Unterwegs

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region

Departments: Ain, Allier, Ardèche, Cantal, Drôme, Isère, Loire, Haute-Loire, Puy-de-Dôme, Rhône, Métropole de Lyon, Savoie, Haute-Savoie.

Population: 8.2 million inhabitants

Prefecture: Lyon

Area: 69,711 km²

Specialities: Beaujolais, Côtes du Rhône and Savoie wines, Lyon specialities (quenelles, cervelles de canut, saucisson, etc.), Auvergne potée, Savoyard specialities (raclette, fondue, tartiflettes, diots, crozets), cheeses (Beaufort, Reblochon, Cantal, Bleu d'Auvergne, Salers, Saint-Nectaire, etc.), green lentils from Le Puy, waters (Evian, Thonon, Volvic), verbena, Chartreuse.

Sports clubs: Olympique Lyonnais, AS Saint-Etienne, Clermont Foot 63, Grenoble Foot 38 (football). ASM Clermont, Lyon OU, FC Grenoble, Stade Aurillacois, US Oyonnax (rugby), ASVEL Villeurbanne (basketball), Chambéry (handball), Brûleurs de loup Grenoble, Pionniers de Chamonix (ice hockey)

Competitions: Women's Football World Cup, skiing competitions (Critérium de la Première Neige in Val d'Isère), Tour de France mountain passes, Critérium du Dauphiné.

Economy: (8th European region) cutting-edge industries, automotive (Berliet), metallurgy, rubber, plastics, chemicals, electronics, agri-food, textiles, digital, banking, universities, government, viticulture. Tyres (Michelin). Design. New technologies (Inovallée). Winter and summer tourism.

Festivals: Festival of Lights in Lyon, Nuits de Fourvière in Lyon, Quais du Polar in Lyon, Design Biennial in Saint-Etienne, La Chaise-Dieu Classical Music Festival

Tourist attractions: Old Lyon and Croix-Rousse, Puy-en-Velay Cathedral, Lake Annecy, Chambéry Castle, winter sports in Isère, Savoie and Haute-Savoie, Cantal, spa resorts, Auvergne volcanoes. Pont d'Arc Cave. Grignan Castle. Grenoble Bastille. Vulcania. Parc des Oiseaux.

Websites and social media: www.auvergnerhonealpes.fr

Allemond (Pop. 1,000)

The village was once home to a royal foundry that used ore extracted from local mines (particularly silver). In the 1970s, the Grand-Maison dam brought new prosperity to the village. In the hamlet of Le Rivier (km 59) there is a museum dedicated to ibex and the crash above the village of Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory's plane, the highest-ranking Allied military officer killed during the Second World War.

Grand'Maison Dam

Grand-Maison dam and lake

Location: French rockfill dam (with earth core), located between the Belledonne and Grandes Rousses mountain ranges (Isère).

Altitude: 1,698 m (theoretical maximum height of the reservoir).

Construction: built in the 20th century.

History: construction work began in 1978 (completed in 1985) and the dam came into service in 1988.

Characteristics: the dam has a volume of 12,900,000 m3 and closes off the Eau d'Olle valley over a length of 560 m. With a height of 160 m above the foundations, its thickness at the base is 650 m, 100 m of which constitutes the waterproof core. Reservoir capacity: 140 million m³of water.

Saint-Colomban-des-Villards (Pop. 190)

These are the two villages of the Vallée des Villards: Saint-Colomban and Saint-Alban des Villards. Ideally located in winter, the Vallée des Vilards is the first gateway to Les Sybelles, one of France's largest ski areas with 310 km of slopes.

Saint-Sorlin-d’Arves (Pop. 360)

A village resort located at the foot of Col de la Croix-de-Fer and the Étendard glacier, opposite the Aiguilles d'Arves, Saint-Sorlin-d'Arves offers breathtaking views. In winter, skiing takes place in the heart of the Sybelles ski area, in a sunny village atmosphere with optimal snow conditions, as well as a wide range of leisure and relaxation activities. In summer, it's time for hiking or cycle touring. The Saint-Saturnin church (1603) is part of the Baroque trails. Saint-Sorlin is the berth of the family of of Pierre Balmain, whose grandfather was a pedlar. When he died in 1982, the couturier's ashes were scattered at the foot of the Saint-Sorlin glacier.

Saint-Saturnin Church

Founded: 17th century (1603)

History: enlarged in 1658, this church owes its originality mainly to the funeral wreaths hung on its walls rather than placed on the graves, where the snow would break their glass beads.

