The key of heaven
“It all started off with the ancient key”, Emanuele used to say, whenever he could spend a few hours or a few days in Cretes, 1671 meters above sea level, breathing the freshness of the unspoiled nature of the valley. A particular looking key, with a peculiar half-moon shape, purpose-made by Emanuele Petitjacques, (great-grandfather of the current owners), for the family chalet, which once served for the transhumance of the cows before winter, when they moved to the stables of Chez les Merloz.
That chalet is today our B&B; restoring it we tried to keep the essence of tradition and preserve the rural and alpine style chosen by grandfather Emanuele in 1898, when he was the mason of Bionaz municipality and contributed to the construction of the whole village of Cretes. As a family of farmers this chalet represents our history and heritage, which has been passed down through many generations, while our grand parents and parents used to tell us many stories about this place.
Inspired by my father Valentino, who used to describe Cretes as his “heaven on earth“, and grandfather Emanuele, who forged the “key of heaven” with such passion, we decided to call our B&B “Clé du Paradis“.
