Discovering Les Volets Rouges - and the history of Chamonix

Les Volets Rouges (or the Red Shutters) is a unique property with an interesting past, located in the very heart of the Chamonix valley and available for year round rentals via Hip Chalets. 

We are excited to tell you little more about its history and how it evolved into the beautiful home we know today.

We will take a look at the fascinating origins of Les Volets Rouges and give you an insight into the history of how Chamonix has become such an iconic place over the centuries.

"Chamouny" - the history of the valley of the great glaciers

To understand the history of the Volets Rouges, one must also understand the history of Chamonix. 

Long ago, more than 11,000 years before Christ (the Quaternary period), the Chamonix valley was occupied by huge glaciers which, over the centuries, slowly but surely retreated into the mountains to reveal the stunning valley floor that would become Chamonix Mont Blanc. 

Fast forward a few thousand years and we can see traces of Chamonix's feudal origins. Historically, Chamonix belonged to Geneva and the Kingdom of Burgundy. In 1091, however, the entire territory was donated to the Saint Michel de la Cluse monastery. 

In the 18th century, tales of the vast glaciers close to what is now known as the "Mer de Glace" (Sea of Ice) spread when two Englishmen; William Windham and Richard Pocock, published an account of the vast mountain glaciers in Swiss and British newspapers in June 1761, sparking an interest in mountaineering and alpine expeditions. 

The name "Chamouny" was given to the valley of the great glaciers.

The first expeditions weren't very sophisticated, as travellers used donkeys to cross the treacherous mountain terrain. 

15 years after the discovery of the Mer de Glace, Jacques Balmat, a “Chamoniard” and crystal hunter, and Doctor Michel Paccard were the first to conquer and summit Mont Blanc, marking the beginning of a vibrant mountain culture that is still very much alive today, with the inauguration of the Compagnie des Guides in 1821.

 Under Napoleon III, Savoie became entirely French and the Emperor visited his new province, creating new transport routes and roads linking parts of the valley, laying the foundations for the layout that is visible today. 

Alpine tourism really took off in 1909, when a railway was built, allowing people to visit the Mer de Glace without having to climb the miles of mountains to get there. This is the railway of Montenvers, which still exists today to bring visitors up to the end of the glacier. 

More recently, in 1924, Chamonix hosted the first ever Winter Olympics, which were a great success, attracting more than 10,000 spectators, an unprecedented number at the time.

It was at this time that the origins of the Volets Rouges began to take shape. 

Les Clarines (the cow-bells) - the original name of Les Volets Rouges

Marius Poirier, an oenologist living in Reims, drew up plans for a Savoyard villa with the help of his brother Emile, a lieutenant-colonel in the engineering corps.

Marius commissioned the general contractor Léon Grosse of Aix-les-Bains to build it in Chamonix in 1929. They named the villa “Les Clarines” .

Marius's son Renaud was suffering from tuberculosis at the time. Les Clarines served as a refuge for the family, a wonderful alternative to long days spent in a sanatorium. Renaud Poirier stayed there for several years and fully recovered from his tuberculosis.

The house, with its red shutters, remained in the Poirier family and is now owned by Marius and Berthe Poirier's great-great-grandchildren.

Les Volets Rouges - the intricacies of the house in the modern day

Les Volets Rouges is situated at an altitude of 1060m in Les Praz de Chamonix, just off the Tines road and 500m from the Chamonix golf course. Le Paradis des Praz, within walking distance, is a haven of peace and the starting point for many hikes and walks.

The house is also just a few minutes from the village of Les Praz and the Flégère ski lifts; the centre of Chamonix is less than 10 minutes away by car and easily accessible by bus. Italy is easily accessible via the Mont Blanc tunnel, as is Switzerland, with Geneva just 1-hours drive from the valley. 

The chalet has stunning views of Les Drus on one side and La Flégère on the other. The Mont Blanc massif and the Aiguille du Midi are also part of the beautiful views from the chalet.

Les Volets Rouge is a family home for rest and leisure, as you might have guessed from its first use at the beginning of the 20th century. The chalet's traditional Savoyard architecture and rustic feel add to the authenticity of the Chamonix experience, grounding each visitor in a deep sense of alpine beauty and tradition. 

Our guests come here seeking the beauty, tranquillity and simplicity of the place and the comforts of a beautiful family home in an exceptional setting.

While the outside of the chalet remains rooted in its rustic Savoyard design, the interior has been renovated to integrate all modern comforts while preserving the 1930s spirit of the house in its decoration and furnishings (some pieces of furniture have been preserved, such as the granite fireplace in the living room).

The raised ground floor comprises a kitchen, dining room and living room with fireplace. This room opens onto a covered outdoor terrace. A separate vestibule completes this space. The house has 4 bedrooms on the first floor, two of which have balconies. Each bedroom has an ensuite bathroom. There is a children's bedroom (5/6 beds) in the attic, bringing the accommodation capacity from 8 to 14 people.

The basement has natural light and includes a TV/cinema room, a games room, a wellness area with a large sauna, a separate ski room and a laundry room.

In addition, the covered outdoor terrace leads to a second wooden terrace (45m2) sheltered by an ash tree. The terrace includes a Nordic bath with a view of the Mont Blanc massif. The house is surrounded by lush gardens and meadows.

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