Tignes

Tignes [ tiɲ ] is a municipality with 2365 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2011 ) in the French department of Savoie (English: Savoy). The town is located about 2000 meters altitude in a high alpine valley at the headwaters of the Isère. It now consists of the three districts of Le Lavachet Val Claret Tignes -le- Lac, which are grouped around a small lake. She is one of the highest communities in Europe ( cf. Saint- Véran, 2040 m). For the location, the large lake in the valley and the small lake at 2000 m altitude often the name of Lac de Tignes is used.

History

The old village of Tignes disappeared in 1952 in the Lac du Chevril to which the Isere was dammed. The population of Tignes was forced to the land of their ancestors - after a long bitter resistance from the locals ( esp. farmers ) - to leave. The local residents received mostly severance pay. In memory of the old village of Tignes a monument on the shores of Lac du Chevril in 2003, the fiftieth anniversary of the dam, built. It shows a looking over the water young proud woman in traditional clothes. The statue was designed by Livio Benedetti and stands for " Semper Vivens " (Latin for " Always Alive ").

Tignes today

Today Tignes is an ultra-modern luxury resort, which is called by the former residents Tignes " Super Tignes ".

Sports

Alpine Skiing

In the high valley near Tignes is one of the most famous ski resorts in France. The so-called Espace Killy, named after the French downhill Olympic champion Jean -Claude Killy, includes the ski resorts of Tignes and Val d'Isere. 1992 found there during the Olympic Winter Games competitions in freestyle skiing instead. As early as 1986 Tignes hosted the first freestyle skiing World Cup.

Tour De France

Tignes 2007 was stage of the Tour de France. The arrival of the 8th stage at an altitude of 2068 meters was won by Dane Michael Rasmussen. The increase begins in Sainte -Foy -Tarentaise and is 17.9 km long. This 1028 vertical meters to be covered, which corresponds to an average gradient of 5.5%.

Football

Since the successful World Cup in 1998, the French national football team prepares before every major tournament in Tignes.

Others

In 2003, Tignes has been the setting of the music video Week-end of the French singer Lorie.

Gallery

Overlooking Tignes over the Lac du Chevril

The dam of Lac Chevril with Hercules Fresco

La Grande Motte ( 3656 m) - the dominant of Tignes and Val d'Isere