Saint-Jean-d'Aulps
Encyclopedia
Saint-Jean-d'Aulps is a commune
is the Haute-Savoie
department in the Rhône-Alpes
region
in south-eastern France
. Situated in the heart of the Vallée d'Aulps, as well as being the home to an active farming community, it is popular with holiday-makers in the Summer, for walking, and in the Winter for skiing as it is a part of the massive Portes du Soleil ski area.
The habitants are called (in French) the "Jovanétiens". The commune is spread over 40,2 km² has 1,189 inhabitants, 6,900 beds for tourists, 464 main residences, and 1,358 secondary residences. The population density is 29,58 inhabitants/km². Saint-Jean-d'Aulps is surrounded by the communes of Seytroux, Le Biot, Abondance, Essert Romand and Bellevaux. The closest town is Thonon les Bains 25km away. The river "la Dranse de Morzine" is the main water course through the village. In the commune, at an altitude of 805m, is the ski-area "l’Espace Roc d’Enfer". One can ski between 900m and 1800m above sea-level and offers, amongst wild, unspoilt, and preserved terrain, 20 pistes (ski-runs) givings a total of 40km of tracks. A large portion of these tracks are covered by artificial snow-making machines to make the skiing more snow-sure in lighter Winters. Saint-Jean-d'Aulps also offers many summer-time activities, namely: rock climbing, via ferrata, walking and hiking, mountain-biking routes, fishing, and para-gliding.
, a Cistercian monastery founded at the very end of the 11th century and suppressed in 1793 during the French Revolution
. The buildings were reduced to ruins in 1823 when they were quarried for stone to rebuild the village's parish church.
lift pass which includes 14 resorts in France and Switzerland
. The ski area does not link directly to the other Porte du Soleil stations however. There is a shuttle bus from the tourist office in Saint-Jean-d'Aulps to Morzine
, Les Gets
and Avoriaz
in the winter season.
The local ski area , La Grande Terche, is around 8 minutes from the town centre by car. A free shuttle bus also brings people from the village to the skiing area. Although the area is limited in terms of lifts and marked pistes, the pistes offer a good variety of varied skiing and in particular a large amount of off-piste terrain. This tends to remain unskiied days after the larger resorts are tracked out. At the base of the gondola lift there are a couple of restaurants and bars and a ski hire shop.
Le Roc d'Enfer is home to the Circuit Roc d'Enfer, a marked, pisted set of red ski runs which is broken into two 5km sections of uninterrupted Alpine skiing set in a calm valley. The two 5km sections are linked by a chair- and then drag-lift at the village of La Chevrerie in the Vallee Verte.
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...
is 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...
. Situated in the heart of the Vallée d'Aulps, as well as being the home to an active farming community, it is popular with holiday-makers in the Summer, for walking, and in the Winter for skiing as it is a part of the massive Portes du Soleil ski area.
The habitants are called (in French) the "Jovanétiens". The commune is spread over 40,2 km² has 1,189 inhabitants, 6,900 beds for tourists, 464 main residences, and 1,358 secondary residences. The population density is 29,58 inhabitants/km². Saint-Jean-d'Aulps is surrounded by the communes of Seytroux, Le Biot, Abondance, Essert Romand and Bellevaux. The closest town is Thonon les Bains 25km away. The river "la Dranse de Morzine" is the main water course through the village. In the commune, at an altitude of 805m, is the ski-area "l’Espace Roc d’Enfer". One can ski between 900m and 1800m above sea-level and offers, amongst wild, unspoilt, and preserved terrain, 20 pistes (ski-runs) givings a total of 40km of tracks. A large portion of these tracks are covered by artificial snow-making machines to make the skiing more snow-sure in lighter Winters. Saint-Jean-d'Aulps also offers many summer-time activities, namely: rock climbing, via ferrata, walking and hiking, mountain-biking routes, fishing, and para-gliding.
History
The village grew up round Aulps AbbeyAulps Abbey
Aulps Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery located at an altitude of 810 metres in the village of Saint-Jean-d'Aulps in the Aulps Valley, Haute-Savoie, French Alps...
, a Cistercian monastery founded at the very end of the 11th century and suppressed in 1793 during the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
. The buildings were reduced to ruins in 1823 when they were quarried for stone to rebuild the village's parish church.
Culture
Being a Winter skiing resort town and Summer holiday destination activity in the town tends to be seasonal with an influx of tourists twice a year. As for the permanent residents, there is a higher-than-normal percentage of non-French residents (mostly British). These residents are typically involved in the skiing and tourism industry in the Portes du Soleil serving clients in their local language. In addition to this this type of work there is an active sheep, cattle, and dairy farming community.Ski
The skiing area in Saint-Jean-d'Aulps is situated above the town and is called Espace Roc d'Enfer, or La Grande Terche. The skiing area covered by the larger Portes du SoleilPortes du Soleil
Les Portes du Soleil is a major skisports destination in the northern French alps encompassing thirteen resorts between Mont Blanc in France and Lake Geneva in Switzerland...
lift pass which includes 14 resorts in France and Switzerland
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....
. The ski area does not link directly to the other Porte du Soleil stations however. There is a shuttle bus from the tourist office in Saint-Jean-d'Aulps to Morzine
Morzine
Morzine is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in eastern France with panoramic mountain views, modern ski facilities and hotels and restaurants. The ski resort of Avoriaz is located on the territory of the commune...
, Les Gets
Les Gets
Les Gets is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.The village's first single person chair lift was opened in 1938 with the first chair lift on Mont Chery in 1954.-Geography:...
and Avoriaz
Avoriaz
Avoriaz is a French mountain resort in the heart of the Portes du Soleil. It is located in the territory of the commune of Morzine. It is easily accessible from either Thonon at Lake Geneva or Cluses-junction on the A40 motorway between Geneva and Chamonix...
in the winter season.
The local ski area , La Grande Terche, is around 8 minutes from the town centre by car. A free shuttle bus also brings people from the village to the skiing area. Although the area is limited in terms of lifts and marked pistes, the pistes offer a good variety of varied skiing and in particular a large amount of off-piste terrain. This tends to remain unskiied days after the larger resorts are tracked out. At the base of the gondola lift there are a couple of restaurants and bars and a ski hire shop.
Le Roc d'Enfer is home to the Circuit Roc d'Enfer, a marked, pisted set of red ski runs which is broken into two 5km sections of uninterrupted Alpine skiing set in a calm valley. The two 5km sections are linked by a chair- and then drag-lift at the village of La Chevrerie in the Vallee Verte.