Achalet (pronounced/ˈʃæleɪ/SHAL-ay in British English; in American English usually/ʃæˈleɪ/shal-AY), also calledSwiss chalet, is a type of building or house, typical of theAlpine region in Europe. It is made of wood, with a heavy, gently sloping roof and wide, well-supportedeaves set at right angles to the front of the house.[1]
The termchalet comes from theArpitan-speaking part ofSwitzerland and theFrenchSavoy region, and originally referred to the hut of aherder.[2] It was often embedded in the ground for the sake of temperature buffering.
Many chalets in the European Alps were originally used as seasonal farms for dairy cattle, which would be brought up from the lowland pastures during the summer months. The herders would live in the chalet and makebutter andcheese in order to preserve the milk produced. These products would then be taken, with the cattle, back to the low valleys before the onset of the alpine winter. The chalets would remain locked and unused during the winter months. Around many chalets there are small windowless huts called mazots which were used to lock away valuable items for this period.
The largest and grandest historic chalet in Switzerland is theGrand Chalet inRossinière. The chalet is considered one of the largest wooden houses in theAlps. The Grand Chalet was built between 1752 and 1756 for Jean-David Henchoz (1712–1758), known as theCheese Baron. The chalet became famous as the last residence of the painterBalthus.[3][4][5]
With the emergence of the Alpine travel business, chalets were transformed into holiday homes used by ski and hiking enthusiasts. Over the years, the term 'chalet' changed to be applied generally to holiday homes, whether built in a strictly Alpine style or not. InQuebec French, any summer or holiday dwelling, especially near a ski hill, is called a chalet whether or not it is built in the style of a Swiss chalet;English-speaking Quebecers have adopted the term as well.
Nowadays, inNorth America and elsewhere in the world, the use of the wordchalet can refer to more than just a mountain location. The term chalet is even used to describe resort-like homes or residential properties located by the beach. For example, inLebanon a chalet usually refers to holiday homes at one of the sixLebanese ski resorts, but the term can also refer to a beach cabin at seaside resorts.[6] In North American ski areas, the word chalet is also used to describe buildings that house cafeterias and other services provided to the tourist, even though they may not resemble a traditional Alpine chalet. In the United States, Alpine ski chalets are gaining popularity in Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region during winter months. Most ski chalets are privately owned vacation homes that owners visit two to three times per year and rent out the remaining time. Owners of these ski chalets often hire property management companies to manage and rent their property.[7]
In theLevant,Egypt, andKuwait and in the Italian region of Marche, chalets refer to beach houses, rather than mountainside homes, and built in any style of architecture.
In Britain, the wordchalet was used for basic sleeping accommodation atholiday camps built around the mid-20th century.[8][9]
The 'chalet' ski holiday was popularised by the British in the 1980s, led by companies such as Ski West, John Morgan and Supertravel. Bladon Lines were the leading 'chalet company'[10] but a combination of Brexit and the pandemic has resulted in few chalets still being offered to British skiers.
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