Rhône-Alpes
PRESS KIT
2009
SUMMARY The Rhône-Alpes, a region at the heart of Europe •
Key statistics
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The Rhône-Alpes destination on the main foreign markets
1. Iconic sites of the Rhône Alpes •
Chamonix and Mont Blanc, the rooftop of Europe
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Megève
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Annecy and its lake
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Lyon
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The Ain
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Drôme Provençale
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The Ardèche
2. Protection of the natural environment in harmony with eco-tourism •
An abundance of natural parks
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Gardens of Eden
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Focus on the environment
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Open air activities that reinvigorate
3. Look no further for the big ski adventure! •
The world’s largest ski area
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The mountains, training ground for fitness enthusiasts
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It’s snowing new ideas!
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Heaven for fans of the cold stuff
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Gentle activities
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Snowy places that offer something different plus adventure
4. Rhône Alpes, the land of blue gold •
Landscapes fashioned by water
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The region of large lakes
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Water for keeping fit
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Water that you can drink
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Dynamic white waters
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Gastronomic and recreational cruises
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Thermalism’s health-giving benefits
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5. From ancient to modern – the history of the Rhône Alpes •
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A historical record that is listed and conserved, from prehistoric times to the current day...
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Living silk
6. Rhône Alpes, land of luxury and antiques •
A luxury lifestyle
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Fashion made in Rhône Alpes
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Rhône Alpes, land of antiques
7 Gastronomy reaches the state of art •
The top chefs
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Amateurs taking over the kitchens
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The great wines of the region
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Doing the rounds of AOC and local products
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Rhône Alpes, land of beer
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8. Festivities
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9. Tourist maps (on the back covers) and access
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THE RHONE-ALPES, A REGION AT THE HEART OF EUROPE Situated between Paris and the Côte d’Azur, and bordering both Switzerland and Italy, the Rhône-Alpes is at the crossroads of Europe, offering two international airports, impressive railway links and an extensive network of motorways. Journey through the Rhône-Alpes region from north to south or from east to west, and in the blink of an eye you will see a continuous stream of changing landscapes. You are as likely to see glaciers and famous mountain peaks such as Mont Blanc as you are to see beautiful fields of lavender in the Drôme where the sounds of cicadas lend a Provencal air. Then there are the vineyards of the Beaujolais, the scrubland of southern Ardèche, the glistening water of the great lakes and myriads of ponds, all adding to the region’s amazing diversity and offering nature lovers the perfect location. Furthermore, the Rhône-Alpes stands out for the number of protected sites within its borders. The region is unique in France, having no fewer than 39 reserves and 8 parks, including 2 national and 6 natural regional ones, which gives it genuine natural worth and makes it one of the best places to observe fauna and flora. Split between the Alps, the Jura and the Massif Central, over 70 % of the Rhône-Alpes’ tourism resources are located in medium and high mountain resorts. Outstandingly scenic, theyare located on the region’s eastern and western borders and reveal a succession of summits that are sharply pointed on the side of the Alps and the Jura and more gently rounded on the edge of the Massif Central. With its 180 ski resorts and 17 linked ski areas, the region boasts the largest ski area in the world. Every winter it attracts millions of holidaymakers.
In the summer the mountains are a
veritable paradise for sporting activities such as mountaineering, rock climbing, glacier walking or paragliding.
Currently the mountains remain the preferred destination for
holidaymakers to the Rhône-Alpes. Almost 40 % of France’s heritage of lakes and reservoir dams can be found in the RhôneAlpes region. Here water is like another natural environment: snow and glaciers, rivers and, of course, lakes. The Rhône-Alpes has no fewer than three of the five largest lakes in France (Lake Geneva, Lac du Bourget and Lac d’Annecy) plus 7,000 km of flowing water (streams or rivers). The region’s waters also offer beneficial therapeutic effects, which has led to the creation of some fine thermal resorts. In addition to their health restoring characteristics, they are also a source of enjoyment.
The Rhône-Alpes was ranked the third most important
thermal region in France in 2004, boasting 15 thermal resorts and 7 health resorts.
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100,000 people come to “take the waters” every year, in addition to which there are thousands of fitness and wellbeing enthusiasts. Theatres, Roman aquaducts, churches, châteaux, fortified villages, museums… The list of the Rhône-Alpes’ cultural and artistic traditions is long and impressively varied. Traces of the past are dotted about, here and there, proudly announcing their history.
Whilst the region is
renowned generally for its celebrated heritage, there is one particular site that stands out, the historic site of the city of Lyon. Recognised by UNESCO since 5 December 1998 as a World Heritage Site for its “amazing universal value”, it ranks alongside the city of Prague as one of the world’s largest Sites. The Rhône-Alpes region is the second most important region in France for its number of museums, after Ile-de-France. Over 200 in total. The stunning art museums in Lyon, SaintÉtienne, Grenoble and Chambéry rub shoulders with top regional ethnographic facilities. The region’s urban tourism, which makes up 17 % of overnight stays, relies on a network of towns and cities that are blessed with a rich architectural heritage as well as luxury boutiques and endless quality flea markets which are always popular with tourists. Well served by the TGV, airports and motorways, the “villes d’art” are ideal destinations for the short break market. In Rhône Alpes, gastronomy is an art too. Its distinctive character comes from the fusion between the great bourgeois cooking that verges on fine gastronomy and that of the “bouchons”, true guardians of traditions who maintain the popular culinary style. Such gastronomic mastery comes from the region’s rich variety of top quality ingredients. France’s foremost wine producing region, the Rhône-Alpes boasts one of the finest wine lists in the country, made up of 36 “appellations d’origine contrôlée” (AOC) and vintages which guarantee its international fame. The region also boasts numerous festivals, ranging from lively, welcoming events to the more traditionally cultural, all of which help to maintain a way of life in which it is enjoyable to participate. They offer one of the best excuses for a holiday in the Rhône-Alpes!
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KEY STATISTICS Ranked second in France in terms of visitor nights (both French and foreign), the Rhône-Alpes represents 10 % of the market, behind Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (PACA) which represents 10.3 %. Those “départements" blessed with a mountain environment are the most sought after by French tourists, with the Rhône only just behind the two Savoies and the Isère. In 2007, the Rhône-Alpes region registered almost 149.6 million visitor nights (source BET François Marchand - ORT), with 20 % of these thought to be foreign tourists. French and foreign tourist consumer spending is valued at 10 billion Euros (source : Direction du Tourisme). The Rhône-Alpes is France’s 2nd most populated region… …But it is also the 2 nd largest region after the Midi-Pyrénées. It is similar in size to countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark or Finland. • 8 “départements" : the Ain, Ardèche, Drôme, Isère, Loire, Rhône, Savoie, Haute-Savoie • Population : 6 millions* (2nd in France after Ile de France) • Surface area in km2: 43,700 • Density: 132 hab/km2 (metropolitan France: 108) *Source : Insee (population in 2008) Capacity in first rate accommodation (2007 figures) • 800,000 approved tourist beds (hotels, campsites, tourist residences, self-catering, holiday villages…) • 2224 approved hotels (from 0* to 4*), in 3 rd position nationally behind Ile de France and PACA • 380 tourist residences or similar, in 1st position nationally • 856 approved campsites, in 6th position • 186 holiday villages, in 3rd position • 6,150 Gîtes de France self-catering properties, in 1 st position and 1,852 Clévacances selfcatering properties, in 4th position • 1,700,000 beds in the non-market sector (second homes), 10 % of which are foreign-owned.
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THE RHÔNE-ALPES DESTINATION ON THE MAIN FOREIGN MARKETS Hotels accommodated 18.2 million visitor nights in 2007 Equal to 2006 figures. 26 % of the stays are by foreign tourists. The top clientele in descending order are the British, Belgians, Germans, Italians and Dutch. Camping and caravanning represented 45 % of foreign visitor nights in 2007 In the space of 10 years, camping and caravanning has seen its business modify quite considerably to the benefit of 3* and 4* campsites which now attract 45% of foreign visitor nights. Dutch visitors are the number one clients for this type of accommodation (60 %). Split of foreign visitor nights in Rhône-Alpes’ hotels in 2007 Source : Insee – Direction du Tourisme / Traitement ORT/ MITRA
2 007
Part
1 307 394
27%
Belgium
624 756
13%
Germany
421 048
9%
Italy
349 592
7%
Netherlands
297 560
6%
Switzerland
288 149
6%
USA
266 766
6%
Spain
218 708
5%
Russia
151316
3%
Japan
128 919
3%
Middle East
43 720
1%
Africa
41 606
1%
China
29 754
1%
Others
609 361
13%
Total foreign overnights
4 778 649
100%
United Kingdom
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1 - Iconic sites of the Rhône Alpes The Rhône Alpes is made up of 8 “ départements” each with their own strong character. These iconic and awesome landscapes are like film sets. Take as our first example the Savoie, Haute Savoie and Isère, renowned because of their iconic Alpine summits. Then think of Lyon, France’s gastronomic capital, or the Ardèche with its famous natural gorges, or the Drôme whose landscapes of lavender fields and olive groves still seduce those tourists looking for a more gentle way of life. These iconic and awesome landscapes are like film sets. So it is perhaps not surprising to know that today the region is chosen as the setting for numerous international film projects. The love story that exists between the Rhône Alpes and cinema has existed forever. Indeed it was in Lyon that the Lumière brothers started the process by filming workers leaving their factory, “Sortie des Usines Lumière”. Their family home, Château Lumière, is a listed historical building and houses a museum and film library. The Institut Lumière is directed by the French film producer Bertrand Tavernier, himself originally from Lyon: - www.institut-lumiere.org Rhône-Alpes Cinéma produces, or co-produces, about 12 films per year and up to now has clocked up about 150 feature-length films. www.rhone-alpes-cinema.fr Chamonix and Mont Blanc, the rooftop of Europe Mont Blanc is the highest peak of the Alps. At 4810 m, it is the highest summit in Western Europe and offers a wide panoramic view. There are several tourist routes that enable serious climbers the chance to get to the top, although everyone is reminded to make careful preparations for the climb and to respect the site’s fragility. The summit has represented a challenge for many an adventurer over the centuries, starting with its first ascent in 1786. It has also been an object of fascination in various cultural works (films, literature and television). Here, the natural environment is just so majestic that often the mountain will take over the title role, rather than remain a backdrop. Max Linder himself filmed in the vicinity of his house in Chamonix and John Huston found it the perfect setting for his film starring Sean Connery “The Man Who Would Be King” which was filmed in the Alps. www.compagniedumontblanc.fr
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Two Air India passenger jets, the Boeing 707 “Kangchenjunga” in 1966 and before that, in 1950, the Lockheed Constellation “Malabar Princess”, crashed in mysterious circumstances on Mont Blanc. Since then, various bits of debri from the two catastrophes have been ejected by the Bossons glacier, serving to maintain the legend. From this item of news was born the screenplay for the film “Malabar Princess”. Chamonix remains the indisputable capital of the mountains. Located at an altitude of 1000 m, the town is an ideal holiday destination where you can still admire a number of fine, wellpreserved 18th C buildings. The cog-wheel Montenvers train winds its way up to the Mer de Glace, given its name by an Englishman, William Windham, who was particularly impressed by France’s largest glacier. The Brévent cable car offers a stunning panoramic view over Mont Blanc, Chamonix, the Aiguilles Rouges whilst the Aiguille du Midi cable car delivers its passengers to a station situated at 3842 m which then gives them access to the Hellbronner point via another cable car overlooking the Vallée Blanche. At that altitude, the air is so pure that the sky is blue-violet in colour. These are the three most visited sites in the Rhône-Alpes. www.chamonix.com The English, who have long been great mountaineers, absolutely love Chamonix and they come to the town in increasing numbers. Charles Dickens described its landscapes to his friend James Foster.
