Val-d'Isère

Val d'Isere is situated in the French Alps in the Savoie département. The municipality has, the 1602 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011) and is located at 1800 meters above sea level, including the hamlets of La Daille and Le Fornet. On both sides of the resort, the local mountains Solaise and Bellevarde. Together with Val d'Isere Tignes forms the Espace Killy ski area, which is named after the French Olympic champion Jean -Claude Killy.

Val d'Isere is known as the venue of the criterion of the first snow. This ski racing as part of the Alpine Ski World Cup is traditionally held in December instead of on the slopes Oreiller - Killy. At the Olympic Winter Games in Albertville in 1992 Val d'Isere hosted the alpine skiing events for men, most notably the downhill on the challenging slopes Bellevarde caused a stir. The Alpine World Ski Championships 2009 were also held here.

From the original buildings of the old village has remained not get very much, but the modern buildings of the town are decorated in an appealing style and eyesores as they are known from many Alpine ski resorts have been here up to the hamlet of La Daille largely avoided. The place is in its whole structure, especially in an upscale tourist crowd.

Geography

Val d'Isere is situated in the valley of the Isère in the Tarentaise. Near the Alpine pass are the Little St Bernard and the Mont Cenis. Behind the resort the Vanoise National Park closes at.

Since 1937, proceeds through the Col de l' Iseran with 2764 meters, the highest motorable mountain pass in the Alps. The highest mountain pass in Europe is the Mulhacen near Granada in Andalusia in approximately 3400 meters height. The Col de l' Iseran connects the Tarentaise and Maurienne. He was often added to the route of the Tour de France.

History

The proximity to the Little St. Bernard Pass has made the place very early became an important station for traveling traders. Since 1934, the skiing has developed, which now forms the main source of income of the village.

On 10 February 1970, a snow avalanche hit a guest of the French sports organization UCPA ( in the eastern part of the town ) and killed at the entrance of 39 young people. As a result, avalanche were installed.

Personalities

• Henri Oreiller (1925-1962), in 1948 the first French Olympic Winter Games
• Christine Goitschel ( b. 1944 ), French alpine skier, Olympic champion in slalon (Gold Medal) 1964 in Innsbruck
• Marielle Goitschel ( b. 1945 ), French ski racer, the silver medal in the slalom at the Olympic Games 1964 in Innsbruck, Christina and Marielle Goitschel are sisters
• Mathieu Bozzetto (born 1973 ), a five-time World Champion Snowboard
• Ingrid Jacquemod (born 1978 ), French alpine skier