Notre-Dame-de-Bellecombe
Notre -Dame-de -Bellecombe is a municipality with 502 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2011 ) in the French Savoie département in the Rhône -Alpes.
Geography
The small mountain village is situated in the western Alps in the valley of the Arly, about 53 kilometers southeast of the city of Geneva and 52 kilometers northeast of the associated Chambery Prefecture (both in a straight line ). It is located at around 1150 m on a slope shoulder of the mountain Mont Reguet, an approximately 1520 m high mountain at the edge of the Massif du Beaufortain. The municipal area is adjacent to a length of about 2 km directly to the Arly, where at the mouth of Nant Rouge with 839 m has its lowest point. From there, it extends southeastward until well into the Massif du beaufortain and includes the 1767 m high Mont Rond and its surrounding valleys. The eastern boundary runs along a ridge consisting of Cret du Midi (1890 m), Ban Rouge (1983 m) and Mont de vores ( 2067 m).
The municipality also includes several hamlets and settlements:
- Les Biolles (1130 m), housing development on the northern edge of the village center,
- Chelou (1250 m), a hamlet on the D218b to the Col des Saisies,
- Les Favrays (1300 m), a hamlet on the D218b to the Col des Saisies,
- Le Planay (1310 m), a hamlet on the D218b to the Col des Saisies and second valley station of the ski resort of Notre -Dame-de -Bellecombe,
- Le Cret (1350 m) between le Planay and the mountain Cret du Midi,
- Le plan Désert ( 1491 m ), in a valley of the Nant du Milieu and third valley station of the ski resort of Notre -Dame-de -Bellecombe
The neighboring municipalities are (from north clockwise beginning ) Flumet, Praz -sur -Arly ( in the neighboring department of Haute- Savoie), Hauteluce, Crest- Voland and Saint- Nicolas- la -Chapelle. The capital of the canton Ugine lies roughly 18 km away.
Population
With 502 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011) Notre -Dame-de -Bellecombe is one of the small communities of Savoy. The started in the second half of the 20th century Alpine tourism reversed the downward trend to the population, but the growth in recent decades has been carefully enough to get the character of a mountain village.
History
The place name describes the site of a Marian devotion by a geographical additive, which is composed of the words belle and combe and as much as beautiful valley means. The word combe specified even in today's French as a valley erosion valley. Similar to the neighboring communities in the late Middle Ages some of the hamlets originated in Notre -Dame-de -Bellecombe, such as the 1195 first mentioned Les Frasses. Later, the community shared the history of Savoy and was incorporated in 1860 in the Canton of Ugine. Between 1876 and 1886 the present parish church was built to replace the predecessor of the 14th century.
The function as a tourist resort started in winter 1937/38, with a carriage cable car that led up half way to the Mont Reguet from the main town of Notre- Dame-de -Bellecombe. It was replaced by a bar drag lift in 1948, but the expansion to a ski resort with several base stations in the municipality only successes in the 1970s. The last extension in 2000 was the connection to the area of Les Saisies to the chairlift Télésiège du Lac, so that Notre -Dame-de -Bellecombe occupied a central position, founded in 2005 Winter sports area Espace Diamant.
The location on the Route des Grandes Alpes also made the place attractive for cycling, so led the 2010 Tour de France through the town.
Economy and infrastructure
With two hotels and a share of second homes by 86% ( as of 2009) the economy is oriented in Notre -Dame-de -Bellecombe mainly on tourism. Although agriculture remains strong, especially in summer overlooks the village, is the number of agricultural holdings in the regional average. As a key product of the agriculture regional cheeses are produced, including Reblochon and Beaufort, whose protected designations of origin overlap in the valley of Arly.
Traffic
The upper Arly Valley is located off the main regional roads and railway lines. Through the valley below the village and the D1212 (originally National Road 212) with the Isère valley and Albertville connects the northerly Arve Valley Megève in the south runs. Notre -Dame-de -Bellecombe is connected via the D218b with this thoroughfare. In the course circling the D218b Mont Rond and leaves the municipal area just before the Col des Saisies. This road also forms a portion of the approximately 700-kilometer Route des Grandes Alpes, which is particularly popular with tourists and cyclists. From their branches in the village center from the D71b and connects Notre -Dame-de -Bellecombe with the neighboring Crest- Voland.
The next possible motorway, the A430 (exit Albertville, 27 km) and the A40 (exits n ° 20 to 22, about 25 km away). The SNCF train station of Albertville is suitable to reach Notre -Dame-de -Bellecombe by a bus service. As airports in the region come Geneva ( 77 km), Chambery (86 km ) and Lyon-St -Exupéry (160 km) in question.
Education
In Notre -Dame-de -Bellecombe is a state Ecole élémentaire.
Winter sports area
The winter sports area of Notre -Dame-de -Bellecombe is divided into several parts. Above the village center tap cable cars and ski slopes to the north slope of Mont Reguet. From there, the parallel slopes above Flumet and Praz -sur -Arly are accessible. There is also a ski slope and lift connection to the next higher summit series, which extends between the Mont Rond and the Mont de vores and run on their north side several slopes. The altitudes between 1150 m and 2069 m give the resort a rural character, since the slopes through forests, mountain meadows and mountain huts over. Part of the slopes is equipped with snow cannons. The slopes of Notre -Dame-de -Bellecombe are a central part of the Espace Diamant ski area.
Personalities
- Jacqueline Rouvier, French alpine skier 1967-1976, was born in the village;
- Catherine Quittet, French alpine skier 1981-1990, grew up in the town and operates a ski under their name.