Mary Shelley felt so much at home in Chamonix that she found
inspiration easily there. The Alps The Alps form a 1200 km barrier between the Mediterranean sea and the river Danube. They reach their highest peak at 4810 m with the summit of Mont Blanc. Of the 82 major peaks over 4000 m in altitude, 24 of them are in France, whilst mountain passes that link valleys or countries are often higher than 2000 m. The peaks of Mont Blanc, the Aiguille Verte and the Drus (4122 m) and the Grandes Jorasses (4208 m) tower proudly over the region. They offer the very best environment for fans of the great outdoors and for well-prepared hikers who seek true freedom… Mont Blanc, Vanoise, Haute Maurienne and the Ecrins mountain range make the Rhône-Alpes the only region to boast 400 km2 of glaciers. A unique feat in France! The Grandes Alpes also served as the setting for Louis Daquin’s film “Premier de Cordée” based on a story by Frison-Roche.
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Megève Megève, located in the Sallanches areaof the Haute-Savoie, boasts an important tourist name that goes back to 1910 when the Rothschild family decided to make it one of their regular holiday destinations.
They wanted to create a suitable French competitor to the
upmarket Swiss resort of Saint-Moritz.
Their aim was to create a resort characterised by its
distinctive French lifestyle. Megève has always been very popular, right from the start, attracting some of the most celebrated royal families who came there for holidays. Today Megève is a resort that enjoys an international reputation and is renowned as one of the most beautiful ski resorts in the world.
Megève has also been recognised for its successful
architectural model: for a long time it was a ski resort that attracted grand aristocrats, and the town has been able to create an elegant blend of modern building whilst preserving its older heritage. The Hôtel Mont-Blanc and its restaurant Les Enfants Terribles have been part of the resort’s social history for almost 70 years now, having been part of the French desire at the end of the 1940s to look for something different, to enjoy themselves and invent new pastimes… This new wave coincided with the emergence of new film makers, writers and artists… Indeed, it was in Megève and at the Hôtel Mont-Blanc that several scenes were filmed once Fernandel stayed there and it is also where Cocteau left his imprint on the walls. With this past history in mind, the Hôtel Mont Blanc has just taken over Les Enfants Terribles restaurant again. Successfully mixing modernity with nostalgia, Les Enfants Terribles will open for business again this winter, offering a quirky, refined interior décor, a harmony of red, black and tobacco brown. With a definite 1950s feel, the coloured glass wall lights sit alongside pottery from Ateliers Jean Marais. The orginial fresco and engravings signed by Cocteau are evidence of the cultural heritage left behind by the artist. www.megeve.com Annecy and its lake The lake at Annecy, one of the purest lakes in the world, was formed about 18,000 years ago when the great Alpine glaciers started melting. Annecy is a city of international renown that looks out over the lake itself, taking advantage of this impressive natural combination of water and mountains. The area surrounding Lac d’Annecy boasts numerous treasures of its local heritage, from Veyrier to Talloires where the shoreline receive the full warmth of the sun (the little village of Veyrier has been prettily restored), and from Angon to Doussard, where nature gently takes over. For the best view, take a tour of the lake by bike, on foot or on roller blades.
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Worth a detour is the Abbaye de Talloires which dates from the 17 th C, and which has been converted into a pretty 4* hotel-restaurant. “divine”.
There is no other word for the place than
The monks’ cells, set within the walls of the cloisters, have been transformed into
bedrooms.
Make sure you get to see the prior’s room, which is listed as a historical
monument. www.lac-annecy.com Lac d’Annecy is favoured by film makers for the same reason as Chamonix, having been the choice for the Bollywood film “Vadaa & Shaadi nr 1”. Lyon Located halfway between sea and mountain, the city is dominated by two hills -Fourvière and the Croix-Rousse- and bathed by two rivers, the Rhône and its tributary, the Saône.
Its
stunning location at the confluence of two rivers gives the city one of its distinctive features: the Presqu’île, or peninsula. Lyon is both a European city and capital of the Rhône-Alpes region, covering an area of 4,787 hectares. It is France’s 2 nd largest city (population of 1.2 million). Each year it attracts a large number of tourists, both business and leisure.
Sandwiched between northern and
southern Europe, the area surrounding Lyon has always been a crossing point, a city where people stop-off and a place where people meet to do business or exchange ideas etc. This remains the city’s position within a number of sectors. Its history goes as far back as Roman times. There are numerous remains from its Gallo-Roman heritage, plus several fine examples of buildings from the city’s various boom times. High on the list is Vieux Lyon, with its stunning Renaissance architecture.
This is one of the features in particular that has attracted a
number of film makers. They have come here to film great actors such as Philippe Noiret, Jean Gabin, Louis Jouvet, Sophia Loren, Alain Delon, Catherine Deneuve as well as Carole Bouquet. www.lyon-france.com Ain The Ain is a “département" that is typified by its geographical dual character. To the west there are endless ponds dotted around the countryside, particularly in the Dombes area. From an ornithological point of view, the Dombes is a wetlands area that is internationally significant for migrating birds. Its watery landscapes have provided the setting for several high calibre films, such as “Les Enfants du Marais” by Jean Becker or “Le Peuple Migrateur” by Jacques Perrin. Indeed the latter film involved close collaboration between the producer and the Parc des Oiseaux de Villars les Dombes, where a few birds were bred and trained especially for the film. www.parc-des-oiseaux.com
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If the western part of the Ain is a landscape of plains and low plateaus (Dombes), the east (Pays de Gex, Bugey) is made up of cross valleys, valleys and mountains including the peaks of the Jura. This was the setting for the recent film “Le Renard et l’Enfant” by Luc Jacquet, the producer who became known for his film “La Marche de l’Empereur”, which won an Oscar in Hollywood in 2005. The medieval village of Pérouges, listed as one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France, is a fortified site with a rich history, and one of the most visited places in the Ain. It has narrow cobbled streets, with a centrally-located waterspout, ancient well, fortress-church, picturesque houses, shops with stalls outside and evocative signs, as well as a weaver’s workshop and a bookbinder both of which transport visitors straight back to the Middle Ages. The village has also been used as a backdrop for several films featuring capes and swords, for example “Les Trois Mousquetaires”, or “Fanfan la Tulipe” Drôme Provençale To the south of the Drôme, Provence already begins to show its colours. It is the gateway to the South of France, synonymous with holidays, sunshine and a laid back lifestyle. Engaging and hospitable, Drôme Provençale reveals villages nestled at the foot of mountains or perched on top of hills, fragrant fields of lavender, silvery olive groves and vineyards that glow red once autumn arrives. So it is not surprising that such beautiful scenery has also inspired film makers! Indeed these landscapes served as the setting for Jean Giono’s film “Le Hussard Sur Le Toit”. www.ladrometourisme.com Ardèche Largely because of its impressive landscapes and sites, most notably Vallon Pont d'Arc which is famous throughout the world, and its wild, natural environment, the Ardèche is one of those must-visit tourist destinations. At the foot of the Monts du Vivarais, the town of Annonay was built like Rome, in the middle of seven hills, with a historical past is still clearly visible. It was here that Patrice Lecomte’s film “L’Homme du Train” was filmed in 2001, starring Jean Reno and the famous singer Johnny Hallyday.
The film received several awards including at
Venice, London, Toronto and Florence. Rhône Alpes Cinéma has also just finished filming “Sommeil Blanc”, a new feature-length thriller, on the Ardèche plateau. www.ardeche-guide.com
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2 - Protection of the natural environment in harmony with eco-tourism The 6 regional natural parks in the Rhône-Alpes give a snapshot of the region’s geography and its countless tourist assets. An abundance of natural parks The Parc de la Vanoise, with its colony of 2,500 ibex, is the largest French reserve in the Alps. It is worth noting that it shares a common border with the Italian national Parc du Grand Paradis. The park boasts a plethora of eco-tourist activities and is highly protective of its natural environment.
Within its boundaries there are unexpected ancient villages such as
Bonneval sur Arc and the little alpine hamlet of Ecot where residents preferred to live, during the Middle Ages, because the temperature was milder up in the mountains during winter, where the sunshine provide warmth and light. The Parc des Ecrins covers an area of 27,180 hectares making it the largest national park in France. Its main features are the 17,000 hectares of glaciers and the collection of peaks that are close to 4000 m or more in altitude. Enjoy the majestic flight of some of the larger birds of prey, such as the golden eagle and the bearded vulture, and observe over 340 species of animals: chamois, ibex, marmottes… The Parc du Haut Jura covers 1,455 km2 of the Jura mountain area, close to Switzerland and the Léman, on the edge of Lake Geneva. This wild landscape offers the chance to spot chamois, lynx or capercaillie. The Parc de la Chartreuse, which is the greenest of the parks and nicknamed “emerald of the Alps”, is the smallest of the pre-Alpine mountain ranges. Grenoble.
It stretches from Chambéry to
Some of its untamed and enigmatic character comes from the Grande
Chartreuse monastery which nestles at the heart of the park. The Parc des Bauges is a tiny island of protected natural environment and of medium mountain landscape (from 270 m to 2200 m), set between Chambéry, Annecy and Albertville. Bauges silverware, turned wood tableware, is the traditional craft of the Bauges area. Today there is still a craftsman plying his skilful trade deep in the heart of the park. The Parc du Pilat: visitors to this range of medium mountains, which rise in tiers above the Rhône valley (140 m) up to the Crêt de la Perdrix (1432 m), can admire a unique geological feature: “chirats”. This is the local name given to the rocky coulees that cover the steep slopes of the Pilat. The “chirats” were formed during the first Quaternary period and are very rare, the only other known examples are found in the Appalacian mountains.
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The Parc du Vercors lies between the Drôme and Isère, on the doorstep of both Provence and the great Alps, a real natural limestone fortress. Within its boundaries is France’s largest natural reserve: the reserve of the Vercors’ high plateaus, which, when covered by snow in the winter, resemble the Great North. The Parc des Monts d’Ardèche, established in 2001 following an initiative by local chestnut producers, has been created in the third mountainous region of the Rhône-Alpes, the Massif Central with its volcanoes. The 2 national parks and the 6 regional parks within the Rhône-Alpes region are obviously an integral part of the Charte Nationale du Développement Durable dans les Stations de Montagne (National Charter of Sustainable Development in Mountain Resorts) which is registered within the 1985 “loi Montagne” and is committed to maintaining a balance between development and protecting the natural mountain environment.
A sustainable
policy to protect the habitat, architectural heritage, conservation of landscapes and natural spaces, balanced management of energy and water resources, raising the awareness of all users… all of this makes up the list of requirements that must be followed scrupulously and as part of the Kyoto protocol (1998). You cannot take any chances with such an important environment! The gardens of Eden Gardens are greatly loved in the Rhône-Alpes and so are roses, the queen of flowers, found in most private gardens in the area. The region is at the fore of creating new varieties of rose. In 1898 the Ducher family created the world’s first yellow rose. In the Lyon area, the Guillet family specialises in growing old fashioned roses, including “Lamartine” which dates back to 1842 whilst “Meilland” roses, named after their creator, are award-winning blooms that are renowned throughout the world. There are tens of thousands of roses in Lyon’s Roseraie du Parc de la Tête d’Or, four areas that feature over 1000 varieties including wild roses as well as prize-winning roses. Every year the park awards a prize for France’s most beautiful rose. www.parc-tete-dor.com Residents of Lyon and visitors to the city are understandably mad about the avenues in the Parc de la Tête d’Or, which is sometimes known as Lyon’s “Central Park” because it is one of the largest city-centre parks in Europe and boasts more than 1,800 listed species of alpine plants. A recent addition, in 2006, is the 3-hectare Plaine Africaine with its 130 species of animals, including birds, which is the only one of its kind in Europe.
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However, since spring 2007, Lyon’s residents have enjoyed an alternative open space with the amazing development of the Berges du Rhône, 5 km of Rhône riverbank from the Parc de la Tête d’Or to Gerland (where the city’s famous football team plays, several times champions of France). Pedestrians, Vélo’V, roller blades, water sports, deckchairs, all making the best use of the river’s left bank via 5 areas featuring different activities. The trail is dotted with biographic plaques telling the life stories and achievements of 12 great European women, from Marlène Dietrich to Ellen Mac Arthur via Melina Mercouri and the Swede Anna Lindh. Another great garden enthusiast, the English writer Geraldine Holt, opens her “jardin de curé” at her home in Saint Montan, southern Ardèche, to the public. Naturally, alpine plants do best in those gardens that are especially reserved for them. In Samoëns, a delightful conservation village in the Haute Savoie, there is an alpine botanical garden, La Jaÿsinia that grows 5,000 species of mountain plants from 5 continents within the boundaries of its 3.5 hectare panoramic site.
