Terroir &
Gastronomy

Abondance AOP cheese, raclette, fondue, génépi…
The valley is an exceptional food region, to be savoured freely.

Eight centuries of tradition
fromagère et gourmande

The Abondance valley is much more than a food region — it is a culinary civilisation. The monks of Abondance abbey laid the foundations of a cheese-making expertise that shines around the world today.

Le fromage d'Abondance AOP et le Reblochon are the ambassadors of a region where every meal tells a story: that of farmers, mountain pastures, raw milk and ripening caves carved into the rock.

8 centuries of cheese-making tradition Since the monks of the Abbey of Abondance in the 13th century
2 AOP in the same valley Abondance and Reblochon, two exceptional cheeses
1 020 m altitude at village level La Chapelle d'Abondance, a preserved mountain pasture region in the heart of Portes du Soleil
Affineur de fromage Abondance AOP dans sa cave Berthoud au fromage Abondance AOP, spécialité savoyarde Dégustation de fromage et vin de Savoie en chalet

Le fromage d'Abondance AOP :
eight centuries of expertise

Fabrication du fromage d'Abondance AOP à la Fruitière de La Chapelle d'Abondance
Affinage des meules d'Abondance AOP en cave traditionnelle
Dégustation du fromage d'Abondance AOP en famille
Abondance cheese bears the triple name of the valley where it was born, the cattle breed that gives its milk, and the abbey that invented its recipe in the 12th century. It is one of the rare cheeses whose history is so intimately linked to that of an entire region.

In 1381, Abondance cheese had its moment of glory: the abbey monks sent fifteen quintals of cheese to the Avignon conclave, during the election of Pope Clement VII. This choice was not trivial — it established the cheese's reputation well beyond the alpine borders and testified to the recognised quality of this monastic production.

Production follows strict rules, set out in the AOP specifications obtained in 1990. The milk comes exclusively from Abondance breed cows, recognisable by their mahogany coat and famous white 'spectacles' around their eyes. These cows graze in the valley's mountain pastures during summer, feeding on rich, diverse grass that gives the milk — and therefore the cheese — all its aromatic complexity.

Semi-cooked pressed cheese, each wheel weighs between 6 and 12 kg. Ripening lasts a minimum of 100 days in the cellar, where the cheeses are turned and rubbed regularly. The result: a natural amber rind and a supple ivory paste with notes of hazelnut, dried fruits and an elegant hint of bitterness that is its signature.

À La Chapelle, la Fruitière du village continues this tradition just steps from the apartment. You can watch the morning production, taste the different stages of ripening and buy directly from the producer. An unmissable experience.

La Chapelle d'Abondance · Portes du Soleil

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Steps from the village dairy, local producers and the finest tables in the valley.

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Reblochon: born from a peasant fraud

Fabrication artisanale du Reblochon fermier AOP
Affinage du Reblochon AOP en cave voûtée
Dégustation de Reblochon fermier avec vin de Savoie Mondeuse
The story of Reblochon is one of the most delicious in French gastronomy — both literally and figuratively. In the 13th century, farmers in the Thônes and Aravis valleys had to pay a tax proportional to the quantity of milk produced by their cows. On the day of the inspection, they deliberately performed an incomplete milking to reduce the apparent production.

Once the inspector had left, the farmers returned for a second milking, shorter but much richer. This cream-concentrated milk was immediately transformed into a small, round, creamy cheese. In Savoyard dialect, 'blocher' means 'to pinch the cow's udder', and 're-blocher': to pinch it a second time. Reblochon is therefore literally the 'cheese of the re-blosse' — the cheese of the fraud.

This clandestine origin did not prevent Reblochon from becoming one of the most beloved cheeses in France. An uncooked pressed cheese, it is recognisable by its saffron rind and casein disc: green for the fermier Reblochon (made on the farm, twice a day), red for the laitier Reblochon (made in a dairy). The AOP, obtained in 1958, guarantees production exclusively from whole raw milk, within a limited geographical area.

It is the star ingredient of tartiflette, that gratin of potatoes, bacon and onions, crowned with a half-Reblochon that melts and browns in the oven. But it is equally delicious on a cheeseboard, accompanied by a glass of Roussette de Savoie or a Mondeuse for red wine lovers.

Essential dishes

Your apartment is equipped to prepare them. Click to discover the recipe!

La Fondue

Abondance, Beaufort, Comté with white wine

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La Raclette

Melted cheese, potatoes, charcuterie

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La Tartiflette

Gratin with Reblochon, bacon, onions

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Le Berthoud

Melted Abondance with Savoie white wine

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La Chapelle d'Abondance · Portes du Soleil

Your alpine stay
starts here

137 m² in the heart of a 17th-century buildinge steps from the slopes and trails. For families who demand authenticity without compromise.

137 m² — up to 6 guests
Available winter & summer
Portes du Soleil · 600 km of slopes
★★★★★

"C'est toujours avec grand plaisir que nous retrouvons La Chapelle d'Abondance et ce bel appartement."

— Agnès C. family, Alsace · February 2025

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