France has an esteemed tradition of rustic holiday parks, merging rough camping with cottage living in watery pastorals off the regular piste. But few campers have seen anything like Grands Lacs, a haven outside the village of Chassey-lès-Montbozon in Franche-Comté, near the Swiss border. Its 150 hectares include 70 hectares of forest and 80 of fresh water for swimming and watersports. The site already has a popular collection of 25 thatched yurts that are perched in the treetops, overlooking the water and on the beach. But recently, it revealed an even more striking design-led offering by AW² in Paris.
The cache of four new treehouse cabins are designed by AW² founders Reda Amalou and Stéphanie Ledoux in collaboration with Coucoo Cabanes (a niche purveyor of sustainable wood accommodations) and sit high on stilts, opening them up to views through the trees and gentle breezes from the property’s several lakes.

Photography: David Rosemberg

Photography: David Rosemberg

Photography: David Rosemberg

Photography: David Rosemberg

Photography: David Rosemberg

Photography: David Rosemberg

Photography: David Rosemberg
The cabins – which sleep two and are available from €340 a night – span three full levels and spiral upward like a bud about to blossom, unveiling living spaces that are sheltered from the weather yet open to the landscape. Bedrooms are located on the second floor, with bay windows for ventilation. On the roof are Nordic baths in the treetops, with views across the countryside. A perforated outer structure acts as a filter, shading harsh sunlight, framing views and protecting from wind.
Each cabin was manufactured by MCF Bois, a local timber specialist, using Douglas fir felled within 20 miles of the workshop. The pre-made components — along with indoor and outdoor benches, built-in shelving and work surfaces also built by MCF — were transported by lorry to the campground and anchored into place on wood legs.
French furniture companies like Tikamoon and Abi Decor provided the rest of the furnishings, accessories and kitchen amenities. The linens are by Tediber, and the curtains by Window Paris. L’écopot contributed dry toilets.