It was the masterpiece of Marie Louise
Cognacq-Jaÿ, founder of the Paris department store La Samaritaine, who never forgot her birthplace, leaving it numerous legacies. www.samoens.com The Jardin des 5 Sens in Yvoire (Savoie), a medieval village set on the shores of Lake Geneva, was created at the foot of the 14th C château, based on medieval garden designs combining art and symbolism. www.jardin5sens.net Erik Borja’s Japanese garden: For the last 30 years, Erik has been developing his passion for gardens at his home in Beaumont Monteux. He has planted, sculpted vegetation, placed stones on sandy surfaces to mimic the sea, played with sounds of water, and dedicated all these secret places to the art of meditation. The garden is open to visitors year round by appointment, giving them the chance to discover this “Zen gardener” in his Japanese garden. The Jardin des Herbes at La Garde Adhémar. Daughter of a gardener-chef, Danielle Arcucci has inherited her father’s passion for plants. In 1990, she created the Jardin des Herbes at La Garde-Adhémar, one of France’s Plus Beaux Villages, to be a place of relaxation and pleasure but above all to be a place where other people can share a cultural knowledge of plants. The terraced garden covers an area of 3,000 m2. Its two levels contain almost 300 medicinal and aromatic herbs, all carefully grown and meticulously registered and labelled. The Drôme is top of the league in the production of aromatic, medicinal and scented plants.
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Le jardin botanique du domaine des Arômes : at the Domaine des Arômes, which belongs to the Sanoflore laboratory, in Gigors-et-Lozeron in the Drôme, there is a lovely trail through the botanical garden. Sanoflore manufactures and sells natural products such as essential oils and floral waters, all made from local plants that have been grown organically in its botanical garden. It also offers a whole range of organic cosmetics which are available at the factory shop. www.sanoflore.net Focus on the environnement As far as accommodation is concerned, Gîtes de France singles out those properties that are specifically environmentally friendly and markets them under their brand new label “gîtes de qualité environnementale” (or eco-gîtes). Any accommodation that has been awarded this label must ensure that it adheres to strict environmental requirements: energy saving and use of renewable energy (wood, solar…), better management of water resources, recycling and waste management, buildings that are sympathetic to the local landscape, use of locallysourced and environmentally-friendly building materials…
Nine eco-gîtes are currently
registered in the Rhône-Alpes region, in the Ain, Ardèche and Savoie. Another concept from Gîtes de France is Gîtes Panda, developed in partnership with the WWF (World Wildlife Fund), which must be located within a Natural Park. The Gîtes Panda label concentrates on environmental awareness.
Each property is equipped with an
information pack containing identification guides of local fauna and flora. There are 32 in the Rhône-Alpes region, located in the Chartreuse, Vercors, Pilat and Bauges parks. www.gites-rhone-alpes.org www.wwf.fr/campagnes/sejours_gites_panda With regard to open-air options, there are camp sites bearing the label “La Clef Verte” of which there are 16 in the Rhône-Alpes. One example is Domaine Les Ranchisses, a 4* site located at Largentière in the Ardèche, which launched its new Wellbeing centre, with covered swimming pool and fuelled by solar panels and heat pumps, during the summer 2008 season. www.lesranchisses.fr Another 4* site, La Colombière at Neydens in Haute Savoie, is also a registered Relais Découverte Energie which features various eco-friendly developments including the recycling of rainwater. www.camping-la-colombiere.com www.laclefverte.org
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Another regional feature are the high mountain refuges, accessible only by foot, which are looked after by wardens who are the most eco-aware people possible. The “petit chalet” close to the Tindarets refuge in Abondance is perched at an altitude of 1500 m in the “Portes du Soleil” mountain range and it can accommodate small groups of about ten people. When darkness falls, it operates by candlelight. www.refuge-tinderets.com The Sarenne refuge at Alpe d’Huez, situated at an altitude of 2000m and with stunning views over the Mieje, offers accommodation that is very welcoming and cosy.
The refuge is
operated using only renewable energy sources such as solar panels and a hydroelectric boiler. Guests are treated to fresh vegetables grown in the refuge’s mountain garden. www.refugedesarenne.com Open air activities that reinvigorate Regular bike or mountain bike? From Lake Geneva to the sea, by bike.
Whilst the banks of the river Rhône have been
beautifully developed along a 5 km stretch through Lyon, the cycle path that will run alongside the Rhône to link Lake Geneva with the Mediterranean will cover 650 km. It will be finished in 2013. At the moment there are already 40 km of cycle paths in the Ain, Savoie and Haute Savoie on which to train. www.dulemanalamer.com For a less challenging but equally enjoyable experience, why not get on your bike (or mountain bike) and dawdle along country roads. From Mont Blanc to the Rhône Valley, via the ponds of the Dombes and the Ardèche gorges, from the Monts du Beaujolais to the very edge of Provence, the region’s topography offers all sorts of possibilities to cycling enthusiasts. Which is the best corner to explore? With its thousand ponds, along flat roads shaded by centuries old plane trees, the Dombes is the ideal area for family cycling trips! There is a sign-posted route, made up of 2 loops from Villars-les-Dombes (65 and 70 km long), known as the Route des Etangs de la Dombes.
On the other hand, the Drôme offers
shimmering, rounded landscapes. Cyclists can enjoy a range of different challenges: from the Rhône Valley to the Vercors, there is something for everyone. A plus point is the Drôme’s excellent sign-posting along the trails, making it impossible to get lost. There is also the“Grand 8” in the Ain: starting out from Bellegarde-sur-Valserine, the ultra-athletic circuit is made up of two loops, one in the Haut-Bugey (139 km) and the other in the Pays de Gex (177 km). The route has been developed especially for cycle-tourism enthusiasts, keen to “collect” mountain passes: La Faucille (1323 m), La Biche (1325 m), Le Colombier (1534 m)… It is also worth noting that most of the “départements” have a network of sign-posted routes that have been especially created for cycle-tourists.
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Hiking, a winter and summer sport It’s a real craze, the latest way to make the most of the natural environment without destroying it, and it is also a mountain, either medium or high, and country sport that can be accessed by absolutely anyone. The whole family, from the very fittest to the very smallest, all together or separately, can shoulder their rucksack and take up their hiking pole. Taking the Giono trail in Drôme Provençale, attempting the Traversée du Plateau Ardéchois, exploring Mont Aiguille in the Vercors, the Dents Blanches and Mont Blanc – none of these hiking trails are over difficult, as they involve walking rather than mountaineering skills. For those who are perhaps a bit braver, more experienced and with an interest in glaciers, take the Mont Blanc Tramway from Le Fayet (580 m altitude) for a 13 km journey up to the Nid d’Aigle, which is at 2372 m altitude, and learn from glacier expert Luc Moreau about the history of the Bionnassay glacier and of the various alpine stages involved in the hike. At the other end of the scale, all-terrain baby buggies rented in the Savoie resort of Les Saisies enable Mum and Dad to hike along 3 easy footpaths that enjoy views over Mont Blanc, the Beaufortain, the Aravis. Including a quick stop at one of the local farms for some tea. There is something for everyone in the Rhône-Alpes, with 43,000 km of sign-posted hiking trails. The GR5 which goes from the Léman area to the Briançonnais area is, without a doubt, one of the most exhilarating in the whole of France. It’s a recognised footpath through the Grandes Alpes which gives users the chance to admire peaks reaching higher than 3000 m altitude as well as glaciers, to cross through the Vanoise and to skirt round the bottom of Mont Blanc. Golf, a fundamental activity in the Rhône Alpes The second most important golfing region in France, with about 60 courses on offer, the Rhône-Alpes is developing this vital feature with great attention to detail. Golf courses on flat plains, alongside lakes, up in the mountains, in the middle of scrubland, close to the region’s main towns and cities… the little white ball plays hide and seek amongst the lavender bushes, mountain peaks and green hedgerows. Climbing rocks to gain height Today rock climbers are no longer satisfied with mere granite walls in mountain areas. They test their skills on all sorts of different rocks and surfaces. One of their favourite places: the limestone cliffs of the Pre-Alps. For keen climbers, it is not necessarily the massive dimensions of the landscape that count but rather the technical challenge. There are amazing climbing sites like this in the Collines Rhodaniennes, in the northern Rhône. Climbers also seem to prefer climbing sites that are easy to get to, without having to take a long walk beforehand. There are any numbers of such sites throughout the Rhône Alpes region. The most popular of these:
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the sites of the Drôme, a top benchmark for modern-style climbing in the sunshine (Saou, Ombleze, Buis-les-Baronnies...) Get started with “ via ferrata” Having made their appearance during the First World War along the Franco-Italian border, the “via ferrata” trails allowed soldiers to access strategic positions in the mountains without having to know proper climbing techniques. To begin with they were just routes made up of ladders and cables.
Today they have been fitted out with steel cables and artificial
handholds embedded in the rock face, making sheer cliffs more accessible to beginners. There are several of these trails in the Maurienne, where the activity in France originated. The “via ferrata du diable” in Aussois-La Norma offers a combination of separate sections that are accessible to anyone and there is also a special trail for children: the “via ferrata des diablotins”. Paragliding, flying like a bird Paragliding is the most available of all the free-flying disciplines in the Rhône-Alpes. Because it is relatively easy to get into, it attracts increasing numbers of practitioners and is popular for novices, who can enjoy an accompanied first flight in a tandem paraglider. There are any number of clubs in the Rhône-Alpes, which can provide all the necessary information for people wanting to begin paragliding. The Ligue Rhône-Alpes de Vol Libre (LRAVL), which lists 160 clubs and 70 schools, is aimed at promoting free-flying and gliding and at enabling as many people as possible to access the sport via well-run, safe organisations. A paragliding flight offers a wonderful soaring feeling, providing an unforgettable experience. Paragliding requires a mild, mountain climate, with steady breezes and helpful thermals… which means that the Rhône-Alpes is France’s foremost region for the sport’s development. Don’t miss: in September, the international paragliding get-together called “la Coupe Icare”, at Saint Hilaire du-Touvet in the Chartreuse mountains.
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3 – Look no further for the big ski adventure! The world’s largest ski area Offering 160 ski resorts, 16 linked ski areas including the 3 Valleys (the largest linked area in the world with 600 km of slopes between Courchevel, Méribel, Les Menuires and Val Thorens) and Paradiski, the latest addition, plus 5,800 multi-level slopes, the Rhône-Alpes is at the top of the mountain tourism league with 37% of market share.
Quite simply, the region boasts the
world’s largest ski area. The Rhône Alpes has also hosted the Winter Olympics three times: Chamonix 1924, Grenoble 1969, Albertville 1992. It is also in 2 nd position of France’s most popular regions with tourists: registering over 150 million visitor nights each year. Resorts are divided into 7 large families. •
46 Grand Domaine resorts giving access to a linked ski area under a single pass.
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48 attractive villages which have signed up to the charter of Villages de Montagne, traditional villages without modern buildings and offering protected natural spaces.
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36 resorts offering the latest winter sports, with specialist instructors and safe facilities (snowpark, boardercross…).
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18 Club resorts that combine contemporary buildings and facilities, the latest ski equipment and easy access to other leisure activities and evening entertainment.
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21 Nordic resorts with “alternative” ski trails that are maintained on a daily basis.
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12 “altiforme” resorts offering balneotherapy facilities.
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24 “famille plus” resorts which are committed to a quality charter aimed at responding to the requirements of both parents and children enjoying a holiday on the slopes.
Glamorous resorts that attract glamorous people. Megève and Courchevel welcome the top celebrities from the whole world. Notably Tom Cruise who spent a holiday at Megève’s Fermes du Grand Champ.
