Embraced by a cirque or amphitheatre of snow-capped peaks and the sheer Diablerets massif, this Swiss mountain hideaway overlooks a glacier-green lake. Open only for six months of the year, from early May to late October, it’s a wild biodiversity hotspot. Just a handful of stone-and-wood shepherd’s huts dot the hillside behind it.
Joining the growing trend of luxury mountain refuges around the world, this cosy hideaway is easily reached from either Geneva or Zurich.
Here, those in the know can escape Europe’s heatwaves and crowded cities for a few days to enjoy the purest mountain air imaginable.
Aux Etoiles means to ‘to the stars’, the inspiration for its recent renovation. It is the much-loved retreat of the Fontannaz family, winemakers from Vétroz, in the Rhone valley below, who have been coming to this soulful enclave since their childhood.
Bernard Fontannaz loved it so much that he bought Lac de Derborence Refuge in 2016, and embarked on a three-year transformation. On one side of this traditional Swiss-style chalet, there is restaurant and accommodation for hikers who begin or end peak-to-peak routes here. On the other side, he created a discreetly luxurious and private hideaway – quite the opposite of what is generally understood as a ‘refuge’, yet part of one!
We’re talking superb beds, quality linens, gleaming copper pots, crystal glassware, a La Cornue stove (mijote or slowly, slowly simmer your favourite dishes here!) and a fridge stocked with cellar wines. It’s a completely unexpected spoil, but above all it’s a nurturing and calming space. A place to reconnect, recalibrate and step away from the world for a few days.
You’ll discover a beautifully finished wooden interior (what do you expect from the Swiss?) with magnificent views over the lake. On cooler days, a crackling wood fire warms the hearth in the living area upstairs and a vintage soapstone Pierre Ollaire stove (a heritage beauty!) keeps the downstairs area deliciously toasty.
A stained-glass mezzanine wall, handcrafted by Bernard’s cousin Isabelle, has transformed a lofty master suite upstairs. Guests feel utterly immersed in nature, showering with magnificent views of snowy peaks or glimpsing the starry vista at night through perfectly positioned skylights above the bed… welcome to the inspiration for ‘Aux Etoiles’!
At dawn, the windows open wide, bringing in the sounds of the valley. The babbling river of melting ice flowing into the lake, the ever-present sound of Swiss cow bells, goats grazing clover below. Outside, a private Størvatt hot tub and deck command the best views of the lake and valley.
A bespoke alpine experience
Switzerland has always been a hiker’s dream, a train-lover’s nirvana… but this heavenly bolthole comes with the added adventure of an adrenaline-fuelled journey up a mountain pass to get here.
It’s more of a ‘wine safari in the mountains’ says winemaker Anouck Dann Mittaz, as you can be driven up this spectacular route in their Land Rover for a private wine tasting from Les Celliers de Vétroz on arrival. This is the Fontannaz family winery. Listening to Anouck recount the history of Derborence is as gripping as the views.
While you enjoy a welcome and wine tasting, day hikers and cyclists gather to rest and enjoy a meal at the restaurant next door. After leaning their walking sticks and bikes at the traditional wooden trough to sip the freshest mountain water from the fountain, they’re drawn to the terrace to rest feet and enjoy the idyllic view across geranium-filled window boxes.
Tempted by a traditional fondue or the salty delights of a wooden platter of cheese and charcuterie made here in the village, the restaurant buzzes in the middle of the day, despite its sky-high location. That’s the Swiss mountain lifestyle for you!
Chef Jean-Michel Cajeux loves foraging in the kitchen garden here, so much so that foraging workshops are held from time to time to share this age-old tradition. The seasonal menu is simple, with plenty of robust dishes for mountaineers, but you could find anything from delicate nettle soup to salads topped with the prettiest edible flowers, or breakfast with blueberries plucked from the bush outside.
Bernard and Sue Fontannaz have travelled together for 25 years and between them they have created homes in four countries across the globe, including Le Jardin in the Cape Winelands and Clifton Fourth on Clifton Beach in Cape Town, South Africa. Lince Lodge is their UK home set in the gracious grounds of Blenheim Palace Estate in the Cotswolds. Aux Etoiles Derborence is their most private escape, where guests and friends are invited to enjoy a few days in this beautiful Swiss wilderness. Their love of colour, art, design and a sense of whimsy shines through all their homes, and this is no exception.
Reviewed by Michelle Snaddon