Saint-Gervais-les-Bains
Encyclopedia
Saint-Gervais-les-Bains is a commune
in the Haute-Savoie
department in the Rhône-Alpes
region
in south-eastern France
.
The village is best known for tourism, and has been a popular holiday destination because of its beauty and location since the Early 1900's.
It boasts an expansive ski area of 450km of pistes, and is one of the least busy ski areas of its size.
St Gervais les Bains (also referred to as St Gervais or St Gervais Mont Blanc) is not a purpose built resort, and as so has a large year round population, rather than just seasonal. In winter the main draw is the snow sports, and the resort has a multi-national client base. It is increasing in popularity among British holiday-makers, in part due to the fact that as yet it is fairly empty of Brits, and retains the character of a French ski village.
Recent holiday companies have expanded in the area following increased demand. There are a handful of chalet holiday companies available to guests, most of which comprise of "owner-run" chalets, Although the company 'Ski Bliss' offers a wide choice of chalets, as well as a chalet meal delivery service.
The village lies near the Tête Rousse glacier. In August 2010, a lake under the glacier at an altitude of 3200 meters had to be pumped dry to forestall a possible flood; a nineteenth-century flood caused by a lake under the same glacier killed 175 people.
. The Mont Blanc Tramway
departs from Le Fayet station and reaches the Nid d'Aigle station at the Bionnassay glacier at an altitude of 2372 m (7800 ft). The Saint-Gervais–Vallorcine railway departs from Le Fayet station and takes you to Chamonix
and across the Swiss
border to Martigny.
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...
.
The village is best known for tourism, and has been a popular holiday destination because of its beauty and location since the Early 1900's.
It boasts an expansive ski area of 450km of pistes, and is one of the least busy ski areas of its size.
St Gervais les Bains (also referred to as St Gervais or St Gervais Mont Blanc) is not a purpose built resort, and as so has a large year round population, rather than just seasonal. In winter the main draw is the snow sports, and the resort has a multi-national client base. It is increasing in popularity among British holiday-makers, in part due to the fact that as yet it is fairly empty of Brits, and retains the character of a French ski village.
Recent holiday companies have expanded in the area following increased demand. There are a handful of chalet holiday companies available to guests, most of which comprise of "owner-run" chalets, Although the company 'Ski Bliss' offers a wide choice of chalets, as well as a chalet meal delivery service.
The village lies near the Tête Rousse glacier. In August 2010, a lake under the glacier at an altitude of 3200 meters had to be pumped dry to forestall a possible flood; a nineteenth-century flood caused by a lake under the same glacier killed 175 people.
Transportation
The main railway station for Saint-Gervais is the Gare de Saint-Gervais-les-Bains-Le FayetGare de Saint-Gervais-les-Bains-Le Fayet
Gare de Saint-Gervais-les-Bains-Le Fayet is a railway station serving the town Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, Haute-Savoie department, southeastern France. It is the southeastern terminus of the railway from La Roche-sur-Foron, the southwestern terminus of the Saint-Gervais–Vallorcine railway and the...
. The Mont Blanc Tramway
Mont Blanc Tramway
The Mont Blanc Tramway or Tramway du Mont-Blanc is a mountain railway line in the Haute-Savoie department of France.The spectacular views of Mont Blanc provided by the tramway make it very popular with tourists...
departs from Le Fayet station and reaches the Nid d'Aigle station at the Bionnassay glacier at an altitude of 2372 m (7800 ft). The Saint-Gervais–Vallorcine railway departs from Le Fayet station and takes you to Chamonix
Chamonix
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc or, more commonly, Chamonix is a commune in the Haute-Savoie département in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. It was the site of the 1924 Winter Olympics, the first Winter Olympics...
and across the Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
border to Martigny.