The resort experienced
its hour of glory after the War, when all the great Parisian stars decamped from Saint Germain des Prés to bring a touch of glitz to this pretty mountain village that had been launched by the Rothschild family in 1910. The 1990s brought a new lease of life to the resort following the creation of Les Fermes de Marie.
A number of other luxurious hotels came next and Megève has regained its
international name and atmosphere whilst managing to retain all of its village charm. The Megève Polo Masters and the Snow Golf Cup have become events not to be missed by the world’s “beautiful” people. www.megeve.com
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“Courch” , as it is known by regular visitors, is the name for Courchevel 1850 with its lavish 4* hotels. There is a non-stop society life and numerous luxury boutiques. Jewel in the crown of the 3 Valleys, Courchevel is known throughout the whole world because of its strongest asset: its ski area. Most of the hotels are located on the edge of the slopes, which allows for ski-in/ski-out holidays. The resort inherited its atmosphere of recreation for everyone from Emile Allais, the former world downhill ski champion, who was the resort’s technical director for a number of years. www.courchevel.com The sunshine resort : Alpe d’Huez Alpe d’Huez, a resort in the ski area of the Massif des Grandes Rousses, is the sunniest resort in the northern Alps. It is also here that skiers can tackle Europe’s longest black slope, over 16 km, from the Sarenne glacier at an altitude of 3300 m to the resort at 1500m. All ski fanatics dream of “doing” the Sarenne. www.alpedhuez.com Chamonix, world famous Chamonix is the world’s 3rd most visited site. More than 40 nationalities come to the town each year, seduced by the grandeur of the area and the never-ending sporting options that are available in the Massif du Mont Blanc. Indeed it is possible to try every type of mountain sport in Chamonix. Mountaineering, obviously, tackling the highest peaks that surround this little town which grows from 6000 residents out of season to 50,000 in the summer and winter. It is also possible to enjoy top-level skiing in the Vallée Blanche ski area, but the less adventurous and children can have as much fun in the areas down below where skiers can enjoy both off-piste and beginners’ slopes. The love story between the British and Chamonix has been going on since 1741 when William Windham and Richard Pocock came to record the beauties of the valley. The first hotel was built in Chamonix in 1770, called, of course, the Hôtel d’Angleterre. www.chamonix.com Great sporting resorts: Tignes and Val d’Isère Tignes is a resort that never sleeps. This Haute Tarentaise resort’s clientele is largely young, athletic and energetic, keen to make the most of the summer skiing (on the Grande Motte glacier) as much as the winter skiing, and they celebrate the New Year with a trendy, outdoor party, dancing the night away to the hottest DJs.
For adrenaline addicts, there is
the well equipped Boardercross area plus safety tips available at Le Spot, giving people the chance to ski hard whilst limiting the risks. Worth noting… in Tignes, you get to ski before and after everyone else! www.tignes.net
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Val d’Isère has definitely earned the right to be considered one of the world ski capitals, with its Espace Killy which was named after the resort’s own downhill champion, Jean Claude Killy, famed for his unequalled performances during the Grenoble Winter Olympics in 1968 and his harvest of gold medals. The 131 slopes over 300 km of fantastic skiing, the area links Val d’Isère and Tignes. The village, located on the road that leads to the Iseran mountain pass, was able to take advantage of the 1992 Albertville Winter Olympics to get a makeover. With its “lauze” tiled roofs and stone houses, this is an upmarket, traditional village “par excellence”. www.valdisere.com Everyone’s invited to Val d’Isère in 2009, from 3 to 15 February, when this Haute Tarentaise resort located right at the heart of the Vanoise park will host the World Downhill Ski Championships ! www.valdisere2009.org Val Thorens, Europe’s highest resort The Dutch, British, Belgians and Scandinavians make up 70% of the clientele at Val Thorens, Europe’s highest resort at 2300 m altitude in the 3 Valleys ski area.
The resort is partly
pedestrianised, offering a car-free environment with access only for loading and unloading baggage and controlled car parks on the edge of the village. In addition to its 70,000m2 snow park, with permanent boardercross area, the resort boasts the longest toboggan run in France over a 6 km stretch of snow and a 700 m drop from 3000 m to 2300 m altitude. Great skiing available for at least 5 months of the year ! www.valthorens.com Les Deux Alpes and its glacier Established as a resort just after Chamonix, Les Deux Alpes is situated 75 km south-east of Grenoble and is one of the oldest resorts in France. Thanks to the Mont-de-Lans or Mantel glacier, which has very few crevasses and is one of the largest skiable glaciers in Europe, Les Deux Alpes is, like Tignes, one of the summer ski capitals and because of this, is particularly popular with a young, athletic clientele. In the summer, they happily abandon the glacier’s well-designed snow park located at 3000 m, to concentrate their energies on fast and furious mountain bikes downhill rides. www.les2alpes.com New generations that are putting money on the environment A collaborative project that involved ski instructor Robert Blanc and Roger Godino, mountain tourism development expert, and Charlotte Perriand, one of architect Le Corbusier’s protégés, the resort of Les Arcs, like La Plagne, has definitely made the most of its massive high altitude ski area. Currently being renovated to become more eco-friendly, the resort
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reorganised itself in 2003 to form the new Domaine Paradiski which covers 10,000 hectares between 1250 and 3250 m altitude. The Vanoise Express is the world’s largest cable car. www.lesarcs.com www.laplagne.com Further to the north, in the Haute Savoie, Avoriaz has adopted an environmental plan for any new building projects, to reduce pollution (the ski area’s management company is ISO 14001 certified) and to improve the resort, which is entirely car-free like its neighbour Flaine and has been since being founded 40 years ago. www.avoriaz.com The charm of village resorts Le Grand Bornand and its creamy cheese, the Reblochon; Samoëns, with its stone cutters and Cascades ski run (14 km); Les Gets and its Mechanical Music Museum ; Morzine and its traditions: wooden facades, ornamental balconies, roofs covered with locally produced slates; Valloire which brings tons of snow in from the neighbouring Col du Galibier for its ice and snow sculpting festival in January. www.legrandbornand.com www.lesgets.com www.morzine.com www.valloire.net The mountains, training ground for fitness enthusiasts The great vogue for spas has, of course, reached the mountains where, after a day’s hard skiing, it is wonderful to relax and enjoy a soothing massage or treatment. There are spas everywhere these days, in each resort and mountain range, and new ones are popping up every day. There are a number of well known spas, but top of the league is the one at Les Fermes de Marie in Megève which has been in operation since the 1990s. Within this beautiful little hamlet of abandoned old farmhouses that were brought from their mountain sites to be reconstructed in the village, guests can enjoy treatments from the “Fermes de Marie Beauty” beauty range developed by owner, Jocelyne Sibuet, based on mountain plants including edelweiss. A “Pure Altitude” Spa has also opened in the Hôtel Mont Blanc in Megève (under the same management). www.fermesdemarie.com - www.hotelmontblanc.com The 9 “spa and beauty” residences of the Compagnie de Gestion Hôtelière en Savoie et Haute Savoie. The Hameau du Beaufortain in Les Saisies, the Orée des Cimes in Peisey
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Vallandry, the Fermes de Sainte Foy in Tarentaise, the Cîmes Blanches in La Rosière, the Chalets du Gypse in Saint Martin de Belleville, the Ferme in Val Claret and the Nevada in Tignes, plus two new residences : the Hameau de Pierre Blanche in Les Houches and Les Granges du Soleil in La Plagne. www.cgh-residences.com The latest Club Med to be built in the Alps at Peisey Vallandry (4 tridents) offers a stunning view over the valley and also has an excellent Spa Nuxe that offers the only private spa in the Club Med to have room for romantic treatments “à deux”. In Chamonix, also at the Club Med, 5 Mondes products are used. www.clubmed.fr Still in Chamonix, the Bachal, which is housed in the delightful Hameau Albert 1er property with its mountain-influenced architecture, offers a whole range of different massages plus the special velvet treatment based on pink kaolin. www.hameaualbert.fr In Megève, the Compagnie des Hôtels de Montagne offers “Pure Altitude” spas in its properties: Les Fermes de Marie, the Lodge Park and the Hôtel du Mont Blanc, which feature treatments based on the 5 elements: glacier stones, wood, fresh water, fire and earth. www.c-h-m.com A new Relaxation and Fitness Centre has been built in Méribel’s Parc Olympique, consisting of a steam room, sauna, hydro-massage and 14-person jacuzzi as well as a rest room, serving tea and herbal infusions, that overlooks Mont Vallon. www.meribel.net Among the mountain thermal baths, those at Saint Gervais are able to use an exceptionally pure water that is filtered high up in the mountains at an altitude of 2468 m in the middle of the Mont Blanc mountain range and their array of various treatments includes anti-ageing and anti-smoking cures.
Saint Gervais is also a resort that is known for the quality of its
dermatological treatments. www.thermes-st-gervais.fr The spa in Brides les Bains focuses more on slimming treatments and also offers Spa and Ski packages in the winter. Take the cable car from the thermal resort up to the foot of the ski slopes in Méribel and ski all morning until 3 pm, then return to enjoy the benefits of the Spa for the rest of the afternoon. www.thermes-brideslesbains.fr The thermal baths at Allevard offers wellbeing cures for people who are fit and healthy but who want to get back in tune with their own bodies. For example, the Vitaherba cure which has been created by a Grenoble-based herbalist and combines age-old medicinal ingredients with thermal treatments. www.thermes-allevard.com
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It’s snowing new ideas! The mountains demonstrate a continuous dynamism, with resorts constantly seeking new recreational ideas to complement the skiing. This includes all the new-style snow sports as well as programmes of cultural events and cool sporting activities that exist alongside the more traditional skiing. In Avoriaz, “The Stash” is the first giant eco-snow park in Europe, a concept that has been imported from California. It is set in a large area of ungroomed powder snow and the slopes are dotted with hidden wooden obstacles. The 3 slopes meet up at a cabin amongst the pine trees where messages about how to limit impact on the environment are given out. www.avoriaz.com For all of those skiers who cannot resist powder snow, Les 2 Alpes has put in place a series of Free Respect sessions which teach about the dangers of the mountain and how to think ahead about risks during the winter season. Invented by Marc Dode, a former ski patrol member who is actively involved in the project, the Robocoaster is a 4-D simulator that is both an attraction and an educational tool. www.les2alpes.com Among the many hotels operating in the mountains, the symbolic Hôtel Morgane right in the centre of Chamonix boasts a very distinctive character. Strongly committed to sustainable development, it is one of the first mountain resort hotels to reduce energy consumption and achieve zero CO2 emissions.
Its minimalist décor and real mountain Spa have been
particularly successful with high numbers of British clients. www.morgane-hotel-chamonix.com A world exclusive, which is perhaps not very surprising considering it comes from the attractive Les Airelles hotel in Courchevel and which, it’s worth pointing out, has just added another 11 suites, is the 850 m2 spa with its enclosed, snail-shaped snow cave. An added bonus is the restaurant menu created by renowned chef, Pierre Gagnaire. www.airelles.fr Another piece of news among the plethora of new mountain-based initiatives is the renovation of the restaurant at the Hôtel Mont Blanc in Megève, Les Enfants Terribles, which was frequented by such well-known names as Cocteau (he named the restaurant during the filming of his book of the same name), Jeanne Moreau, Gérard Philippe, Françoise Sagan, Brigitte Bardot… www.hotelmontblanc.com
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Heaven for fans of the cold stuff If they don’t already exist, you can bet that some inventive sports and mountain enthusiast somewhere will come up with new snow sports. And recreation organisers in the various mountain resorts will be working hard to provide more gentle activities for families and individuals who love the mountain environment but don’t necessarily want to push themselves physically. Which leads to… Active sports enthusiasts keen to try out the latest thrills. Mountaineering is not strictly a snow sport, but it is definitely the queen of high mountain activities. Almost 200 sites are available in the summer, of course, either developed or not. Winter mountaineering, on the other hand, can involve climbing on icy surfaces such as frozen waterfalls. For example, the site at Sixt Fer à Cheval features some of the very best, where Christophe Rezette, a young guide, takes clients to see the “gueules glacées”, explaining that “learning on frozen surfaces is easier than the rock face in the summer”. Climbers have to make their own hand and foot holds in the ice. www.tofski.com There are some climbing fans who prefer the limestone cliffs of the Pre-Alps or the rocky sites in the hills of the Rhône Valley or those, rather more sunny, in the Drôme. Thanks to ladders, cables, bars and bridges, it is possible to climb surfaces that would otherwise be totally inaccessible, which no doubt explains the success of the various Via Ferrata courses (still a summer sport). They are everywhere in the mountains. In the Alps as well as in the southern mountains between Diois, Trièves, Dévoluy and Vercors.
