Department (74) in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region
Area: 4,388km²
Population: 861,000
Prefecture: Annecy
hautesavoie.fr
4,805m, Europe’s highest point
In the heart of the massif of the same name, Mont Blanc is the highest point in the Alps and the highest peak in Western Europe. On the northern slopes of the massif lies the Mer de Glace, a 7km-long glacier that attracts several hundred thousand visitors each year. Millions also come to enjoy the thrill of skiing on the slopes of the 42 resorts that make Haute-Savoie the world’s second most popular ski destination. As well as snow and the mountains, the region also features Lake Geneva and Lake Annecy, alpine pastures, and the Bauges Massif, a regional natural park and UNESCO Global Geopark. Naturally, it also boasts a rich historical heritage, including the National Monument to the Glières Plateau Resistance, which pays tribute to the actions of the French Resistance fighters during the Second World War.
2027, the Rainbow Year
Across 13 days between 24 August and 5 September 2027, the Haute-Savoie Mont-Blanc region will host the 94th UCI Road World Championships, which are being held in France for the ninth time. Nineteen events will take place across twelve venues throughout the department: Annecy, Châtel, Cluses, Évian-les-Bains, La Clusaz, La Roche-sur-Foron, Les Gets, the Grand Massif, Rumilly, Saint-Pierre-en-Faucigny, Sallanches Domancy and Thônes. In 1980, Bernard Hinault was crowned world champion on the Sallanches-Domancy circuit.
