Les Contamines-Montjoie
| Les Contamines-Montjoie | ||
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| region | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | |
| Department | Haute-Savoie | |
| Arrondissement | Bonneville | |
| Canton | Le Mont-Blanc | |
| Community association | Pays du Mont-Blanc | |
| Coordinates | 45 ° 49 ′ N , 6 ° 44 ′ E | |
| height | 999-3,880 m | |
| surface | 43.55 km 2 | |
| Residents | 1,167 (January 1, 2017) | |
| Population density | 27 inhabitants / km 2 | |
| Post Code | 74170 | |
| INSEE code | 74085 | |
| Website | www.lescontamines.com | |
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Les Contamines-Montjoie is a French commune in the department of Haute-Savoie in the region of Auvergne Rhône-Alpes .
geography
Les Contamines-Montjoie is located at 1164 m , east of Megève , about 60 kilometers southeast of the city of Geneva (as the crow flies). The village extends in an open valley basin of the Val Montjoie in the Savoy Alps at the western foot of the Mont Blanc .
The area of the 43.55 km² municipal area covers a section of the Savoy Alps. The area occupies the entire upper part of the heavily reliefed catchment area of the Bon Nant . Several source streams from the glaciers of the Mont Blanc massif unite to form Bon Nant, which flows in an open valley to the north to the Arve . The valley is flanked by wooded slopes; the tree line is mostly around 2000 m . Above that, on the western side of the valley, are the large alpine meadows of Mont Joly ( 2525 m ), Aiguille Croche ( 2487 m ) and Col du Joly ( 1989 m ). The eastern side of the valley is characterized by rugged rock faces, which are dominated by the ice-covered peaks of the Dômes de Miage ( 3670 m ), Tré la Tête ( 3930 m ) and Aiguilles des Glaciers ( 3816 m ), which are part of the Mont Blanc massif . They form the area of origin of the Glacier de Tré la Tête , whose glacier tongue extends down to 2200 m . To the south, the municipal area extends to Alp Jovet with the mountain lakes Lacs Jovet. Much of the municipality's land is part of the Contamines-Montjoie nature reserve.
In addition to the actual town center, Les Contamines-Montjoie also includes various hamlet and holiday settlements and farmsteads, all of which are located in the area of the valley floor of Val Montjoie:
- Tresse ( 1020 m )
- La Chapelle ( 1050 m )
- Le Champelet ( 1100 m )
- La Revenaz ( 1120 m )
- La Berfière ( 1130 m )
- Nivorin ( 1160 m )
- Le Baptieu ( 1200 m )
- Le Cugnon ( 1180 m )
- La Gorge ( 1190 m )
Neighboring municipalities of Les Contamines-Montjoie are Bourg-Saint-Maurice , Beaufort and Hauteluce in the south, Saint-Gervais-les-Bains in the north and the Italian commune of Courmayeur in the east.
history
The Val Montjoie was already settled in the 2nd century. The first written mention of the place took place in 1277 under the name Contamina ; from 1730 the spelling Les Contamines was common. The place name goes back to the Latin word condominium (jointly administered property). In the Middle Ages , Les Contamines belonged to the territory of the Lords of Faucigny, who set up a castellany in Val Montjoie . As part of the Dauphiné, the place came to France in 1349, but was given to the Counts of Savoy in an exchange of countries in the Treaty of Paris in 1355 . After that, Les Contamines shared the fate of Savoy . The municipality has been officially called Les Contamines-Montjoie since 1949 . Since 2000 there has been a town partnership with the Breton town of Névez .
Attractions
The current parish church of Sainte-Trinité was built in 1760 in the Baroque style on the site of a medieval castle that once controlled the route over the Col du Bonhomme. The Notre Dame de la Gorge church at the southern end of the Val Montjoie is also in the Baroque style. In 1699 it replaced a previous building from the 13th century and served as the parish church of the valley until the Sainte-Trinité church was built. There are other chapels in the hamlets of La Chapelle and Baptieu.
The place is a popular starting point for hikes in the Montblanc massif . The spectrum ranges from simple day tours (e.g. Mont Joly , Col de la Fenêtre or Col de Tricot ) to demanding high-altitude tours lasting several days, e.g. B. the crossing of the Dômes de Miage . The high alpine day tour to the Refuge de Conscrit gives a first glimpse into the wildness and beauty of the nature reserve. The Tour du Mont-Blanc long-distance hiking trail also leads through the village .
population
| year | Residents |
|---|---|
| 1962 | 753 |
| 1968 | 909 |
| 1975 | 853 |
| 1982 | 1,027 |
| 1990 | 994 |
| 1999 | 1,129 |
| 2004 | 1,125 |
With 1,167 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2017), Les Contamines-Montjoie is one of the smaller communities in the Haute-Savoie department. There have been various fluctuations in the number of inhabitants over the past few decades.
Economy and Infrastructure
Until well into the 20th century, Les Contamines-Montjoie was a village dominated by agriculture and alpine farming. Today there are various small business enterprises. In the last few decades, Les Contamines-Montjoie has developed into an important holiday destination. The municipality specializes in both summer and winter tourism. Numerous mountain railways and ski lifts lead to the surrounding mountain slopes, especially to the top of the Col du Joly. From this pass and the ridge of Mont Joly there is an excellent view of the Mont Blanc massif.
The village is located away from the larger thoroughfares, but has good traffic connections. Access is from Saint-Gervais-les-Bains through the Val Montjoie. The closest connection to the A40 motorway is around 15 km away.