The only
condition is, in guide-speak, “ne pas craindre le gaz”, or not to suffer from vertigo! In the summer, glide sports remain popular, speeding down slopes and paths on mountainboards that are half-snowboard/half-skateboard. The resort of Les Saisies in Savoie is the best place to try it out. www.lessaisies.com For people who come from flatter landscapes, it’s not a bad idea to learn how to drive in snow conditions. In Alpe d’Huez, Flaine, Tignes or Chamrousse, ice driving lessons give people the techniques and confidence to drive better and without fear. Flaine and Tignes boast driving schools that are licensed to give lessons on ice. www.pro-driver.com www.circuitglace.com www.circuit-glace-tignes.com www.espacegliss.fr/conduite.html
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Rhône-Alpes is the only region in France where it is possible to go hiking on glaciers. It’s an activity that takes place between June and September, largely in the Mont Blanc mountain range and on the Blanc glacier in Les 2 Alpes. However, proper equipment including ropes and crampons is necessary plus the company of a Guide de Haute Montagne. For enthusiasts of wild skiing, there’s ski mountaineering or mountain skiing, mostly in the Beufortain in Arêches Beaufort, which holds an annual race called the Pierra Menta. It is one of the finest in the world, together with the Trophée Mezzalama in Italy and Patrouille des Glaciers in Switzerland. Participants use skins on their skis to go up and then come back down at great speed through the rocks and pine trees. www.areches-beaufort.com The 1992 Albertville Winter Olympics left a priceless gift in La Plagne – France’s only bobsleigh, luge and skeleton track. Some of the top champions come to train on this 1500 m track, with its 19 bends, considered the most difficult in the world. At the end of the day, after any competitions and training sessions, the track is open to the public. Gentle activities The various resorts of the Jura, the Vercors, the Chartreuse, the Monts du Forez, the Drôme, the Isère and the Ain offer lots of well marked trails for snowshoe activities, cross-country skiing and dog sledding. These are growing sports throughout the whole mountain area and are proving increasingly popular. Worth noting in particular, the Village Trappeur at the Col du Mont Cenis in the Haute Maurienne mountain range, which has set up home in tipis at an altitude of 2083 m and gives dog-sledding lessons to beginners. It conjures up images of the frozen North, and the view of the lake at Mont Cenis from the summit of the pass is breathtakingly beautiful. Children absolutely love this sort of adventure, which takes place just a short distance from the Polar Base that is built annually by the mountain infantry to house the teams of dogs taking part in La Grande Odyssée, a major dog sledding race through the Alps every January, via 20 different resorts. www.husky-adventure.net Something completely new for Villars de Lans in the Vercors, which is attracting lots of attention from other resorts. The Colline des Bains is a special dedicated area for the latest snow sports and for gentle, introductory lessons. Sledging track, timed speed skiing slope, family-friendly sledging and rubber-ring track. www.ot-villard-de-lans.fr
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For enthusiasts of the less energetic snow sports who would nevertheless like to try something a little different, there’s the Kanata igloo village in Valmorel. Kanata means “village” and “civilisation” in Canadian Inuit language. http://kanata.igloo.free.fr In either its skating or classic form, cross-country skiing dominates in the Monts-Jura Nordic ski area. This resort in the Ain is renowned for its wooded slopes and natural environment. Set off from here to discover the Vattay plateau for an initiation in skating technique. The peaks of the Monts Jura offer a stunning panoramic view over Lake Geneva and the Alps. The perfect altitude for enjoying views of the highest 4000 m peaks and the 400 km of Alpine mountains, from Oberland in the southern Alps via the Mont Blanc range! www.monts-jura.com Snowy places that offer something different plus adventure You may or may not know, but experienced skiers can take the opportunity to ski down the famous Kandahar slope. The revered “Verte” in Les Houches can also be attempted in the company of a guide. A bit like a historic monument. The famous “ Verte” slope in Les Houches is, in fact, a black slope that falls 870 m in altitude and is 3343 m long. The world’s best skiers can complete it in 2 minutes. Its name comes from the fact that it is surrounded by pine trees and, in freezing conditions, it tends to take on a greenish sheen. Find out more on the following websites. www.laverte.com ; www.leshouches.com and www.chamonix.com In some resorts the trendiest options include telemark and ski joëring.
The latter involves
being towed behind a horse, whereby skiers discover the old-fashioned ski lift method. It’s one of the specialities of Les Arcs! And it’s an ancient method of getting up mountains, as proved by evidence found in Sweden that dates back to 2500 BC. In Finnish, “joëring” means “towed”. Which pretty much sums up the activity of going out to ski, pulled by a horse. www.lesarcs.com Anyone who has tried ice diving says that they’re ready to do it again. They certainly must have good reasons for wanting to do it. There’s Lac de Vonnes, in Châtel, at an altitude of 1242 m, for example.
For those who are a little braver or who have already had a go
somewhere else and enjoyed the experience, what about the Robert lakes at 2000 m altitude in Chamrousse – under the vigilant eye of an instructor, of course. The Dive Xtrem leaders are celebrating their second mountain season. They take their clients up to the lake on skis or on foot using the ski lifts, and the experience underwater lasts for between 20 and 30 minutes. Time enough to admire the ice, the bubbles, the play of light and colours and to enjoy the sky from below, whilst also having the chance to observe some of the freshwater fauna. www.divextreme.fr and www.chamrousse.com
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One of the latest extreme sports is snowkiting which has come from kitesurfing. Steep sites are not needed for snowkiting, just large areas of open sky to enable take off. It really is like flying. Participants just need to come along with their snowboard or skis. The instructor provides a kite, which will then take them off the slopes wherever the wind takes them. In fact snowkiting is rather like hiking, and you shouldn’t be misled by the photos which always show spectacular jumps whereas usually it’s rather more like a “relaxing” extreme sport. Arnaud Dépée is one of the expert trainers in the sport. He heads up a school in Sevrier and he insists that it’s possible to learn how to snowkite at any age, and an ideal location is the Semnoz plateau. One of the discipline’s pioneers, Arnaud Dépée receives requests to find the best snowkiting sites throughout the Alps. Which basically means anywhere that has wide, open spaces! www.snowkiteschool.fr The first Winter Olympics were held in 1924 in Chamonix. In 1968 it was the turn of Grenoble and then, for the third time in the Rhône-Alpes, it was the Albertville Winter Olympics in 1992.
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4 - Rhône Alpes, the land of blue gold Landscapes fashioned by water The biggest freshwater reservoir in France, the region represents 40 % of the country’s heritage of lakes and reservoir dams and produces 40 % of its hydro-electricity. There are 7,000 km of rivers, 18 lakes that are bigger than 50 hectares including 13 that are over 100 hectares and 100 hectares plus for the 3 biggest. Last, but not least, the region boasts 400 km2 of glaciers. La Dombes with its thousand ponds is also home to the famous Parc des Oiseaux in Villars les Dombes.
Located on the bird migration route, it is a popular site for both amateur and
professional birdwatchers. The Route des Etangs de la Dombes winds around the 1600 ponds that make up this unusual landscape, ideal for angling enthusiasts. They certainly wouldn’t want to miss the annual emptying of more than 300 ponds between October and December. Over a total 215 km distance, get on your bike to follow the southern route or use your car for the northern route. www.ain-tourisme.com The Gorges de l’Ardèche, a stunning site that is also listed as a Natural Reserve, can only be accessed on foot or by boat. During a mini 6 km trip, you will go under the naturally-created arch known as the Pont d’Arc which reaches a height of 60 m. Legend tells that it was made by the Devil. A longer trip, 32 km, will take one or two days to wind through the Natural Reserve with a night spent under canvas. www.gorgedelardeche.fr The Orgnac swallowhole is one of the largest craters in the world and, via its 500 m trail that drops 120 m, offers spectacular landscapes and vast underground chambers. Together with the Choranche cave in the Vercors Regional Natural Park, it has just applied to be considered as a Unesco World Heritage site. Choranche is in the Gorges de la Bourne and is renowned for its emerald-coloured lake. Its waters are a combination of 2 underground rivers that join together at the lake and then emerge a little further away. A series of waterfalls and pools of crystal clear water in the cave form a lively river, the Serpentine, that reflects the long white stalactites some of which measure 3m in length. www.orgnac.com/aven.htm and www.grottes-de-choranche.com
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Waterfalls are the crowning glory of the Grand Massif in the Vallée du Haut Giffre, which has been awarded the label “Grand Site de France”. In the summer there are 12 waterfalls that plunge down impressive limestone cliff faces and in the spring, when the snows melt, the total rises to 30. The Rouget waterfall, known as the Queen of the Alps, is a particularly outstanding celebrity. It’s even thought that the waters will cure infertility. Which might explain why there are lots of tourists who come to the base of the waterfall to freshen up and enjoy the splashing water. www.sixtferacheval.com The Rhône and Saône rivers come together in Lyon in stunning fashion, and where they meet new buildings are springing up to create a sort of Manhattan district within Lyon, surrounded by company headquarters and floating island restaurants. Way up stream, the river god begins life in a mountain stream, labours its way through Lake Geneva and ends up in Lyon having collected various tributaries along the way, permitting various societies to establish themselves on its banks. The Saône is a small, quiet river that crosses through the Ain, flooding and fertilising its banks on a regular basis. When it meets up with France’s most powerful river there’s a touch of emotion, of romanticism perhaps, which have influenced artists such as the Coustou brothers to create symbolic works of art like the statue placed on Place Bellecour in the centre of Lyon. www.fleuverhone.com and www.saone.org France’s longest river, the Loire, which travels 1,012 km from its source on Mont Gerbier de Jonc in the Ardèche and its wild gorges dotted with châteaux that overlook the surrounding area of Saint Etienne, recall the scenery of southern Germany. There is an abundance of nature, fauna and flora. The region of large lakes Hundreds of lakes and ponds, mostly located in the Ain, Dauphiné, Savoie and Haute Savoie, bring an icy cool freshness to the summits during summer heat waves. They make up a total area of 35,000 hectares. Covering 58,326 hectares ,Lake Geneva is shared between France and Switzerland, and features well-known towns such as Thonon, Divonne and Evian on the French side. It is a real inland sea and the 50km of French shoreline are often known as the Little Riviera. The mild climate is thought to be beneficial for stress-related conditions. Trips on the lake are popular, especially on board a traditional Savoie fishing vessel. So romantic… www.leman-sans-frontiere.com - www.barquelasavoie
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Annecy’s lake, just 50 km away from Lake Geneva, offers 2,700 hectares of the purest waters in Europe and luxurious shorelines. It’s in Talloires that American tourists are most at home. And who can blame them…? www.lac-annecy.com As for France’s largest natural lake (over 4,000 hectares), the Lac du Bourget is also the deepest and the most romantic… having inspired some of the finest poetry by Lamartine. The towns of Bourget du Lac and Aix les Bains have long been admired. Particularly by the British who left numerous architectural legacies and even a statue of Queen Victoria, who came regularly to take the waters. www.bourgetdulac.com Numerous species of freshwater fish live in these various stretches of water, including char, polian and perch, all of which are served up in local restaurants. We shoudn’t forget the pretty mountain lakes either, set high up at over 2000 m altitude and frozen over in the winter. Some of these include the Lac de Roselend in the Beaufortain, Lac du Goléon at 2450 m in the Oisans mountain range and the Lac Blanc at 2352 m altitude that can be reached by footpath and from where you can enjoy a fantastic panoramic view over the Aiguilles de Chamonix and Mont Blanc. The Lac de la Plagne is situated at an altitude of 2,144 m and the unrivalled colour of its waters is due to its depth. Water for keeping fit There are countless spa centres in the region, a real “must do”, where the water and its health-giving properties are major assets. Examples of some of the most unusual and the most popular… The quaint, flamboyant charm of Evian’s Hôtel Royal with its bright white façade, its immense grounds and its baroque style definitely required an upmarket Spa. Its sister hotel, the Hotel Ermitage, located at the other side of the grounds boasts a spa that specialises in tellutherapy, including mineral treatments, hot stones etc. The Buddha Bar Spa at the Hilton hotel, opposite the Thermal baths and Lake Geneva, is one of Evian’s essential places to visit. The town was once the favourite place for Russian tsars to come and take the waters. In fact, Russian clients remain some of the most enthusiastic and loyal clients. www.evianlesbains.hilton.fr Still on the shores of Lake Geneva, the Atelier Beauté at the Domaine de Divonne, a member of the Leading Hotels of the World, uses Anne Sémonin products which are at the forefront of Spa treatments. www.domaine-de-divonne.com
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Since time immemorial the sulphurous waters of Uriage, which are excellent for skin conditions, have been enjoyed by some of the most famous thermal enthusiasts including Colette and Sacha Guitry. The Napoloen III-style Grand Hôtel’s Spa, just a short distance from Grenoble towards the ski resort of Oisans, has a number of loyal fans. www.grand-hotel-uriage.com In Vonnas, the Ain village that’s been almost totally taken over by 3 Michelin-starred chef Georges Blanc, any excesses from the restaurant’s excellent food can be offset in the Spa Mosaïc which is located next to the main building and is directly accessible from the beautifully-decorated bedrooms with their traditional Bresse furniture.
