Montmin
Encyclopedia
Montmin is a commune
in the Haute-Savoie
department in the Rhône-Alpes
region
in south-eastern France
.
landed at the Col de l'Aulp, whose valley is indeed shaped like a ship; Noah
, Biblical father of viticulture, would have planted the lakeside vineyards of Talloires
, which produced wines and brandy until the 1950s. The mean elevation of the village is 1000 meters, or 3250 feet above sea level.
, shortly after the year 1000, the hamlets were farming communities that existed almost entirely independently of the outside world until the advent of modern transportation.
and paragliding
sites in Europe
. Montmin hosted the 1995 Hang Gliding Championships of France. And in July 1997 Montmin watched the Tour de France
bicycle race come through the community, up from Faverges
, over the Col de la Forclaz and back down toward Bluffy
and the high Alps
to the east.
Unlike its neighbors in the high Alps (La Clusaz
, Megève
, etc.), Montmin has not become a vast urbanized winter playground crisscrossed with ski lifts and dotted with large hotels and apartment buildings. Cautious zoning and deliberately limited development have allowed Montmin to retain much of its charm as a quiet agricultural community, even though it is a mere twenty minutes from downtown Annecy
.
In the winter, Montmin's small ski lifts are known as a good place for beginning and intermediate skiers; many of the villagers are certified ski instructors, and many children of the Annecy and Faverges area first learned to ski in Montmin. In the summer, the same lifts are used for summer gliding sports. Montmin's principal claim to fame is as the starting point of several popular hiking trails, including the scenic climb up Mt. Tournette, the tallest of the mountains overlooking Lake Annecy
.
A hotel and several restaurants at the Col de la Forclaz mountain pass receive thousands of tourists who come to enjoy the excellent view of Lake Annecy. These facilities offer comfortable accommodations and traditional Savoy
country cooking.
dairy farms produce the renowned Tomme and Reblochon
cheeses for which the area is famous.
At the dawn of the 21st century, Montmin's population is beginning to grow again as the village finds a new role as a dormitory for the cities of Annecy and Faverges, though it retains much of its rustic charm.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Haute-Savoie
Haute-Savoie
Haute-Savoie is a French department in the Rhône-Alpes region of eastern France. It borders both Switzerland and Italy. The capital is Annecy. To the north is Lake Geneva and Switzerland; to the south and southeast are the Mont Blanc and Aravis mountain ranges and the French entrance to the Mont...
department in the Rhône-Alpes
Rhône-Alpes
Rhône-Alpes is one of the 27 regions of France, located on the eastern border of the country, towards the south. The region was named after the Rhône River and the Alps mountain range. Its capital, Lyon, is the second-largest metropolitan area in France after Paris...
region
Régions of France
France is divided into 27 administrative regions , 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website...
in south-eastern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Geography
The seven hamlets occupy a four-mile long valley which is bordered on the west by Mont Chenevier, and on the east by the impressive and snow-capped Tournette massif. According to locals, Noah's ArkNoah's Ark
Noah's Ark is a vessel appearing in the Book of Genesis and the Quran . These narratives describe the construction of the ark by Noah at God's command to save himself, his family, and the world's animals from the worldwide deluge of the Great Flood.In the narrative of the ark, God sees the...
landed at the Col de l'Aulp, whose valley is indeed shaped like a ship; Noah
Noah
Noah was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the tenth and last of the antediluvian Patriarchs. The biblical story of Noah is contained in chapters 6–9 of the book of Genesis, where he saves his family and representatives of all animals from the flood by constructing an ark...
, Biblical father of viticulture, would have planted the lakeside vineyards of Talloires
Talloires
Talloires is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.-Geography:Talloires is located south of Geneva, Switzerland, on Lake Annecy and from the local "prefecture" Annecy, near the border of Italy...
, which produced wines and brandy until the 1950s. The mean elevation of the village is 1000 meters, or 3250 feet above sea level.
History
First settled in the early Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, shortly after the year 1000, the hamlets were farming communities that existed almost entirely independently of the outside world until the advent of modern transportation.
Tourism
With the arrival of modern roads and vehicles, Montmin has become a tourist attraction renowned for the scenic Col de la Forclaz mountain pass, one of the premier hang glidingHang gliding
Hang gliding is an air sport in which a pilot flies a light and unmotorized foot-launchable aircraft called a hang glider ....
and paragliding
Paragliding
Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure...
sites in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Montmin hosted the 1995 Hang Gliding Championships of France. And in July 1997 Montmin watched the Tour de France
1997 Tour de France
The 1997 Tour de France was the 84th Tour de France, it took place July 5–27, 1997. Jan Ullrich's victory margin, of 9' 09" was the largest margin of victory since Laurent Fignon won the 1984 Tour de France by 10' 32"...
bicycle race come through the community, up from Faverges
Faverges
Faverges is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It occupies the glacial valley which gave birth to Lake Annecy.-Geology:...
, over the Col de la Forclaz and back down toward Bluffy
Bluffy, Haute-Savoie
Bluffy is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.-References:*...
and the high Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
to the east.
Unlike its neighbors in the high Alps (La Clusaz
La Clusaz
La Clusaz is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.-Overview:It is a ski resort in the Alps near the Swiss border. The commune of La Clusaz is part of the Haute-Savoie département. An old village, La Clusaz has been hosting winter sports since 1907...
, Megève
Megève
Megève is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.Megève is a famous ski resort near the Mont-Blanc in the French Alps...
, etc.), Montmin has not become a vast urbanized winter playground crisscrossed with ski lifts and dotted with large hotels and apartment buildings. Cautious zoning and deliberately limited development have allowed Montmin to retain much of its charm as a quiet agricultural community, even though it is a mere twenty minutes from downtown Annecy
Annecy
Annecy is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It lies on the northern tip of Lake Annecy , 35 kilometres south of Geneva.-Administration:...
.
In the winter, Montmin's small ski lifts are known as a good place for beginning and intermediate skiers; many of the villagers are certified ski instructors, and many children of the Annecy and Faverges area first learned to ski in Montmin. In the summer, the same lifts are used for summer gliding sports. Montmin's principal claim to fame is as the starting point of several popular hiking trails, including the scenic climb up Mt. Tournette, the tallest of the mountains overlooking Lake Annecy
Lake Annecy
Lake Annecy is a perialpine lake in Haute-Savoie in France .It is the second largest lake in France, after the Lac du Bourget, if the French part of Lake Geneva is excluded. It is known as "Europe's cleanest lake" because of strict environmental regulations introduced in the 1960s...
.
A hotel and several restaurants at the Col de la Forclaz mountain pass receive thousands of tourists who come to enjoy the excellent view of Lake Annecy. These facilities offer comfortable accommodations and traditional Savoy
Savoy
Savoy is a region of France. It comprises roughly the territory of the Western Alps situated between Lake Geneva in the north and Monaco and the Mediterranean coast in the south....
country cooking.
Miscellaneous
The local cheeseCheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
dairy farms produce the renowned Tomme and Reblochon
Reblochon
Reblochon is a French cheese from the Alps region of Haute-Savoie and has been granted the AOC title. Reblochon was first produced in the Thônes and Arly valleys, in the Aravis massif. Thônes remains the centre of Reblochon production; the cheeses are still made in the local cooperatives. Until...
cheeses for which the area is famous.
At the dawn of the 21st century, Montmin's population is beginning to grow again as the village finds a new role as a dormitory for the cities of Annecy and Faverges, though it retains much of its rustic charm.