Les Jardins de Sophie ★★★★

The North-East of France is often passed through quickly with tourists rushing towards the beaches in the South, but after one too many lazy weeks sunning ourselves in St Tropez, we decided to opt for a more ‘off the beaten track’ location in the mountains. Upon arrival, we immediately forgot about our travel weariness when we were greeted with a complimentary ‘cremant mirabelle’ in the lounge bar. The whitewash walls between warm wood and chrome, highlighted with hints of beige and ochre and finished off with contemporary furnishings created a chic ambience which we immediately fell in love with.

Feeling refreshed, we were shown to our charmingly decorated bedroom where the huge windows open onto breathtaking views of the green fir trees in the Belbriette forest. Our ‘standard forest room’ felt utterly traditional and authentic and yet it was complete with all the modern facilities of a hotel including high-speed WiFi, a flat screen television and an ensuite bathroom. The VeryChic offer lets you choose from a range of different bedrooms to suit your requirements.

Once installed, I couldn’t resist a well-deserved trip to the spa after a hard week in the office. Consisting of a wellness area and beauty salon, the spa offers a range of treatments including deep-tissue massages, a relaxation room and traditional hammam. With gowns and slippers provided for me, I felt utterly pampered after some time in the sauna and a quick dip in the swimming pool whose wooden décor is in keeping with the “chic mountain chalet” spirit.

Our perfect first day was nicely finished with an evening of indulgence at the gourmet restaurant. The chef creates authentic cuisine using local products from the mountains and fresh herbs from the garden, whilst the sommelier applies his expertise to select wines from Alsace and Grand Cus to harmonise with the gourmet flavours. After nibbling at some traditional foie gras, I enjoyed the dorado with rosemary-infused vegetables followed by a tasty chocolate pudding and a traditional mountain-herb tea next to the fire. Feeling truly satisfied, I wandered back to the bedroom and sank into the cloud-like bed, already dreaming about the possibilities tomorrow might bring.

Being an early bird, the following morning I woke up in time to see the sun rising up over the mountains and then wandered down to the terrace where I had a coffee and listened to the birds singing. The enormous buffet breakfast was more than enough to set us up for a day of activities. We got straight into the winter activities by heading to Domaine de Gérardmer - la Mauselaine for an action-packed day of skiing followed by some festive hot spiced wine and a stunning firework display in the evening.

The rest of our trip brought more adventure, more excitement and more relaxation which flew by and we couldn’t believe it was already time to go home on our final day. We visited lakes, waterfalls, quaint villages and more ski resorts in between relaxing in our idyllic haven of peace.

Suffice to say that our decision to steer away from the tourist destination and escape to a retreat full of natural beauty was a good one. We were sad to leave this place, but we know we’ll be back in the not too distant future to see what other treasures the Vosges Mountains are hiding…

*The breakfast consists of:

* Below is the gastronomic Le Moineaudière dinner prepared by Chef Hervé Cune (menu is subject to change):