The spa is housed
within a former orangery and has windows that open out into a lush garden. www.georgesblanc.com As for the City Cure de Lyon Plage in Lyon, this is the only spa of its kind anywhere. It has the usual treatments but also boasts an Olympic-sized swimming pool within a 2,500 m2 centre at the Hôtel Métropole, facing the river Saône. However, it’s also possible to organise a weeklong package, with treatments for fitness, slimming or anti-stress without even having to leave town. www.lyon-plage.com Waters that you can drink There are over 30 mineral waters in the Rhône-Alpes, including some of the world’s best known names such as Badoit, Thonon and Evian.
The latter is seen in films and TV series
throughout the whole world, especially when the scene requires a character to swallow a mouthful of water elegantly and with style … Some of the waters are rare and have amazing properties. But you should not make the mistake of thinking that they all have the same taste. Following the runaway success of water bars, the mineral waters of the Rhône-Alpes have created a menu matching certain foods with particular waters and the results are impressive and noticeable. Water from Aix les Bains is best as an apéritif, because it’s the most “aromatic”. César spring water from Saint Alban les Eaux in the Loire is best drunk with salad because of its green wood and almond notes. The fine bubbles of Arcens, a sparkling water from the Ardèche, goes well with spicy food whilst Evian water is ideal for drinking with sauces and cheeses. For dessert, Thonon water is the best (promoted by Marc Veyrat, who is a 3 Michelin-starred chef in Annecy) and is also popular with children because of its soft, slightly sweet taste.
The list
continues…
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Dynamic white waters The region boasts an abundance of hiking trails that take in some form of water along the way, giving walkers the chance to bathe in moving, white waters or in lakes. Another waterbased activity is fishing, either in streams, rivers or other suitable stretches of water both small and large. One of the more energetic activities is kayaking, especially in the waters of the famous Gorges de l’Ardèche, whitewater rafting and whitewater swimming or hydrospeeding in the river Arve at the bottom of Mont Blanc, as well as in the river Giffre near Samoëns in the Haute Savoie. The Doron de Bozel, which is a tributary of the thundering river Isère, offers a pleasant, shady environment for taking exercise.
The Isère is also a river that doesn’t need any
introduction, having hosted three world kayaking championships. Its source is at the Iseran mountain pass and it is fed by the melting snow from the glaciers of the Vanoise, all of which combine to make it an extremely fast-running river. Franceraft offers river descents on rafts, canoe-rafts or airboats, plus whitewater swimming. www.franceraft.com Canyoning can be done anywhere that mountain streams have carved out secret gorges. In the Vercors, the Massif de la Chartreuse, the Bauges, the Maurienne, the Aravis… The activity has led to the creation of water-based hikes, a refreshing combination of swimming, walking, jumping, sliding down rock faces. Calmer activities include sailing, windsurfing and other water sports, and two lakeside towns, awarded water sports resort status by France Nautisme, Aix les Bains on the shores of Lac du Bourget and Thonon les Bains on Lake Geneva, are the only two not to be located on the coast. www.france-nautisme.com www.aixlesbains.com www.thononlesbains.com Gastronomic and recreational cruises A region that is so focused on its gastronomic strengths will certainly attract visitors to board the Livia, a boat that has been especially kitted out to provide healthy, tasty menus. Two cooks from Vienne in the Isère have chartered the Livia, offering 2 ½ hour boat trips between Vienne and Condrieu, through the area’s northern Côtes du Rhône vineyards. www.bateau-livia.com
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High calibre cruises are organised on both the river Rhône and the Saône, and one company that cruises regularly with large leisure boats is Naviginter. www.naviginter.fr Thrill seekers can head for Lac de Monteynard in the Isère, just 35 km to the south of Grenoble, for a boat trip that has a feel of the Great North explorations about it. On board the Mira, they will explore the scenery of gorges and canyons. www.sud-dauphine.com/lamira Finally, and perhaps inevitably considering poet Larmartine’s fondness for the lake at Aix les Bains, tourists can enjoy the region’s most romantic cruises, “Les Amants du Lac”. These are night-time cruises, drifting along with the current, accompanied by music by Schubert and gently rocked to the sound of water lapping the boat.
Ideal conditions for a romantic
proposal! Thermalism’s health-giving benefits With its 15 thermal resorts which attract almost 100,000 people taking the waters, the RhôneAlpes is France’s top thermal region. At the top of the list of regions boasting health-giving waters. But all the towns that are lucky enough to have naturally health-giving waters also offer a range of wellbeing treatments, including anti-stress, anti-smoking, detox and slimming, all of which are growing in popularity largely because a week’s intensive treatment seems to help people take control of their health and fitness, reversing many of their bad habits. Aix les Bains has always been very successful, even as far back as Roman times as proved by the discovery of ruins showing ancient thermal baths. It is the oldest thermal resort. Up in the hills, the Chevalley Thermal baths are a delightful example of modern architecture offering any number of therapeutic treatments.
Two large pools, one indoors containing
thermal waters and one outdoors containing fresh water, have Jacuzzi baths, countercurrents, beds and chairs with water jets and spouts. There are also saunas, steam rooms and a gym. www.thermaix.com
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Brides les Bains’ waters have the simple job of making people slimmer. The warm spring water Hybord, available on prescription, is drinking water that “cleans” the digestive tract and contains properties that are appetite suppressants. Which means that the healthy eating programmes given out are much easier to follow. As for the cold water, it is a strong diuretic and can be consumed freely. And then there are the various treatments offered by the lovely spa, with its oriental décor, including herb steam baths, infusions, ice fountain to refresh and stimulate the skin and any number of other slimming treatments that are provided under the supervision of nutritionists who also offer follow-up calls once the client returns home. www.thermes-brideslesbains.fr
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5 - From ancient to modern – the history of the Rhône Alpes A historical record that is listed and conserved, from prehistoric times to the current day. Right at the beginning came the Chauvet cave in the Ardèche… The rock paintings which were discovered there, purely by chance, in December 1994 are the oldest ever recorded to this day (31,000 years old) and are older than the famous Lascaux paintings. Obviously, in order to ensure that the paintings remain undamaged and available for researchers, the site is not open to the general public. However, there are 13 caves along the length of the Gorges de l’Ardèche which are the most visited in France.
They
demonstrate that this region was one of the major centres of paleolithic art and probably haven’t yet revealed all of their secrets. The Musée Régional de la Préhistoire close to the Aven d’Orgnac provides answers to lots of questions about this particular period in history. www.orgnac.com During the neolithic period, about 5,000 years ago, dwellings were established near to sources of water. Which explains why ruins of vilages were found dotted around the Lac d’Annecy and Lac du Bourget. These ruins are now displayed at the Musée Savoisien in Chambéry. The Larina archeological park in northern Isère displays a number of prehistoric homes. The village was inhabited until the 7th C. www.musee-larina-hieres.com It was during this period that Lyon, which was founded over 2,000 years ago, began to establish itself as one of the major European crossroads. The Musée Gallo-Romain at LyonFourvière displays vestiges of this period 43 BC when Lyon, which was known as Lugdunum, was the capital of Gaul.
Its archeological collections are some of the most precious in
France in a city that boasts 174 historic monuments and 35 museums amid the region’s total 200. Which places it in second place behind Ile de France. In partnership with Lyon’s museum, the Musée Gallo-Romain de Saint Romain en Gal in Vienne displays ruins of a whole district of a Roman town, with its mosaics and paintings. www.musees-gallo-romains.com When twilight falls on the riverbanks of the Saône, Lyon is suffused with a light that is reminiscent of Florence. Perhaps one of the reasons why the Medicis spent so much time and money to develop the city and, in Vieux Lyon, left the largest Renaissance architectural legacy anywhere in Europe, now a Unesco-listed heritage site.
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Like Venice, St Petersburg and Porto, Lyon is part of the exclusive worldwide club of great listed and protected urban sites. Over 3 million visitors stay in Lyon every year. The city is famous for its painted walls that tell the story of Lyon’s daily life in “trompe l’œil” scenes.
There’s the dragon from Shangaï, a mural that was painted by Shi Qi Ren, the
Chinese city’s most famous artist, to celebrate 20 years of cooperation between the RhôneAlpes and Shangaï. In the evening, Lyon’s monuments are impressively lit, proof of one of the city’s specialist skills. About 30 cities, members of the LUCI Association (Lighting Urban Community International), which is chaired by Lyon, commission Lyon’s own lighting engineers to light up their monuments. A technique which comes into its own during the annual Fête des Lumières. It takes place in Lyon over a 4-day period around the 8 th December and there are over 70 illuminated sites for public enjoyment. About 4 million visitors come to the area between the two rivers, Rhône and Saône, for the event. The festival has been in existence for the last 150 years. At the beginning, Lyon’s residents used to place little candles in their windows to thank the Virgin Mary for saving them from the plague. www.lyon-france.com www.lumieres.lyon.fr Well-known architects and artists are regularly asked to create high quality buildings in Lyon. Take for example Jean Nouvel’s Opéra de Lyon, Renzo Piano’s design of the Cité Internationale, Santiago Calavatra’s work on the great wings of the TGV station at the city’s Aéroport Saint Exupéry, Daniel Buren’s plans for the Place des Terreaux. And, before them, the great names such as Philibert Delorme and Tony Garnier in the Gerland district. The Musée des Beaux Arts de Lyon is one of the greatest museums in France as well as in Europe. The reputation of this collection of 70 rooms housed within a 17 th C building, which also has a quiet garden set back from the Place des Terreaux, has earned it the name “Lyon’s Louvre”. It has recently acquired a National Treasure (which means that it cannot be sold either to private collectors or foreign museums), the painting by Nicolas Poussin of “Fuite en Egypte ” which was completed between 1657 and 1658. It was bought for 17 million euros, raised by generous donors. www.mba-lyon.fr
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Rhône-Alpes is the cradle of contemporary art and its museums are quickly assimilated into the scenery of its cities. In Lyon, the MAC was creatred in 1983 and was then subsequently installed on the site of the Cité Internationale on the edge of the Parc de la Tête d'Or. Almost all of the art works were created especially for the museum, but it also organises prestigious exhibitions such as that of Keith Haring, an American underground artist, symbolic of the 1980s, which was held in spring 2008. www.moca-lyon.org However, this trend is even more obvious in Saint Etienne, a green city “par excellence” (surrounded by the Monts du Forez) and spread out over 7 hillsides, which establishes its distinctive design. La Cité du Design is a platform for creative, educational and research work. The museum organises the Biennale du Design, the next edition of which will be held in November 2008. www.citedudesign.com The city’s Musée d’Art Moderne boasts over 15,000 works of art from Picasso, Soulages, Léger and Dubuffet to Calder, Oldenbourg… And areas dedicated to Le Corbusier, who was a great friend of Firminy’s mayor, Eugène Claudius-Petit. www.mam-st-etienne.fr The legacy of Le Corbusier at Firminy-Vert, especially the Eglise Saint Pierre and the Maison de la Culture, is the largest site in Europe to be created by this famous architect and second after Chandigarh in India in the world. It is a listed Monument Historique. http://lecorbusier.ville-firminy.fr In Grenoble, where the rivers Isère and Drac meet, life is inextricably linked with its mountain surroundings and the city’s profile was improved immensely following the Winter Olympics of 1968. Grenoble is France’s second largest centre of scientific research. Stendhal’s birthplace boasts one of Europe’s most important museums for its collections that range from Egyptian antiquity through to modern art. www.museedegrenoble.fr In Chambéry, in Savoie, adequate time is needed to wander round the Maison des Charmettes where Jean Jacques Rousseau spent 6 years with Madame de Warens.
