--- type: "Article" title: "Winterwonderland in Sixt Fer à Cheval, Haute-Savoie, south-eastern France" description: "The tramping boots took travel author Justine Tyerman winter hiking in the French Alps in Sixt Fer à Cheval. What a treat!" resource: "https://travelmemo.com/france/sixt-fer-cheval-haute-savoie-south-eastern-france" author: "Justine Tyerman" publisher: "Travelmemo" photo_count: 14 tags: ["Alps", "Landscape", "Nature", "Winter", "France"] entities: - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/places/alps" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/places/new-zealand" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/places/switzerland" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/places/zuerich" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/places/france" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/landscape" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/nature-tourism" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/winter-tourism" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/culinary-tourism" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/hiking" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/air-travel" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/excursion-tips" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/experience-travel" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/itinerary" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/restaurant" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/wildlife-tourism" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/organizations/swiss-international-air-lines" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/organizations/booking-com" generated: { by: "human:https://travelmemo.com/author/tyermanj", at: 2026-07-04T14:01:56+00:00 } sources: - id: photos resource: sixt-fer-cheval-haute-savoie-south-eastern-france.md#photos title: "Original photography by Justine Tyerman" author: "human:https://travelmemo.com/author/tyermanj" timestamp: 2026-07-04T14:01:56+00:00 --- # Winterwonderland in Sixt Fer à Cheval, Haute-Savoie, south-eastern France > Sixt Fer à Cheval is a small alpine village in Haute-Savoie, France, rated one of 'Les Plus Beaux Villages de France', offering winter hiking, skiing in the Grand Massif domain, dog-sledding, and dramatic scenery centred on the horseshoe-shaped Cirque du Fer à Cheval. ## Destination Sixt Fer à Cheval, Haute-Savoie, south-eastern France, in the Grand Massif ski domain near Samoëns. ## Getting there Fly to Paris then travel by train to Geneva and onward by rental vehicle to Sixt Fer à Cheval. Cathay Pacific operates flights from Auckland to Paris via Hong Kong. ## When to go January (mid-winter) offers snow-covered landscapes and winter activities; spring and summer bring 30-plus waterfalls cascading from the Cirque du Fer à Cheval's cliffs. ## Why visit The village combines a spectacular frozen alpine cirque, uncrowded skiing across 265 km of Grand Massif pistes, dog-sledding, winter hiking and a charming village atmosphere with a 13th-century church and abbey. ## What to see - **Cirque du Fer à Cheval** — Horseshoe-shaped natural amphitheatre 4–5 km long with walls 500–700 m high; a frozen ice castle in winter with 30-plus waterfalls in spring and summer. - **Cascade du Rouget** — Known as the 'Queen of the Alps', an 80-metre waterfall tumbling in two tiers; frozen spray turns ferns and spider webs into silver filigree in winter. - **Gorges de Tines** — A deep, narrow mountain gorge accessible only via a rocky path and steep ladders — an adventurous winter excursion. - **Sixt Fer à Cheval village** — Rated one of 'Les Plus Beaux Villages de France', with a pretty river, 13th-century church and abbey. - **Pointe de Sales (2497m)** — Dramatic peak visible directly from La Tibolire chalet. ## What to do - **Skiing in the Grand Massif** — 265 km of mostly north-facing pistes across five resorts: Samoëns, Morillon, Sixt, Les Carroz and high-altitude Flaine; access via the Grand Massif Express télécabine. - **Dog-sledding at Col de Joux Plane** — Husky sled rides run by Espace Nordique du Haut-Giffre above Samoëns, with panoramic valley views. - **Snow-shoeing (raquettes)** — Marked raquette trails available at the Col de Joux Plane nordic base. - **Cross-country skiing** — Beginner and touring circuits available at Espace Nordique du Haut-Giffre at Col de Joux Plane. - **Winter hiking in the Cirque du Fer à Cheval** — Snowy pathways wind through frozen lakes and turquoise rivers beneath jagged alpine peaks. - **Ski rental at Lionel Sports** — Small, well-stocked ski hire shop in Sixt village with personal service. ## Good to know The 14-km 'Piste des Cascades' — the longest piste in the European Alps, running from Grande Platières above Flaine to near the village — requires good snow cover and was not skiable in early season. Alpine refuges throughout the French and Swiss Alps offer dormitory accommodation with hot showers and meals, enabling multi-day ski-touring or hiking without descending to the valley. Boulangerie Tiffanie in Sixt is noted by the author for exceptional bread. ## Photos ```yaml photos: - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/We-booked-La-Tibolire-in-Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval-through-the-international-home-swap-website-Love-Home-Swap.Picture-by-Melissa-Feeney..jpg" caption: "La Tibolire in Sixt Fer à Cheval through the international home swap website, Love Home Swap.Picture by Melissa Feeney." - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval-with-its-pretty-river-and-13th-century-church-and-abbey-justifiably-rated-one-of-‘Les-Plus-Beaux-Villages-de-France’.jpg" caption: "Sixt Fer à Cheval with its pretty river and 13th century church and abbey, justifiably rated one of ‘Les Plus Beaux Villages de France’" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Cirque-du-Fer-à-Cheval-in-the-winter.-Picture-by-Justine-Tyerman.-7.jpg" caption: "Cirque du Fer à Cheval in the winter." - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Winter-hiking-in-the-Cirque-du-Fer-à-Cheval.-Picture-by-Justine-Tyerman.jpg" caption: "Winter hiking in the Cirque du Fer à Cheval" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/The-best-bread-shop-in-the-world-Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval2.jpg" caption: "The best bread shop in the world, Sixt Fer à Cheval" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Chris-Melissa-Justine-and-Mark-at-scenic-sunny-Samoëns..jpg" caption: "Chris, Melissa, Justine and Mark at scenic, sunny Samoëns" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Justine-snow-shoeing.jpg" caption: "Justine snow-shoeing" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/A-beautiful-blue-eyed-husky-at-Espace-Nordique-du-Haut-Giffre-Col-de-Joux-Plane-above-Samoëns-in-the-French-Alps.-1.jpg" caption: "A beautiful blue-eyed husky at Espace Nordique du Haut-Giffre, Col de Joux Plane, above Samoëns" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/The-huskies-on-the-run-at-Espace-Nordique-du-Haut-Giffre-Col-de-Joux-Plane-above-Samoëns-in-the-French-Alps.-1.jpg" caption: "The huskies on the run at Espace Nordique du Haut-Giffre, Col de Joux Plane, above Samoëns in the French Alps" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Our-sled-ride-was-incredibly-exhilarating.-1.jpg" caption: "Our sled-ride was incredibly exhilarating" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/The-breath-taking-panorama-on-our-husky-sled-ride.jpg" caption: "The breath-taking panorama on our husky-sled ride" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/The-huskies-lay-down-in-the-snow-for-a-well-earned-snooze-at-the-end-of-their-run.jpg" caption: "The huskies lay down in the snow for a well-earned snooze at the end of their run" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/The-view-from-La-Tibolire-Pointe-de-Sales-2497m-.-.-.-or-an-American-Indian-sleeping-on-his-side.-Picture-by-Melissa-Feeney.1.jpg" caption: "The view from La Tibolire - Pointe de Sales (2497m) . . . or an American Indian sleeping on his side. Picture by Melissa Feeney." - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Raclette-machine-used-for-making-raclette-a-traditional-Swiss-alpine-melted-cheese-on-potato-dish-at-La-Tibolire-Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval..jpg" caption: "Raclette machine used for making raclette, a traditional Swiss alpine melted-cheese-on-potato dish" ```