Baroque Trails

The Maurienne region boasts numerous examples of Baroque art, which reached its peak in the 17th and 18th centuries. The exterior of the buildings remains simple, while the interior features exuberant decorations, as Baroque architecture abhors empty space: bright paintings, gilding, mouldings, altarpieces, altars with twisted columns, dynamic statues and countless cherubs. These are often the work of local artists, with the Dufour painters of St-Michel being particularly renowned. In Valloire, Beaune, Orelle and St-Martin la Porte, there are four stops on the "Baroque Trails". The richest and most representative example of this surprising art is the Church of Notre Dame de l'Assomption in Valloire, with a six-column altarpiece and a choir vault decorated with garlands and cherubs overlooking a sumptuous high altar. Visits are organised by the Association des Guides du Patrimoine des Pays de Savoie and the FACIM.

Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne (Pop. 8,200)

Although it had snubbed Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne until 2006, the Tour has since made it a regular stop, with stages in 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2019. The French have enjoyed success here, with victories for Sandy Casar in 2010 and Romain Bardet in 2015. To win his first stage of the Tour de France, the Auvergne rider attacked in the Glandon before demonstrating his exceptional descending skills to win solo, 33 seconds ahead of Pierre Rolland. In the end, the Frenchman finished 9th overall and won the red jersey for the most combative rider. In 2019, the town was the start of the famous stage to Tignes, which never reached its destination due to a hailstorm and a mudslide. Egan Bernal nevertheless took the definitive Yellow Jersey that day. Finally, in 2024, the peloton set off from there towards Saint-Vulbas, where Mark Cavendish claimed his 35th and final stage victory to beat Eddy Merckx's record. Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne is a town where sports tourism reigns supreme, both in winter in the ski resorts of Maurienne (La Toussuire, Valloire) as in summer, when the town prides itself on being the world capital of cycle climbers with 48 cycle routes, 1,600 km of trails and ten major mountain passes, six of which are classified as hors catégorie.

Saint-Jean-Baptiste Cathedral

Construction: 11th and 15th centuries.

Styles: Romanesque and Gothic.

History: founded in the 6th century to house the relics of Saint John the Baptist, rebuilt in the 11th century and enlarged in the 15th century, it houses an exceptional set of Gothic stalls.

Characteristics: the cathedral's main structure dates from the 11th century. It has one of the oldest roof structures in France, as several of its roof trusses have been accurately dated to 1075-1076. A crypt was built under the choir of the cathedral, probably to house the relics of Saint John the Baptist. Filled in during the 15th century, the Romanesque crypt was rediscovered in 1958. A cloister, built in the 15th century, connects the cathedral to the canons' refectory. The spire reached a height of 80 metres but was destroyed during the Revolution.

Listed as: Historic Monument in 1899, 1906 and 1933.

Opinel Museum

Created in a former workshop where the famous knife was manufactured, the museum was completely renovated in 2013. Next to the forge and the machines still in place, a modern scenography allows visitors to discover the manufacturing processes of yesterday and today, as well as the entire history of the Opinel family and the famous Savoy knife.

Col du Télégraphe (1,566 m)

The men's Tour de France has passed through the Col du Télégraphe 30 times since 1911, when Émile Georget was the first to reach the summit. In 2022, Pierre Latour led the way.

Col du Galibier (2,642 m)

A natural border between the Northern and Southern Alps, the Galibier is the most frequently ridden Alpine pass in the Tour, with 64 visits. In 2011, Andy Schleck won at the summit for the highest finish of a Tour stage. In 2017, Primoz Roglic was up front before going on to win in Serre Chevalier. In 2019, Nairo Quintana crossed the pass alone to win in Valloire, while in 2022, Anthony Pérez led the way on the road to Alpe d'Huez. Finally, in 2024, Tadej Pogacar led the way between Pinerolo and Valloire. All these riders had the privilege of receiving the Henri Desgrange prize and its 5,000 euros reward, awarded to the first rider to cross the Col du Galibier when it is on the Tour programme. Shortly before the summit (on the Lautaret side), a stele pays tribute to Henri Desgrange, the first director of the Tour de France, who wrote in L'Auto in 1911 about the riders' first crossing of the pass: "Oh! Sappey! Oh! Laffrey! Oh! Col Bayard! Oh! Tourmalet! I will not fail in my duty by proclaiming that compared to the Galibier, you are pale and vulgar swill: before this giant, all that remains is to tip your hat and bow low!"

