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Glamping in Crans Montana at the Cube365 Pop Up Hotel
Fancy a unique getaway in Switzerland ? How about a stay at the Cube 365? A one bedroom pop up hotel located in a beautiful scenic location in the mountains above Crans Montana. An exclusive rural destination far removed from the hustle and bustle of city life.
At 1800 metres above sea level you get superb views from the bijou but very well equipped hotel and your only neighbours are the local cows and the nearby farm.
Getting There
It’s a little off the beaten track so probably not the easiest place to find due to the nature of its isolated location. You can either take the gondola from Crans Montana and walk for about 15 minutes or so, or if you have a 4 x 4 you can drive up the tracks and park by the farm in Corbyre and then it’s just a 4 minute walk.
We chose the latter option but due our extremly bad navigation skills (!!!) it took us a little longer than we anticipated! As a guide for your sat nav you might want to put in the Hotel Chetzeron Crans Montana (which is a good 15 minutes further on the same track but in the same direction) or alternatively your host Stéphane Robyre, is happy to share his location with you via Whatsapp.
Arrival
Stéphane greeted us warmly when we arrived and helped us with our luggage along the path to the Cube365 where he demonstrated how everything worked.
The Cube365 is perched on the clearing amongst the trees on the hill to the top left in the photo above
Inside the Cube365
The Cube365 is basically all glass on the front with the fabulous views over the town below and the lakes, with a back wall to the rear.
There are two terraces where you can sit out and admire the views or maybe sip a glass of wine from the local wines provided in the fridge along with bottled water and local apple juice.
Inside it’s very modern with clean lines and amazingly high tech. Almost everything is operated by an iPad which controls the blinds individually, raises and lowers the table, controls the air condiitoning and the lights. It’s very compact but has everything you need.
At night the large double bed folds down from the side and takes the place of the table (which disappears into the floor) and chairs, converting it from a living room into a bedroom. As well as the fridge there is a Nespresso coffee machine and even a TV (though Stéphane told us he would be really disappointed if we were watching it instead of looking at the views, so we didn’t actually check this out!).
A door from the main room leads you to a shower room and wash basin which is equipped with shower gels soap and even a hair dryer, and another door takes you to the toilet with a view over the fields.
Everything is bijou but works perfectly. With the bed down it’s a little tight on space one could say – but it’s fabulous to just sit in bed and look at the views in the morning. When we arrived it had been raining lightly but the weather kept changing throughout the day and we were mesmerised by the constant variation in scenery.
Tour of the Cheese Making Facilities
After we arrived, Stéphane took us on a tour of the cheese making facilities in the dairy on the farm.
We saw the “Tomme” cheeses which he had made earlier that day, and which would be ready in a couple of weeks.
Meet The Cows
There were two distinct herds of cows, white ones and black ones and we got to meet them too as they were being taken into the large cowshed for the night and again in the morning when they were taken out to the meadows to graze.
Apéro and Raclette Dinner
After settling ourselves in, Stéphane invited us to an Apéro at the farm at 7.15pm. We sampled the local wines along with a platter of local meats and pickles.
We also met with all Stéphane’s colleagues on the farm too.
Next we were then treated to a wood fired raclette dinner and were joined by Stéphane’s brother Alex and Gregory, who is involved with the Vision Art Festival in Crans Montana.
We rounded off the dinner with coffee and a glass or two of Abricotine which Stéphane assured us was an important part of the true raclette experience and essential for our digestion!
Breakfast
In the morning Stéphane had prepared a basket of freshly made bread and rolls along with freshly boiled eggs (from the farm) and homemade jams, butter and cheese. We collected the basket from the farm and took it back to the Cube to wash down with hot coffee on the terrace as we watched the ever changing views.
Things to Do In the Area
Enjoy the Scenery – The area is so beautiful you could hardly be blamed for just sitting and relaxing in the Cube all day and admiring the views.
You can of course accompany the cow herd taking the cows on to the pastures at 7 am, or watch Stéphane making cheese in the dairy on the farm.
See this video from the Alpage Corbyre to get an idea of the surrounding coutnryside:
E-Mountain Biking – However there is plenty more on offer here. First of all there are two e-mountain bikes at your disposal, complete with helmets.
Hikes and Walks – If you prefer hiking to biking, then make sure you pack some sturdy shoes and take to the trails – there are so many different routes to choose from and the views are amazing.
Discover Crans Montana – Alternatively you could explore the pretty little town of Crans Montana itself.
Explore the Vision Art Festival – Whilst you’re there don’t miss the Vision Art Festival in and around Crans Montana which features modern street art and murals in a variety of locations all over the town.
Visit Sion – If you fancy venturing a little further, Sion is a beautiful town with lots of pavement cafés and wide open spaces and definitely worth a visit.
So if you fancy taking a break from it all in the glorious Swiss countryside, you really can’t do better than visiting the Cube365 in beautiful Crans Montana.
Booking the Cube365
When: From now until mid to end of September 2018. Limited availability to book early to avoid disappointment!
Where: Alp Corbyre, Crans Montana
Price: CHF 196 for 2 people bed and breakfast and CHF 246 at the weekend
For more information and to book please visit the Cube365 website here
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We stayed as guests of the Cube365 but all views are our own
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