Salute Friend

In 1770 the very first guest house opened in Chamonix Haute Savoie France. Prior to this Chamonix ski resort embodied a uncivilized and tough agricultural town where people caught animals and harvested their oats.

Farmhouses at this time were used to raise animals during the summer. The milk was conserved by turning it into cheeses and stored in the village for eating over the difficult wintertimes. During the winter the barns were locked up, and all valuables were locked in a small shack.

Who invented the chalet holiday is nameless, however it was in all probability a few keen chaps who realized a pattern that worked. With Erna Low it began whilst she was a unhappy alumna who couldn’t visit her parents back home in Austria as often as she liked. So in the 1930’s she took a gamble and took out a small advertisement in the papers to invite punters on a skiing trip. The cost was £15 and they journeyed to and from resort, were provided with breakfast and dinner and accommodation in the only chalet, and had ski equipment and tuition. The holiday was laborious , there weren’t any skiing lifts, no safety fixings, simply hard leather shoes, however it was such a hit that Erna Low kept on taking skiers on breaks, guaranteeing she found great accommodations and skiing guides.

These Skiing trips during the formative years were very different from the luxuries we experience today. In the early days hot water was in short supply, the bathrooms would be used by all of the guests, and there was no a cook; the clients needed to help out. No one knew who might be in the chalet for a week, one might be enjoyably surprised by meeting fresh acquaintances, or spend a week of hell with people you didn’t get on with.

Catered chalet holidays were later advertised on its new bonuses. Your own cook, who would serve you cooked breakfast and a four course dinner and provided you cakes, numerous bathrooms warm water for bathing. For more information check out this Chamonix website.