A
genuine destination for literary pilgrimage. www.mairie-chambery.fr
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In the Drôme, outside its capital Valence, where the Drôme meets the Ardèche, a site that is worth visiting is the Palais Idéal du Facteur Cheval in Hauterives. The masterpiece of an imaginative sculptor who used the pepples he’d collected during his mail deliveries to create this work of art. Precursor of Gaudi and Dali without even knowing it, Picasso was one of his admirers. www.facteurcheval.com Also noteworthy, in Romans, the capital of luxury footwear, is the impressive collection of 13,000 pieces that trace 4,000 years of shoe-making housed within a former convent. www.ville-romans.com There are also numerous museums in the Ain, in particular the Musée d’Art Rural in Saint Triviers de Courtes, which is located in a 16 th farmhouse that boasts a distinctive sarrasine chimney with its elaborate mitre. The Royal Monastery in Brou is home to the Musée de Bourg en Bresse. The monastery was founded in 1506 by Marguerite d’Autriche to celebrate the love she felt for her husband, Philibert le Beau, Duke of Savoy, who died tragically young. www.bourg-en-bresse.org Annecy merits its reputation as a city of beauty and charm. Capital of the Haute Savoie, its old town and lakeside spaces offer the ideal spot for romantic walks. In the valleys of Savoie, the Chemins du Baroque take visitors on a trail of discovery around almost 60 churches with their monumental altarpieces, paintings and gildings. They were treated to a comprehensive renovation programme as part of the cultural enhancements linked to Albertville’s Winter Olympics in 1992. www.savoie-patrimoine.com There are a number of “villages de charme” in the Rhône-Alpe, that are officially recognised as such. The medieval houses of Pérouges, former weaving town, overlook the Rhône valley; Yvoire; Bonneval sur Arc, the only village with its roofs tiled with traditional “lauzes” to have escaped the widespread destruction in the Haute Maurienne during the war. La Garde Adhémar in Tricastin; Mirmande; Montbrun les Bains; le Poët Laval and the perched villages of the Drôme; Balazuc and Voguë in Ardèche, with their round tiles, combine a southern life and a medieval past.
sense of
And then there is the village of Oingt in the Beaujolais,
which has just been listed and which is part of the Circuit des Pierres Dorées…
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Living Silk The guide “Désir de soie” that is available from the Office du Tourisme du Grand Lyon, was created by present-day silk workers who wanted to recount the history of silk working whilst at the same time expressing their hopes for the future. It contains a plethora of addresses and information. Introduced during the reign of Louis XI, it was under the rule of François 1 st that the amazing story of Lyon’s silk industry began, with the creation of Lyon’s first silk factory. The silk business is both painstaking and flamboyant and for a long time it remained exclusive to Lyon, ideally located for handling the silk cocoons bred in the Ardèche and throughout the southern part of the region. Enthusiasts of this light, precious fabric will delight in a guided tour. Along the way, they will discover the Mur des Canuts, a trompe-l’œil mural painted on a 1,200 m2 surface in the Croix Rousse district ; silk weaving demonstrations at the Soierie Vivante workshop ; the living academy of silk-based arts and its impressive collection of weaving trades at the Maison des Canuts and other Musées de Lyon, where silk is ever present. The Musée Gadagne in Vieux Lyon dedicates two rooms to the history of Lyon’s silk industry and the Musée des Tissus et des Arts Décoratifs is the only museum in the world to display 4,500 years of history of textiles, from Coptic fabrics to the current day. As far as shopping is concerned, there are numerous factory shops like that of BoutonRenaud in Rue Royale, the permanent market selling Lyon-produced silk in the Bianchini-Férier shop where you can buy brocades, muslins, velvets, gold and silver silks. www.soierie-vivante.asso.fr www.maisondescanuts.com www.museegadagne.com www.musee-des-tissus.com www.lyon-france.com
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6 – Rhône-Alpes, land of luxury and antiques A luxury lifestyle The towns and cities of the Rhône Alpes region enjoy a well-established reputation for good taste. There are some genuinely beautiful places as well as designers with an eye for inspiring décor. The city of Lyon boasts magnificent boutique hotels.
The Cour des Loges, in the old
Renaissance district with its Florentine style, is just one of those. Its 62 4* rooms are all different and have been tastefully decorated by owner Jocelyne Sibuet, one of the leading hotel designers, who also owns Les Fermes de Marie in Megève and all the properties that belong to the Compagnie des Hôtels de Montagne. www.courdesloges.com and www.c-h-m.com The Casino de Charbonnières on the outskirts of Lyon has been, from the very beginning, a hugely popular venue, with its Michelin-starred restaurant and its old-fashioned charm. It has become France’s top Casino.
La Rotonde restaurant, boasting 2 Michelin stars, has
subsequently been joined by a hotel “Le Pavillon de la Rotonde ” , the epitome of luxury and elegance. Its spa offers relaxation and wellbeing treatments using Annayake and Orlane products. www.pavillon-rotonde.com The view from the gardens of the Villa Florentine is stunning, with the Alps in the distance and the roofs of Vieux Lyon in the foreground.
This beautiful property, part of the Relais et
Châteaux hotel network, was once the home of a religious community.
The reception,
previously the chapel, is decorated with superb 18 th C frescoes. www.villaflorentine.com The Royal, a real little gem, is a former elegant townhouse located in the city centre on Place Bellecour that is now a guest house run by the Institut Paul Bocuse as a training school for its students. Cosy décor with “toiles de Jouy”, family portraits, Guignol figurines, the hotel offers 76 rooms and suites. Breakfast, with its fresh juices sourced from Lyon’s orchards, is a genuine feast. Enjoy a traditional Lyon “mâchon” or breakfast snack. www.lyonhotel-leroyal.com Another upmarket guest house worth seeking out is Les Hautes Bruyères, housed in a former gardener’s cottage in Ecully, next door to the Institut Paul Bocuse and just 10 minutes away from Lyon. With rooms that bear delightful names such as Le Pigeonnier or La Romantique, the guest house is equally popular with business clients as with lovers who come for Saint Valentine’s Day or on honeymoon when they can enjoy an excellent breakfast outdoors on the terrace along with the garden’s squirrels. www.lhb-hote.fr
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Château de Bagnols was built in the 13 th C in the area of the Pierres Dorées, surrounded by Beaujolais vineyards. This 4* luxury hotel, which is popular with celebrities such as Tom Cruise and other members of the jet set who enjoy the guarantee of discretion during their stay, is now open year round. Listed as a Monument Historique, it is one of France’s architectural treasures that has been sumptuously renovated. www.chateaudebagnols.com Courchevel probably boasts the largest concentration of 4* luxury hotels. In addition to the Airelles, with its Austrian-style décor, which is a boutique hotel worth all the superlatives you can think of, there is also the Annapurna which is visible throughout the resort, the Byblos des Neiges which rivals its alter ego in Saint Tropez, the Carlina located on the edge of the Bellecôte slope, the Cheval Blanc and its Givenchy Spa, the Lana and the Kilimandjaro. But there are many others… www.airelles.fr
www.chevalblanc.com
www.annapurna-courchevel.com
www.hotelkilimandjaro.com
www.byblos.com
www.lelana.com
www.hotelcarlina.com
www.courchevel.com
In Megève, the Chalet du Mont d’Arbois, former hunting lodge belonging to the Rothschild family, was the first property to announce with a fanfare its first-class attractions. In a more genuine, traditional mountain style, the Fermes de Marie has recreated a pretty little hamlet of old Alpine farms and, following on from that, massive chalets like the Fermes du Grand Champ for wealthy families who seek a discreet location for their holiday. After that there was the renovation of the Hôtel Mont Blanc on the Place de l’Eglise, the Lodge Park, with its natural log walls and its hunting trophies. The Hameau de Mavarin, which is a small development of private chalets looking out over Mont Blanc, the Chalet des Sens and the Chalet Saint Philippe are all made out of reclaimed wood and complete this amazing range of accommodation. www.chalet-montarbois.com
www.hotelmontblanc.com
www.fermesdemarie.com
www.lodgepark.com
www.chalet-saint-philippe.com
www.megeve.com
Noteworthy among Lake Geneva’s luxury hotels are the Hôtels Royal and Ermitage located next door to each other and part of the Evian Royal Resort, the Domaine de Divonne which is
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decorated in Art Déco style and the brand new Jiva Hill Park Hôtel based in Crozet and built in a firmly contemporary style at the heart of 35 hectares of grounds. www.royalparcevian.com - www.domaine-de-divonne.com - www.jivahill.com In Annecy, on the shores of a lake that reflects the Aravis peaks, the Impérial Palace sits majestically on the edge of a large park, where people enjoy wandering. www.imperial-annecy.com There is a growing trend for luxury hotels in Chamonix, with 4* luxury properties beginning to invest more in the capital of the French Alps, following the example of the Hameau Albert 1er which has made the most of old, reclaimed wood and mineral resources of the mountain environment in its décor, whilst its gastronomic menu is served in the restaurant under the guidance of Michelin-starred chef, Pierre Carrier. www.hameaualbert.fr Fashion made in the Rhône-Alpes There are two sorts of fashion in Lyon, that of the luxury brands such as Cartier, Hermès, Vuitton and Dior clustered in the Carré d’Or, the section of the Presqu’île between Rhône and Saône that starts at Place Bellecour and continues through the neighbouring streets. Then there are Lyon’s own designers who have begun their careers in the city and some of whom have found glory internationally. One example is Zilli, the Lyon-based taylor which established its couture house in 1965 and today owns 30 shops worldwide. Its trademark is leather and fur clothing, and it is now the top French brand of luxury menswear. Zilli makes 70% of its turnover from export business, half of it to Russia where it is considered a real symbol of luxury. www.zilli.fr Another is Aallard, creator of the first stretch ski pants in 1930 and now with two boutiques on Place de l’Eglise in Megève selling its exclusive designs. www.aallard.com The Comité Bellecour was established in 1995 by the directors of some of Lyon’s top companies.
Its aim is to promote the city’s luxury businesses in sectors such as fashion,
interiors, design and gastronomy at international trade shows. The organisation’s president Joël Orgazzi is a craftsman in wrought iron who specialises in designs that combine the skills of the French ironwork tradition from the 18th C with a contemporary twist.
