Center for group holidays and school trips Le Chinaillon 74450 - Le Grand-Bornand France

Nationally approved by the Ministery of Sports, Youth and Education Tel: 334.50.27.01.05 contact@les-rhododendrons.com

EDUCATIONAL TOURS and LECTURES   AT THE GRAND-BORNAND Visit to a local farm to see the steps involved in the making of Reblochon cheese. Reblochon, which was created in Grand-Bornand, is made only in this region. There is no charge for this excursion. Those who wish to buy cheese can do so at the farm.Those who do not buy cheese will be required to leave a small donation. Reservations for this visit should be made upon arrival of your group at Les Rhododendrons.             Visit to the forest ranger's chalet (ONF: Jean-Louis MAUGNIERTel/fax: 04 50 02 21 91/ 06 16 31 09 95) available for all guests. The ranger will give you a talk with the help of educational materials. The talkes take place in a classroom with videos, slides and questions times. The ranger is avaible for futher discovery of local flora and fauna through full or half-day excursions. According to the season, these walkers will be either on foot or with snowshoes. 130 € for half-day and 230 € for full-day excursions."The Forest winter" treck costs 150 € for half-day, not including snowshoes   Visit of a traditional chalet in the Grand-Bornand. This chalet dating from 1830 has been converted into a rural museum depicting rural life in the 19th century. A heritage guide will answer all your questions and explain the construction methods used in the chalets, some of wich are over 200 years old.Group visits must be booked in advence for either mornings or early afternoons   ( 14h to 15h). We suggest you telephone early in order to have greater choice... free entry for accompanying staff. 2,40 € per child for 2007.    Maison du Patrimoine: Tel: 04 50 02 79 18 , fax: 04 50 02 78 39                                         Visit of "La Maison de l'Image" with its audio-visualshows. Slide shows showing the mountain environment throughout the year ( discovery of the Alpes Vaudoises and Valais,  Lac Leman, Lac d'Annecy, the Chablais, the Giffre Valley, the Mont-Blanc region, the ZAravis and the Beaufortin) The visits take place in the chalet and last for an hour. 150 € for high schools and secondary schools.          - Winter school trips: The talks last approximately 1h15 to 1h30, during the evening, and consist of a choice of 2 or 3 different subjects: Professional fishing on the Lac Leman, viticulture ( following a year in the Chablais vineyards), Haute-Savoie chesses(Reblochon, Tomme, Abondance , ewe's and goat's cheeses, animal breeding cycle from birth to milking maturity, cheese-making processes, cheese maturing), discovery of Lac Leman( done in collaboration with primary school class ( 10,11 yrs) and explaining the geography and fauna of the lake and his shores), learning about world-wide fauna through fun quizzes and memory games... and several other shorter subjects( lasting around 15 minutes) concerning the Haute-Savoie and witch complement the previous themes ( for exemple The Mont Blanc region, the Aravis Mountains, etc..) Visits take place in the chalet and coast 150 €. Apply to Monsieur Alain BOUVET at 04 50 70 20 13 or 06 07 80 87 70.Prices are valid from October 2005 to June 2006.     "Montagnes animations" Tel/fax: 04 50 22 14 19 . Mobile: 06 75 10 46 36 mail: montagnes.animations@wanadoo.fr           - PREHISTORIC TIMES: Understanding your past in order to better understand your future. Througt outdoor visits, or indoor activities if the weather is bad, follow in the steps of our ancestors in their daily life ( prehistoric culture, farming, fire-making, arts and crafts, etc...) The children are encouraged to understand the past through gathering the materials prehistoric necessary for fire-making. They will learn prehistoric techniques for creating art and crafts. An educational package is avaible before the visit as preparation or after as a follow-up. Number of participants: 18 children( 7 to 13 years old)+ 2 adults, for a whole day or a halt-day. Excursions may include walks into the forest, the alpage patures or along river banks.              Full day rate 180 e, half-day tate 110 €.            - SLIDE SHOW: Presentation of the local Bornes region, with its flora and  fauna, its architecture, its traditions, its legends... This interactive slide show is aimed at children of between 7 and 11 years old, and lasts an hour. Price: 120 €   OTHER SUBJECTS PROPOSED BY MONTAGNES-ANIMATIONS.     AROUND THE GRAND-BORNAND   On the GLIERES PLATEAU, made famous by the French Resistance, you can visit the Glières monument, where a film will trace the life of the maquisards and the strategic importance of the Glières battles ( this video can be seen in out T.V room in the chalet)   THONES AND ITS AREA Visit a water-powered sawmill . A 19th century water-powered sawmill has been converted into a Wood Museum.The original mechanism of pulleys and belts is still in working order and powers the vertical saw.Visits acn be organized throughout the year on reservation(Tel: 04 50 32 18 10) Some sort of transport is essential as the saw-mill is in the Montremont valley, near Thônes, witch is 20 kms away from Les Rhododendrons. ANNECY AND ITS AREA Visits to the PACCARD Foundry in Sévrier ( on the shores of the Lac d'Annecy), last 1h30. In the Bell Museum you can discover the exceptional history of the Paccard family, 7 generations of smelters and one of their greatest works, the largest pealing bell in the world weigting 33 tons! A video of slides is available in 5 differents languages. Visits with or without guide. 3 € for school pupils and an extra 2 € for a guided tour. 2 € to see bell casting and 2 € for a guided tour of the workshops. One free enty for groups of 20 ( Rates for 2006) Tel: 04 50 52 47 11 Fax: 04 50 52 66 11   During spring and summert, you can visit the honey producing farm of "L'atelier de l'apiculture" at Dingy Saint Clair ( situated between Thônes and Annecy). Lydie Grapin will take you on a visit of the honey bee's natural environment and show you the 16 different varieties of flowers visited by the bees for the production of the honey. You will then dress up in a beekeeper's suit to visit the beehives. A slide show in the hay-loft will give you a better understanding of apiculture Educational workshops are on hand and an empty hive is used to explain life in the hive such as building toy bee-hives out of wood, puzzels with pieces related to apiculture, drawing honeycombs... for children aged from 4 to 9 years . Lasts about 2 hours. Visits can be adapted to all ages. Tel: 04 50 60 24 14 or 06 75 20 34 22 mail: lydie.grapin@wanadoo.fr THE ARVE VALLEY La Roche Sur Foron : Children ca discover this medieval town with the help of an educational package. The aim is to search for a special key that will open the door to the Tower of the Counts of Savoy and its fabulous treasure. A package is given to each child and they can follow the photo clues through the side streats of the second largest medieval city of Haute-Savoie, leading to the tresure.Tel: 04 50 03 36 68 Fax: 04 50 03 31 38 mail: groupes@larochesurforon.com   Le Château des Rubens in Sallanches: Alpine Educational Center for discovering local flora and fauna, alpine geology, etc... Many hands-on models and educational games. Caters for children from pre-school age up to secondary school. Tel: 04 50 58 32 13 Fax: 04 50 93 70 63 GENEVA Museum de Genève:Guided visits of the museum with choice of different themes(regional fauna, the wonderful world of minerals, the history of man in the area, etc...) Tel: +41 224186344 webside: www.ville.ge.ch/mhng AND OTHER IDEAS IN SUMMER ACTIVITIES           http://www.hautesavoiejunior.com

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