Responsible Tourism

Belvedere Bed and Breakfast

» For more information, reviews and availability, click here «

We are in Alta Val Chisone Piemonte.

 Nestled under the wall of the great fortress at Fenestrelle and situated in the heart of a 16th century alpine village (Chambons at 1000m altitude).

We are well placed for walking and trekking, mountaineering, cycling, skiing, snowboarding, snow shoeing or just relaxing surrounded by good food, wine and beautiful scenery.
The ski resorts of Sestriere, Pragelato (val Troncea) and Prali (val Germanasca) are less than half an hour away, (home of the Winter Olympics 2006) and cross country skiing is right on our doorstep!
Why not make the Belvedere your base for a relaxing holiday or short break?
The tastfully restored 16th century "Casa" offers three guest bedrooms with private bathroom facilities, views of Fenestrelle fortress and two of them have balconies overlooking the church. The rooms can be arranged either as twin or doubles to suit.
Whichever way you want your holiday we can organise itineraries or simply point you in the right direction.

 This Alpine "Casa" in Chambons in the heart of Val Chisone has been tastefully restored by Kent & Michelle Benson and their son George to provide an inviting and comfortable place to stay.
Michelle's experience lies in Hotel management and catering. She is a qualified chef and hotel manager, having worked for Major Companies in both UK and Europe. She speaks French, German, Italian and English (of course!) as well as being an experienced and competent skier.
Kent is a qualified mountain bike instructor (SIMB) an amateur triathlete and racing cyclist as well as personal fitness consultant and regional nature guide. He speaks English, Italian and a little French.
George is 9 years old and is currently at the local school. However in his free time he is keen to show our guests the best places to visit. He is fluent in English, Italian and speaks some French.
Our aim is to encourage as many people to enjoy the alpine environment as possible.
Holidays without costing the earth !
We try to work on the principle of minimising the environmental impact that tourism can have.
We aim to support the local economy by using local artiginal suppliers for food and other services.
We recycle waste products and use energy saving lighting and equipment.
Our long term aims are to reduce our environmental impact further by the use of solar panels and alternative renewable source energy.
We ask our visitors to consider their impact in this alpine environment.

What can you do whilst you're here?

Being located in the Alps on the border between France and Italy there is a wealth of activities to enjoy.
We are a recognised staging post on the Via Alpina. (Blue Route)
The climate here is excellent with plenty of snow and bright sunny days in winter. In the summer you can bank on warm sunny days for most of the season. Ideal conditions for an outdoor life.
In winter we are ideally located for skiing with the resort of Sestriere within half an hour's drive as well as world class cross country skiing at Pragelato within ten minutes drive. We also have our own cross country (langlauf) ski circuit right on our doorstep. If this all sounds too energetic then why not try snow shoeing in the Troncea valley (ski escorting can be arranged) or a trek to a mountainside resturant?
In the summer (May-October) we are a haven for walkers, cyclists and mountainbikers. (Guided trips are available). Also on offer in the area is white water rafting, climbing and horse riding as well as just good old relaxation.
The national parks in the area are home to wolves, deer, stembock and wild boar. Red squirrels, foxes and marmots can also be found. Late September/ early October is especially good for deer spotting!
Europe's largest fortress, Fenestrelle is just outside our door. This is an amazing piece of defensive architecture from the 18th Century. For more information follow this link. The Biggest Fort in Europe

SLOW FOOD

We can arrange wine tasting at local award winning vinyards, ice cream parlours or direct you to some of the best "Slow Food" restaurants in the area.
We are not short on cultural events either. During the summer there are plenty of local markets, festivals and demonstrations of alpine crafts as well as guided tours around some spectacular monuments such as the fortress of Fenestrelle or the Sacre de San Michele monastery (made famous in Umberto Ecco's book "The Name of The Rose")
Also within reach is the Baroque City of Turin with it's Royal palaces, hunting lodges and scene of the famous "Italian Job" film starring Micheal Cain. Here you will also find the Italian Film museum and the largest Egyptian Museum outside of Cairo.
The Chisone Valley is an ideal place for a family holiday with enough to keep everyone happy.
We provide packages for snow shoeing, cross country skiing, cycling and trekking.

» For more information, reviews and availability, click here «