Région Sud Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur

Départements : Alpes de Haute-Provence, Hautes-Alpes, Alpes-Maritimes, Bouches-du-Rhône, Var, Vaucluse. Population : 5,2 millions hab. Préfecture : Marseille Superficie : 31 400 km2 Spécialités : cuisine méditerranéenne, pizza, pissaladière, panisses, chichis, bouillabaisse, petits farcis, alouette sans tête, pieds et paquets marseillais, salade niçoise, pan bagnat, gardiane de taureau, oursins, poissons (dorades, loups, rougets, denti, marbrés, pageots, pagres, sars), vins (rosés de Provence, côtes de Provence, côtes du Rhône, Palette, Bandol…) Clubs sportifs : Olympique Marseille, OGC Nice (football), Rugby Club Toulon. Cercle des Nageurs de Marseille (natation). Compétitions : coupes du monde de football, Euro 2016 de football, coupe du monde de rugby, tests matchs de rugby, Tour de France cycliste, Paris-Nice, GP La Marseille, Classique Haribo, Tour du Haut-Var, Tour de la Provence, beach volley, beach football, rugby à Toulon. Mondial à pétanque à Marseille. Sites touristiques : plages et stations balnéaires (Saint-Tropez, Nice, Saint-Raphaël, Fréjus, Cassis, Bandol etc..), Palais des Papes à Avignon, Arles (arènes, vestiges romains), Marseille (Vieux Port, Panier, calanques, château d’If, Mucem), Nice (Promenade des Anglais, vieux Nice, vieux port), Mont Ventoux, Cannes, stations de ski des Hautes-Alpes et des Alpes maritimes (Serre-Chevalier, Le Sauze, Orcières-Merlette, Isola 2000), Briançon (citadelle), Aix-en-Provence. Économie : 7% du PIB français, 3e région en France, 16e en Europe. Agriculture (vins maraîchage), tertiaire (80%), universités (Aix-Marseille première université de France, Nice, Toulon), ports (Marseille, La Ciotat, Nice), pétrochimie (Fos), logistique, aéroports de Nice et Marseille, tourisme. Festivals : festival de Cannes (Cinéma), festival d’Avignon (théâtre), chorégies d’Orange, festival d’Aix en Provence (art lyrique), jazz à Nice, Festival de Marseille (danse). Midem (Cannes), Marsatac (Marseille), Fiesta des Suds (Marseille), Plages électroniques (Cannes), Rencontres d’Arles (photographie). Site web : www.maregionsud.fr

LE MONÊTIER-LES-BAINS (population 1,010)

A Roman spa resort and then the seat of a priory that gave it its name, Le Monêtier is part of Serre-Chevalier and hosted a stage start of the Tour de France in 1996.

Museum of Sacred Art

Opened in 1997, the museum in the Saint-Pierre chapel in Monêtier-les-Bains houses one of the finest collections of sacred art in the Hautes-Alpes. This religious heritage consists of polychrome woodwork, gold and silverware and liturgical ornaments, the oldest of which date back to the 15th century. Beyond their visual appeal, they bear witness to the vitality of the inhabitants' activity over the centuries and their devotion, largely linked to the harsh mountain environment.

Church of Our Lady of the Assumption in Monêtier-les-Bains

Construction: 4th quarter of the 15th century, 17th century

History: founded in the 9th century by the Abbey of Novalaise, its primary mission was to provide shelter for travellers crossing the Col du Lautaret pass. The parish of Monêtier then came under the jurisdiction of the Abbey of Bréma between the 10th and 14th centuries. In 1303, a papal bull issued by Benedict XI established a simple priory, which was united with Saint-Victor Abbey in Marseille in 1366. The current building was probably constructed between 1457 and 1494. The bell tower, destroyed in 1587 by the governor of Briançon, was rebuilt in 1617. Various works were added during the 19th century.

Listed as: Historic Monument in 1913

Col du Lautaret

Open all year round, at an altitude of 2,058 metres, it is one of the busiest mountain passes in the Alps. The Tour has ridden it 30 times since 1911.

La Grave-La Meije (Pop. 490)

At an altitude of 1,500 metres on the right bank of the upper Romanche valley, the village of La Grave is dominated to the south by the imposing Meije massif, the second highest peak in the Écrins massif (3,982 metres). The commune consists of a string of hamlets located on the sunny side of the valley (where the rare arable land is found): Les Préaux, Le Chazelet, Les Terrasses, Ventelon, Les Hières and Valfroide. La Grave is a mecca for mountaineers and pioneers of alpinism since the late 19th century (the first hotels opened around 1898).

Meije Glacier Cable Car

The Meije glacier cable car was built during the summer of 1976 (for the first section) and then in 1977 (for the second section). It provides access to the Girose glacier (3,173 m) from the village of La Grave with a capacity of 440 people per hour.

Mizoën (Pop. 190)

Chambon Dam

The Chambon Dam is a French gravity dam used for hydroelectric power generation. It is located in the municipalities of Le Freney-d'Oisans and Mizoën. The dam is 294-m long, 90-m high and 70-m wide at its base. At an altitude of 1,040 metres, the lake covers an area of 140 hectares and is 40-metres deep, with a capacity of 54,000,000 m3 of water. The dam was built between 1929 and 1935, when it began to fill with water, gradually engulfing the old villages of Le Chambon, Le Dauphin and Le Parizet. At the time, it was the highest dam in Europe. A chapel was built near the reservoir in memory of the thirty or so workers who died during its construction.