaurant l'Alpage (open year round, closed on Tuesdays in off-season). 

Contact:
Tourism Office Brasses. Tel + 33 (0)4 50 35 91 83

And to accompany you:

Pascal Dufourd and Magalie Chavanne, Tel + 33 (0) 660 82 28 87 and + 33 (0) 686 94 86 74
Email:   This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

In a half or full day, discover the area with qualified instructors. Rent ATBs on location

Patrick Amat, 2093 Route du déluge, F-74250 Viuz-en-Sallaz. Tel + 33 (0) 681 60 31 98. Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Enjoy a relaxing walk and meal along the stream, with shuttle service on the way back. Rental available on location.

Daniel Mercier, Quincy, F - 74440 Mieussy. Tel + 33 (0) 607 53 27 73. Website: www.danielmercier-guide.com 
Go for an adventure in nature with a multilingual guide, Daniel, who offers tours in French, English and Spanish.

Bertrand Magnon in Taninges Ph. + 33 (0)685 023 869. A family stroll with a « free ride », good plans to check out at http://www.smvtt.com/

Detailed itineraries on the Flérier route and the Pesse trail:

It's back: a perfect occasion to rediscover leisure possibilities among friends A few suggestions:Karting - tubes, wheels and a lawn mower engine: the kart was born. In 1951, on a United States Air Force base. It was necessary to wait until the sixties for the phenomenon to reach Europe. Nowadays, the karts can run at more than 100 km/h for a featherweight - a hundred kilos - and circuits are mushrooming just about everywhere in France. Circuits to be tried in the region:

The Genevan Haut-Savoyard lakes are the result of tectonic folds and glaciers, and are sometimes even shaped by the human hand. These small corners of paradise are all different from one another and run along the shores of Lake Leman to Lake Roy, at 1,600m, passing through Machilly, Sommand, Môle, Anthon, Crossetaz and Flérier. They are ideal places for flora, fauna and fishing enthusiasts. These lakes are rich in fish. Machilly, a small 8ha body of water, is known for its beautiful species of white fish, and Lake Môle is home to large carp, pike and crayfish.

The innovative work of Genevan architect, Maurice Braillard, and Parisian engineer, André Rebuffel, the Salève's cable car was inaugurated in 1932, replacing the electric railway that was built in 1892 and disappeared in 1936.

It's connected to a higher station at the very end of a vertical wall of a few hundred meters. Considering the 5 roads that lead to the top of the Salève, this amazing elevator is still the most comfortable way of getting there in just a few minutes. From the top of this gigantic rocky island at 1300m, one looks over the Genevan Basin and enjoys the stunning panorama from the Jura Mountains to the Alps, including Mont-Blanc. It's a place to dream, but it also offers the opportunity to enjoy less contemplative activities. A few ideas: