- Stage town for the 32nd time
- Mountain resort in Isère (38) attached to the commune of Huez
- Population: 1,300 (D’Huizats and D’Huizates)
In 1952, Fausto Coppi launched the fabled history of mountain finishes by taking the Yellow Jersey at the top of the now famous road with 21 hairpins. Thanks to Joop Zoetemelk, Hennie Kuiper and Peter Winnen each winning here twice, it earned the nickname “Dutch mountain”, before the Italians returned to the fore once again with Gianni Bugno and then Marco Pantani. As for the French, Laurent Fignon gained some valuable ground here in 1984 during his duel with Bernard Hinault. Two years later, Hinault became the first Frenchman to win here in a famous finish that also saw him hand over power to his American teammate Greg LeMond.
L'ALPE D'HUEZ
Alpe d'Huez winter sports resort
The Alpe d'Huez ski resort was developed in the 1920s on a site that has been occupied since the Middle Ages. It was here, in particular, that the first ski lift with poles was opened in 1936 by Jean Pomagalski, founder of the Poma company. Today, the Alpe d'Huez resort is part of one of the largest ski areas in France: Alpe d'Huez Grand Domaine Ski, with 250 km of slopes and 10,000 hectares, 840 of which are skiable, with a vertical drop of 2,223 m (between the Pic du Lac Blanc at 3,333 m and the Enversin d'Oz at 1,100 m) and 70 ski lifts. Alpe d'Huez has 135 marked slopes, including 42 green, 37 blue, 39 red and 17 black, as well as 2 snowparks and 1 ski/boardercross. Another special feature of the resort is an 8-km-long black piste that descends from 3,330 m to 1,510 m: Sarenne. The run crosses the pass of the same name, which was used by the Tour de France in 2013. Among the famous skiers who trained in Alpe d'Huez are Fabienne Serrat, Laure Péquegnot, Gauthier de Tessières, Ophélie David and Jennifer Piot.
Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Church
Foundation: built in the 20th century (1969).
Style: contemporary.
Characteristics: it is famous for its original tent-shaped architecture and stained-glass windows painted by Isère artist Arcabas. Legend has it that Dutch priest Reuten rang the bell here every time one of his compatriots won at Alpe d'Huez. In reality, the bells ring every time someone crosses the finish line. Financed by donations from parishioners and numerous benefactors, the church was built using simple materials (concrete for the circular frame, copper for the roof, laminated wood for the framework, and translucent glass for the dome). Trivia: before the influx of journalists became too great during the Tour de France, the Notre-Dame-des-Neiges church was used as the press room for the stages arriving at Alpe d'Huez.
Pic Blanc The undisputed highlight of the area, the 360-degree panorama from the Pic Blanc, at an altitude of 3,330 metres, is rated 3 stars in the Michelin Green Guide. It offers breathtaking views over a fifth of France: Mont Ventoux, Taillefer, Belledonne, Chartreuse, Meije, Muzelle, Mont Blanc and the Aiguilles d'Arves.
Brandes archaeological site
Founded: 12th to 14th century.
Altitude: 1,800 metres
History: At this site, silver-bearing galena was mined from the 12th to the 14th century before being abandoned after the galleries flooded in 1330. The mine was operated on behalf of the Dauphins of Viennois. It enabled André, Dauphin of Burgundy, to finance the construction of Saint-André Collegiate Church in Grenoble in 1228. At the end of the 19th century, a small oratory was built on the ruins of the church.
Characteristics: At the very beginning of the 12th century, silver prospectors arrived at the site of Brandes, the highest medieval village in Europe. For more than two centuries, these men mined a rich deposit of silver-bearing lead, probably linked to the Dauphin's mint. Mining took place at altitudes between 1,750 m and 2,800 m. The ore was extracted using fire and chisels, in open pits and tunnels. The remains provide a picture of a unique society organised around a fortification, a church surrounded by a necropolis, a large settlement and mine tunnels.
Listed as: Historic monument since 1995.
Museum of Huez and Oisans The only high-altitude resort to be awarded the "Musée de France" label and associated with a major archaeological site, the Alpe d'Huez History and Archaeology Museum traces the long history of the village of Huez and its mountain pastures from the Middle Ages to the present day. The museum presents visitors with two new displays through the permanent exhibitions "The spectacle of the mountains" and "Brandes and the rush for silver in the 12th and 13th centuries". There is also an area dedicated to the Second World War with the exhibition "Summer 1944. The Maquis of Oisans".
