Visit an alpine farm in summer

Just 8km from Saint-Jean-de-Belleville, the Alpage des Combes nestles beyond the hamlet of La Sauce, where nature lovers can enjoy breathtaking mountain views. The owners of this farm, Gaëtan and Laurine, are passionate about cows, in particular the Tarine breed, which roams freely on the lush green pastures. They own around a hundred of them.

What makes the Alpage des Combes unique in the region is the daily production of Beaufort d'Alpage, a tasty, authentic cheese, carefully made morning and night.

Visitors are invited to meet the local producers and watch the cows being milked, starting at 3pm in the afternoon. The morning milking starts much earlier, at 5.30am. It's an exceptional opportunity to discover the region's traditional know-how and to immerse yourself in the daily life of a mountain pasture.

Located just 2 km from Saint-Martin-de-Belleville, this goat farm offers a variety of delicious products, including tommes, sérac, fresh farmhouse goats' cheeses and goat's milk yoghurts.

The Martin family moved to Villarenger in 1985 to raise goats and produce farmhouse cheese made from raw milk. Their secret to creating quality products lies in the traditional practice of grazing goats on mountain pastures, which ensures healthy living conditions for the animals.

Respect for the environment and animal welfare is at the heart of the Villarenger goat farm's philosophy. Visitors can discover a respectful, traditional way of working, while sampling products of exceptional quality.

In summer, visitors can enjoy a horse or pony ride in the picturesque surroundings of the goat farm.

Activities at the Villarenger goat farm

From milk to cheese" workshop

Making goat's cheese in the cheese dairy

⏰ Tuesdays from 10am to 11am.

👛 Prices:

Adults: €15

Children aged 7 to 12: €10

From leaf to table" workshop

Creation of a tasting basket with wild plants gathered together.

⏰ Fridays from 10am to 1pm

👛 Prices:

Adults: €15

Children aged 7 to 12: €10

4x4 excursion, milking the goats and snack time

At 4pm, take a 4x4 up to the Gittaz mountain pasture, a wild place where goats live in freedom. You'll help milk the goats and feed the animals. On the way back, at around 7pm, you can sample farm produce.

👛 Prices:

Adults: €25

Free for children under 8

Information and contact details on their website

http://www.villarenger.fr/?utm_source=easyvoyage

In the heart of the hamlet of Le Châtelard, a stone's throw from Saint-Martin-de-Belleville, lives a passionate couple: Serge and Susan, ewe farmers and artisan cheese-makers. From their farm, they passionately craft a variety of quality dairy products such as mature tommes, creamy yoghurts and melt-in-the-mouth serac.

But for these friendly hosts, their passion for sheep farming and cheese production goes beyond simply transforming milk into quality dairy products. In fact, they are driven by the desire to share their know-how and their love for their profession.

So they've set up charming guest rooms on the farm to offer visitors an authentic and memorable experience. On warm summer days, they invite the curious to take a guided tour of their farm and discover their flock of ewes.

Information and contact details on their Facebook page:

https://id=100071668313051?utm_source=easyvoyage www.facebook.com/profile.php?

If you're looking for an authentic mountain experience, look no further than the alpine chalet opposite the Plan de l'Eau des Bruyères car park. Here, you can meet the free-ranging cows and goats and even watch the daily milking at around 5.30pm.

This passionate producer offers a selection of artisan cheeses, including cow's and goat's tommes, as well as other fresh dairy products.

Information and contact details on their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100071063029711?utm_source=easyvoyage

At Pépé Nicolas, every day is full of exciting discoveries and activities. In the morning, you can join the alpacists to see their daily work and learn more about life on the farm.

In the afternoon, don't miss the manual milking of the goats, or the mechanised milking of the cows, which takes place every day in front of the alpine hut. If you prefer, you can simply relax and watch the animals in their natural environment.

The goats graze three times a day and can be seen in their pen between 11am and 1pm, and again from 6.30pm until the next day. You can also watch them being milked by hand every day in front of the mountain pasture chalet, at around 2.30-3pm.

The cows graze within a 2km radius of the chalet, allowing them to take full advantage of their natural environment and the richness of the surrounding pastures, depending on the season.

Information and contact details on their website:

https://www.chezpepenicolas.com/?utm_source=easyvoyage