Chartreuse (Charterhouse) de Mélan - This place is more than a group of buildings that unveils itself; it's a whole environment. It has close to ten centuries of history that started in 1285, to be precise, when Béatrix de Faucigny decided to build a convent for nuns in order to shelter her and her son's sepulture. Over the next thousand years, the building was transformed, then abandoned by its occupants during the French Revolution, and then transformed again, into a school. It was finally destroyed by a fire in the middle of the 20th century.

It's summertime again: get your T-shirts and hiking boots and set off for an adventure. Unusual people and places, treasure hunts and feel-good rambles, the guides of the Genevois Haut-Savoyard help you discover the often unknown treasures of their region.

Fauna explorations:

Chamois, marmots, boars or mouflons? Be on the lookout and make use of all your senses! Identify the footprints, find the clues and follow the tracks.

Karting, bowling, casinos and discos: the only trouble you'll have is deciding where to go!  Here are a few good places and ideas for you, to enjoy yourselves throughout the night and into the early hours of the morning:



- Karting: Everyone to the start of the Grand Prix!

Bring along ten friends, put on your suit and helmet, and you're set. You'll have a track reserved especially for you, and you'll have to find the best kart driver on your team. Once over, enjoy champagne and cup-cakes as trophies are handed out on the podium. You'll experience the Formula 1 feeling, and still feel safe with full security and a short briefing. An excellent idea for an evening unlike any other!

Grand Prix Formula 1 (minimum 10 people): € 65/person
On'Kart, 14 avenue des Buchillons, in Ville-la-Grand, Tel. + 33 (0)450 383 413 - www.on-kart.fr
And for individuals: interior and exterior tracks, with real time time-keeping on a giant screen. Performance charts available at the counter.

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 5pm - midnight
Wednesday: 3pm - midnight
Saturday: 2pm - midnight
Sunday: 2pm - 10pm

- Macumba: the big highlight of the evening

Six thematic restaurants that offer Moroccan, Italian and Caribbean cuisines. Six clubs that play house, Latino and electric rhythms, as well as something for musette-lovers, and an open-air dance cafe on the banks of the Marne. And for a totally Celtic ambiance, visit the Irish Pub that serves whiskey and beer from around the world. The Macumba has thought of everything, even transporting you to and from your activities: on weekends and the eve of holidays, « Macumbabuses »  visit every corner of the Haute-Savoie, Ain and Switzerland within a 50km radius, picking you up in the early evening and dropping you off later in the night, all free of charge.

Macumba, 403, route d'Annecy in Neydens Tel.+ 33 ( 0)450 492 350 www.macumba.net

- How about the casino?

Discover new ways to party in a unique location and without being hooked on blackjack or poker.

Casino d'Annemasse: two restaurants and a Club with an eclectic program. Thursday evenings are reserved for '80s-lovers. Try the brunch menu at « Carré d'as »  every Sunday from 11:30am to 3pm.

2 avenue de l'Europe, Tel + 33 (0) 450 87 07 87, www.casino-annemasse.fr. Casino open from 10am onwards. 7 days/week

Casino de St-Julien en Genevois: three restaurants, a disco, a bar and events that warrant the diversion. For your information: the restaurants « Le Safran » and  « La Maloja » offer champagne on Tuesday evenings along with your meal.

Route d'Annecy in St-Julien-en-Genevois. Tel + 33 (0)450 491 717, www.casino-saint-julien.com.. Casino open from 11am onwards - 7 days/week

- Want to go bowling?

Always a big favourite for a jaunt with friends.

Bowling de l'Aérodrome
1, rue de l'industrie, in Annemasse
Tel. + 33 (0)450 38 67 74

Photo:  GEF Réalisations

Goats, snails, Indian peacocks, Cameroonian mouflons, and hens unlike any others, the biodiversity of the Genevois Haut-Savoyard is as rich as its landscapes. You will be invited into extraordinary farms and gardens, where you will observe the life-cycle and environment of familiar animals, as well as that of more intriguing species. Your experience will be as tasty as it is playful: you will be invited to try several farm products at the end of your visit. Young children love it, and adults can relive parts of their childhood.