Tourist guide

HAUTE-SAVOIE department

Prefecture : Annecy
Population : 706,000
Web site : www.cg74.fr

As part of the Duchy of Savoy which only became French in 1860, Haute-Savoie has kept a strong identity fuelled by its close ties with its Swiss and Italian neighbours. A mountainous area with some the highest summits in France, it is also a very active land in the valley along the Lake Geneva and the Annecy lake. Very attractive because of its border position and its economic vitality, Haute Savoie sees its population grow steadily and now boasts more than 700,000 inhabitants. The Annecy bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics should confirm the trend.

TANINGES

KM 15 : TANINGES (Pop: 3,100)

In Taninges, the St John the Bapitst church holds the biggest set of chimes in the Haute Savoie department. In 1939, the Paccard foundry in Annecy le Vieux delivered a new organ with a 30-keys keyboard and two sets of 12 and 15 bells weighing a total of 1,440 kilos. It took eight days to install the whole instrument. When the abbot died in the 1960s, the organ was abandoned and was only saved in 1984 when an association was created to restore it. Thanks to a public subscription, five bells were added in May 1989, followed by the 1767 bell of the Melan Charterhouse, dubbed Antoinette Marie Therese. Eight more bells completed the sets in 1998.
The Melan Charterhouse was founded in 1285 by Beatrice of Faucigny (later of Savoy) who wanted to be buried in it with her son John 1 of Burgundy. Nuns and priests were forced out of it during the French Revolution in 1793. It changed hands before becoming an orphanage in 1914. Partly destroyed by fire in 1967, the Melan Charterhouse is now the Centre of contemporary art of the department, hosting concerts and exhibitions.

CLUSES

KM 25.5 : CLUSES (Pop: 18,300)

Located in the biggest gap of the Alps, the Arve valley, Cluses became independent in 1301 when it was granted a charter by baron Hugues of Faucigny. The town developed around the only bridge to cross the Arve river. Built by the Romans and restored in the Middle Ages, it is still visible today. In 1720, Claude-Joseph Balaloud introduced the clock-making industry in a valley which, at the time, was entirely devoted to farming. Countless family workshops saw the light of day and a Royal Clockmaking School was launched in 1848. Local watchmakers specialised in tiny bits and their reputation survived to this day.
In 1844, the town was entirely destroyed by a fire and rebuilt in the Turin style by architect Francois Justin. Cluses is the hometown of swimming Olympic medallist Catherine Plewinski. In 2002, a Tour de France stage was won by Italy’s Dario Frigo. In 1994, victory in Cluses went to Latvia’s Piotr Ugrumov.

LE GRAND BORNAND

KM 50.5 : LE GRAND BORNAND (Pop: 2,100)

On the western side of the Aravis massif, Le Grand Bornand is a popular ski resort which developed in the 1920s from an old village which drew most of its wealth from reblochon, a famous local cheese. In 2003, a brutal flood of the river Borne after a violent storm ravaged the valley and destroyed a campsite leaving 21 dead.
Most of Le Grand Bornand’s celebrities are ski champions like 2006 Nordic skiing Olympic silver medallist Roddy Darragon or giant slalom specialist Tessa Worley.
The Haute Savoie resort fist hosted two Tour de France stage starts. In 1995, Alex Zuelle won the stage finishing in La Plagne and four years later Lance Armstrong started from here to take the laurels in Sestriere. The American also won a stage finish here in 2004. In 2007, young German Linus Gerdemann seized the stage victory and the yellow jersey for one day. Last year, victory went to Frank Schleck at the end of a great battle between the Schleck brothers and Alberto Contador.

LA CLUSAZ

KM 63 : LA CLUSAZ (Pop: 2,000)

La Clusaz took its name from the word “cluse”, meaning a steep road or valley between two mountains. It was first called Clusa Locus Dei (God’s Enclosure) until 1772, when it was given its present name. For centuries, life in La Clusaz was extremely harsh, timber and reblochon cheese providing the only meagre resources. Skiing was introduced in 1907 and transformed local life. The first ski club was founded in 1926 by the village schoolteacher. In 1928, a skating rink was created and 1935 saw the installation of the first ski lift. Since then, many champions were born or trained in La Clusaz, from Guy Perillat to Edgar Grospiron, Regine Cavagnoud or Vincent Vittoz.

SAVOIE department

Prefecture : Chambery
Population : 405,000
Web site : www.cg73.fr

Tourism has been the main economic strength of Savoie for many years. With its 60 ski resorts, its three natural parks – Vanoise, Bauges and Chartreuse -, and its six spa towns - Aix-les-Bains, Aix Marlioz, Challes-les-eaux, Brides-les-Bains, la Léchère, Salins-les-Thermes – the department offers plenty of opportunities to visitors. Metal and energetic industries combined with cross-border exchanges account for a low unemployment rate. Along with its natural beauty, Savoie also has many remains from the prestigious past of the Duchy of Savoy, the Chambery castle being the most remarkable. Savoie hosted the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville.

NOTRE-DAME-DE-BELLECOMBE

KM 86 : NOTRE-DAME-DE-BELLECOMBE (Pop: 510)

Like most villages in the area, Notre Dame de Bellecombe is famous for its skiing champions. Jacqueline Rouvier and Catherine Quittet were two World Cup skiers hailing from here.

LES SAISIES

KM 97 : LES SAISIES

The Les Saisies pass played a major role in WW2 when the Allies, in August 1944, dropped 899 containers of weapons to help the French Resistance and its 3,000 men hidden in the Savoy maquis. Before the trend of skiing, the pass was above all a land of pastures. A village developed in the 1970s thanks to winter sports and Les Saisies was the Nordic skiing site for the 1992 Olympics. The resort is also famous as the hometown of 1988 Super-G Olympic champion Franck Piccard. At an altitude of 1,634 metres, the Les Saisies pass was climbed 10 times on the Tour before.

ALBERTVILLE

KM 128.5 : ALBERTVILLE (Pop: 19,000)

Host of the 1992 Winter Olympics, Albertville was founded in 1836 by King of Sardinia Charles-Albert. The new town then engulfed the medieval village of Conflans, created in the 14th century. Ideally located at the crossroads of three valleys, Albertville expanded regularly thanks to the hydroelectricity and paper industries.
The 1992 Winter Games were the highlight of a steady growth which dramatically transformed the landscape of the busiest ski area in Europe in winter. A ski section in the local high school also attracted many future champions. The high school is named after French Resistance leader Jean Moulin, who was Albertville prefect between 1925 and 1930. The Tour made a stop in Albertville in 1998.