La Jaÿsina – Jardin Botanique Alpin

Today was market day in Samoëns, but before going shopping there, I visited "La Jaÿsina", the Alpine botanical garden in the center of town. Built in 1906 with a gift from Marie-Louise Cognacq-Jaÿ (a native of Samoëns who founded the great Parisian department store, La Samaritaine), the garden rises 80 vertical meters on a hill crowned by the ruins of a medieval castle. According to a plaque near the entrance, the garden comprises more than 5,000 species of mountain plants.  I wasn't counting!  One of the noteworthy trees (featured in a photo here) is a California sequoia. 

As one walks up and down the winding path within the garden, there are beautiful views of Samoëns and the surrounding mountains, even – or especially – on a cloudy spring day with hints of snow and rain.