MOUNTAINS

Miroir d'Argentine

Gryon - Switzerland

Eight renovated rooms on the Solalex pasture, facing one of Switzerland’s great limestone walls, with mountain cooking downstairs and winter arrivals by snowshoe or snowmobile.

Pet Friendly

Restaurant

Wine Cellar

Fireplace

Hike

Bike Rental

THE SETTING

The Miroir d’Argentine sits in Solalex, an alpine pasture above Bex, in the Vaud Alps. The place is simple to understand once you arrive: a small cluster of mountain buildings, the Avançon stream nearby, pastures around you, and the huge limestone face of the Miroir d’Argentine rising almost directly above the valley. The name has nothing to do with South America. “Argentine” refers to the silvery reflection of the mountain wall, whose smooth north-west face can shine like a mirror in certain light. The summit reaches 2,422 metres, and the cliff has long been a reference for climbers, geologists and anyone who likes mountains with a bit of drama.

Solalex sits at around 1,460 metres, between the Miroir d’Argentine and the Diablerets massif. In summer, it is an easy mountain escape: drive up, walk, cycle, eat outside, watch cows and goats move through the pasture. In winter, the mood changes completely. The road closes at the Cergnement Parking slot , and guests arrive on foot, by snowshoes, cross-country skis, ski touring gear, or with the hotel’s snowmobile pick-up. That seasonal shift is the whole charm of the place. Le Miroir d’Argentine feels accessible in summer and properly cut off in winter. You are still in Canton Vaud, but the last three kilometres make it feel like a small expedition.

THE ROOMS

The hotel has eight rooms on the first and second floors, all renovated in 2022. The rooms are cosy, freshly finished and deliberately simple. Each has a private bathroom with a shower, warm materials, and mountain views. Some rooms work better for couples, others for families or small groups, with sofa beds or junior-suite layouts depending on the category.

There are no televisions in the rooms, which feels right here. The view is outside, the restaurant is downstairs, and the point of staying overnight in Solalex is not to recreate a city hotel at altitude. The rooms do not try too hard. They give you warmth, quiet, a proper shower and a good night’s sleep after walking, climbing, skiing or simply eating too well downstairs.

THE FOOD

Food is one of the main reasons to come. The restaurant at Miroir d’Argentine focuses on local, seasonal cooking, with dishes made in-house and a clear attachment to the surrounding region. It has the ‘Fait Maison’ label, 14 points from Gault&Millau, Vaud Œnotourisme certification and the Swiss Wine Gourmet “three golden glasses” distinction for its Swiss wine list. The cooking can be simple or more worked, but it stays connected to the place — Swiss ingredients, alpine appetite, good wine, and enough comfort for cold evenings.

The breakfast includes hot drinks, pastries, bread, butter and jam, yoghurt, cereals, cheese, cold cuts, scrambled eggs, bacon, pancakes and fruit. It can be taken at the hotel or sometimes at the Refuge de Solalex, depending on openings and the team’s organisation.

The Refuge de Solalex, just across the road and run by the same group, adds a more rustic mountain option: fondue, raclette by the fire, Vacherin Mont d’Or, mushroom puff pastry, and the kind of dishes that make sense after a winter walk or a summer hike.

THE STAY

In summer, you can arrive by car, park at Solalex, spend the afternoon walking along the river, sit on the terrace, have dinner, sleep upstairs, and start the next morning again before the day visitors arrive. In winter, the arrival becomes part of the stay. From Cergnement Parking, the shortest approach is around 3 km with 250 metres of elevation gain. Fit walkers may do it in about 40 minutes; most people should allow closer to an hour. The snowmobile transfer takes around ten minutes and runs by reservation in the evening.

The hotel is also practical for active guests. It has Bike & Snow certification, with secure bike storage, a small-repair area, and an e-bike charging point. Sustainability is also taken seriously. Electricity for the Solalex plateau comes partly from hydroelectric turbines and solar panels, while the hotel uses modern heat pumps, low-temperature underfloor heating and heat recovery from the restaurant chimney.

The result is a stay that feels Swiss in the best way: precise, seasonal, well organised, and still a little wild around the edges.

AROUND MIROIR D'ARGENTINE

Solalex is a natural starting point for walking, climbing, snowshoeing and ski touring. The Tour de l’Argentine begins and ends here, a 13 km mountain loop with around 1,050 metres of ascent and roughly 5 hours 15 minutes of walking. It climbs towards Anzeinde, crosses more alpine terrain, gives wide views over the Rhône Valley and Lake Leman, then returns to Solalex.

The Miroir d’Argentine is one of the classic climbing faces in Switzerland. The limestone wall is around 400 metres high, with multi-pitch routes and a true alpine character. It is best approached in summer, with the right experience and conditions. For non-climbers, simply standing below the face is already enough.

The wider area connects to bigger mountain routes too: the Tour des Muverans, the Massif des Diablerets, Anzeindaz, Gryon, Villars and Les Diablerets. The Villars-Gryon-Les Diablerets ski area is within reach for downhill skiing, with more than 100 km of connected slopes depending on season and conditions.

Winter in Solalex is quieter and more physical. The road closure filters the experience. You come for snowshoe trails, cross-country skiing, ski touring, snowy walks and evenings that feel properly removed from the valley.

For a softer day, Bex, Gryon, Villars, Aigle and the wine region around Chablais are all possible, but the strongest reason to stay here is still Solalex itself.

THE OWNERS

The Miroir d’Argentine is run by Joelle Deburaux and their team, who also operate the Refuge de Solalex across the road. Their world is very much tied to this alpine pasture: restaurant, hotel, refuge, seasons, snow access, events, weddings, hikers, climbers, cyclists and locals coming up for lunch.

Joelle has described running the hotel-restaurant as a long-held dream, and that attachment is evident in how the place has developed. The rooms were added above the restaurant in 2022; the restaurant has grown in ambition, and the whole project now feels like a proper small mountain address rather than just a seasonal stop.

GOOD TO KNOW

The hotel is usually open from mid-December to early April and from early May to early November. During these periods, breakfast is available every day, while the main restaurant usually opens from Wednesday to Sunday.

From May to November, a paved road leads to Solalex. Parking is available, with paid parking in summer. From December to April, the road is closed at Cergnement Parking. Guests reach Solalex on foot, by snowshoes, cross-country skis or ski touring equipment, or reserve the snowmobile transfer from Cergnement in the evening.

Dogs are accepted, but must be kept on a leash at all times because the hotel sits in a protected mountain area.

Rates usually start at around CHF 140 per night, depending on the room category, season, and booking conditions. Tourist tax is charged separately.

THE ADDRESS