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Several dress designers have risen to prominence in Lyon. The design and making of wedding dresses is one of Lyon’s specialist areas with names such as Nicolas Fafiotte who creates the dresses every year for the 5 finalists in the Miss France beauty pageant. www.nicolasfafiotte.com Max Chaoul is another of the names, gathering numerous international awards. He was voted 2004 Designer of the Year by the Couture Bridal Awards in New York and received, for the 5th time in Paris, the Wedding Trends Award for Best French Wedding Dress Designer 2007. His cocktail dresses and evening gowns have been worn by Beyonce Knowles. www.maxchaoulcouture.com David Bowie and Prince Emmanuel Philibert de Savoie are just two of Garbis Devar’s clients, designer of “the finest leather clothing in the world” at his workshop on Place des Célestins. The city of Lyon is also the birthplace of expensive jewellery and capital of the jewel trade since the 16th C. It is a city where there are still many craftsmen who showcase their original jewellery designs available for sale. Jean Marc Garel was selected to make the Miss France crown, and other names worth noting are Joïa, the jewellery brand of talented designer Jean Pierre Moreira. Xavier de Fraisinette makes his pieces of jewellery like tiny sculptures. Elton John and Caroline de Monaco are two of his famous clients. During the G7 summit in Lyon, he made a sculpture which he then offered in miniature version to all the heads of state present, including Bill Clinton. Other jewellers that have enjoyed an international reputation for a long time include Augis 1830 which was first established in Lyon and Korloff whose designs are sold in over 42 countries. www.augis1830.com and www.korloff.fr Philippe Tournaire, who specialises in very modern jewellery design, has his workshop at Montbrison in the Loire, a shop that’s just a short distance from Place Bellecour in Lyon, plus a third on the prestigious Place Vendôme in Paris. His square rings, watches from the “Portes du Temps” collection and famous Metropolis ring, which he gave to the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, are all very successful. www.philippetournaire.com Romans, in the Drôme, is the capital of deluxe footwear and home to the designs of Armel Besançon, who specialises in custom fit shoes. In addition, make sure you have time to visit the Musée International de la Chaussure. www.mego.fr
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Still in Romans, look out for Marques Avenue. An outlet village selling an abundance of bargains at 64 brand shops within a centre renovated by architect Jean Michel Wilmotte. www.marquesavenue.com Rhône-Alpes, land of antiques Rhône-Alpes is justifiably known as one of France’s top regions for antiques, and whilst you still have to be careful when visiting one of the many jumble and garage sales that pop up all over the place, one of the best places to look for antiques is at the Leyment flea market in the Ain, on the last Sunday in August. Another great address is the Puces du Canal in Lyon-Villeurbanne, which is the second biggest market in France after Paris. At the Cité des Antiquaires de Lyon - Villeurbanne and in Rue Auguste Comte which is filled with antiques dealers, visitors are certain to come across some fine objects. The street is a little less than 1 km long, ending at Place Bellecour, and boasts several internationally renowned shops. Dealers from Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands, UK and USA come there on a regular basis. Every year, in October, the shops along Rue Auguste Comte organise a “Red Carpet” evening with fashion shows featuring wedding gowns, and shops that stay open until midnight. There is a wide assortment of items available for sale due to the city’s rich and varied history: furniture, popular art, old weapons, paintings from various regional schools, books, china, pottery, sculptures… In Annecy there is a monthly flea market selling high quality goods, held on the last Saturday of every month in Rue Sainte Claire. The market seems to attract Italian collectors on the look out for antique bells and old ice axes, but not only that. Twice a year there is a large, well-considered discount market in Chambéry, capital of Savoie. And in Grenoble there is the Salon Européen des Antiquaires every January which attracts about a 100 exhibitors within a 5,000 m2 exhibition space.
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7 - Gastronomy reaches the status of art The top chefs If good food is one of France’s main topics of conversation, In Lyon, it’s even better! At the dinner table, Lyon’s residents will talk about restaurants.
About what they’ve
discovered, about what they’ve liked, about what has upset them. Lyon’s inhabitants and, let’s be honest, the whole region know what they’re talking about when it comes to gastronomy or even just simply to cooking. It has become common practice to consider Lyon as the capital of gastronomy and for other cities to spend their time trying to steal the title. However, the title is not measured by the number of Michelin stars or of gastronomic restaurants. There are, of course, a great deal of both throughout the Rhône-Alpes, but if Lyon is not yet ready to cede its position, it is also because the city not only offers a number of top restaurants but also the chance to eat well pretty much everywhere, and especially in the famous “bouchons”, for reasonable prices. Which is exactly what people who live in the city are looking for and which is a bonus for visitors too. And last but not least, because the region is a real garden growing some of the finest products, the most succulent fruits, the best meat, the most delicious cheeses. The top chef of top chefs is Lyon-born: Paul Bocuse, with three Michelin stars to his name for more than 30 years, who continues to mobilise his troops and carries high the flame of French and regional cooking. The bi-annual culilnary contest organised by the SIRHA organisation, bears the name Bocuse d’Or. He is a symbolic personality who attracts customers from the world over to his restaurant, the Auberge de Collonges in Mont d’Or. Sought-after specialities include his truffle soup, Bresse chicken cooked in a bladder and the dessert petits fours that are made by his son-in-law, the chocolate maker Bernachon. Since the end of 2006, the Halles de Lyon, which is where the top suppliers of the finest products come to sell their goods, have been known as “Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse”. http://hallesdelyon.free.fr But Paul Bocuse, the charismatic chef, is also someone who has carefully planned his succession. Under the leadership of Jean Fleury, there are Bocuse brasseries in the four main districts of the city. They serve excellent food for a fully-inclusive bill of between 20 and 30
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eruos per head. For the time being, despite a number of projects that are in hand, you can only eat “Bocuse” in Lyon, and only in Lyon. www.bocuse.fr Anne Sophie Pic, the only female chef to be awarded 3 Michelin stars, is one of the up-andcoming young professionals that the whole chef community is keeping a watchful eye on. Her motto “To cook for those you love, is the most beautiful display of true love” indicates her culinary trend. Heir to the great Jacques Pic and several generations of chefs before that, she’s managed to ensure that her culinary skills can also be enjoyed at her bistro, “The 7”, which she named after the famous main road which heads off to the South of France. www.pic-valence.com Georges Blanc, another 3 Michelin-starred chef, is the champion of Bresse chickens… in his beautiful property in Vonnas where he’s recently added the Spa Mosaïc, one of the finest of its kind. Set around the main square in Vonnas is a bistro, where diners can eat frogs and chicken cooked in cream like his grandmother Elisa cooked, a shop, a bakery and other initiatives that bear the Georges Blanc signature. www.georgesblanc.com Then there’s Michel Troisgros, who inherited the Buffet de la Gare de Roanne where his grandfather came to prominence and which was taken to a higher level again by his uncle and father, Jean and Pierre. He has subsequently transformed it into an establishment that is determinedly modern, serving a Japanese-influenced menu with a hint of Italian cuisine using regional produce. The bistro “Le Central” is just next door, giving customers the chance to taste the chef’s style of cooking at a lower price. La Maison Troisgros was voted the Best Restaurant in the World by the American restaurant guide Zagat Survey. www.troisgros.fr Known for both his distinctive black hat and his 3 Michelin stars, Savoie-based chef Marc Veyrat’s reputation has been recognised for some time far beyond national borders. Known to be mad about flavours, one aspect of his culinary style features mountain herbs that are picked in the Aravis village of Manigod, where Veyrat was born. His daughter Carine has opened a small restaurant in the Veyrat family’s former home in Annecy, known as “La Reine des Prés”. A great success. www.marcveyrat.fr Rhône-Alpes boasts 61 Michelin-starred restaurants.
Some of them stand out more than
others. In the ski resorts, for example, there’s Michel Rochedy at the Chabichou battling it out with Jean Pierre Jacob’s Bateau Ivre in Courchevel, which is 4 stars in one tiny area.
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summer months, the Bateau Ivre moves to its location overlooking Lac du Bourget in Ombremont. In Megève, Emmanuel Renaut attracts crowds of gastronomes to his prettily named restaurant, Flocons de Sel, all keen to enjoy his excellent cuisine after a day’s skiing. And La Bouitte in Saint Martin de Belleville, the prettiest village in the 3 Valleys, has just been awarded its 2nd star (2008). Not forgetting the star awarded in 2007 to Jean Sulpice at the Oxalys restaurant in Val Thorens. This young chef, one of Marc Veyrat’s former pupils, therefore enjoys the distinction of having the world’s highest star, at an altitude of 2300 m. Between mountain and city, Nicolas Le Bec now possesses two stars at his own restaurant in the centre of Lyon, having won his first awards at the Fermes de Marie and then at the Hôtel Cour des Loges’ restaurant. This young chef is full of new ideas, offering a cuisine that is delicate, elegant and innovative. But he is also constantly on the move. He is in the throes of opening a brasserie serving international cuisine at Lyon’s Saint Exupéry airport and another in autumn 2008 in the new Confluence district. In the meantime, Philippe Gauvreau in Charbonnières, has been delighting players at the Casino with his menus, as well as gourmet fans who take the time to enjoy his creative and consistently excellent cuisine. Jean Christophe Ansanay-Alex, who is based on the Ile Barbe, medieval enclave in the middle of the river Saône, opened his “Ambassade” restaurant in spring 2008 in the South Kensington district of London. In Vienne, Patrick Henriroux took up a real challenge at the end of the 1980s when he took over the Pyramide in Vienne, that had gained its reputation under
Fernand Point.
He
achieved success with his superb cuisine and excellent wine list offering Côtes du Rhône. Léon de Lyon, once one of the top Lyon restaurants, was best known for its country cooking style served in gastronomic fashion and interior décor of stained glass, but it closed at the end of 2007. However, Jean Paul Lacombe immediately decided to transform it into an upmarket Brassserie to which all Lyon’s important personalities are flocking. It is always full. The Mères Lyonnaises came to fame at the beginning of the 20 th C. For the most part they were cooks in middle-class houses who impressed dinner guests with their menus. When the rich citizens of Lyon reduced their household staff, Mère Léa, Mère Filloux and the most famous of all, Mère Brazier (the only woman to have been awarded 3 Michelin stars) opened their own restaurants.
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At the beginning of the 21st C, Brazier’s granddaughter Jacotte sold the restaurant in Rue Royale and the good news is that Meilleur Ouvrir de France, Mathieu Viannay decided to set up his own restaurant there in 2006. The history of Lyon’s bouchons Bouchons are a very real part of Lyon’s cultural and gastronomic heritage. Initially they were places where people could both eat and get straw with which to rub down, or “bouchonner” their horses. Bouchons opened very early in the morning and, on the stroke of 8 o’clock, the “canuts” or silk workers from the Croix Rousse district who had got up at 4 o’clock in the morning came in to have a meal. Big bowls of “clapoton” (lambs’ feet), lentils, saveloy sausages, traditional Lyon charcuterie and robust home-cooked dishes were served with jugs of wine. Even today, bottles without labels holding 46 cl of wine instead of the usual 50 cl (by special dispensation to take account of potential sediments) were recognisable by the elastic band around the bottle neck in order to avoid confusion between a Beaujolais and a Côtes du Rhône. After lunch, the bouchon closed until the next day. Genuine bouchons no longer exist in their original format because the daily habits of city workers have changed somewhat. However, a few of them still try to perpetuate the tradition, more or less successfully.
There is an
association called “Les Authentiques Bouchons Lyonnais” which lists the best of them. Amateurs taking over kitchens During the 1980s, people would either go out to restaurants or stay in, buying food from the “traiteur” or opening tins.
For a number of years cookery classes have been gaining in
popularity and are now popping up all over the place. Most of the top chefs now welcome amateur cooks into their kitchens.
The best known is probably the Institut Paul Bocuse,
originally set up for professional chefs. There were so many requests from amateur cooks that special courses were created for them and they’re now fully booked all the time. The courses are given by the Institute’s teachers, most of whom are Meilleur Ouvriers de France. www.institutpaulbocuse.com Anne Sophie Pic, the 3 Michelin-starred chef in Valence, welcomed her first pupils to her school, Skook, in spring of 2008. www.scook.fr Nicolas Le Bec has invested in a centre that is just a short distance from his restaurant in Rue Grolée in Lyon. The lesson-style is different right from the start, as it’s the pupils who chose what they want to make after taking a look in the fridge, using top quality products and cooking on the best equipment available for amateurs. Here too, bookings are excellent. www.nicolaslebec.com
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Michel Rochedy in Courchevel was one of the first chefs to invite amateur cooks into his kitchen at the Chabichou to learn some of his tips and tricks. The lessons proved very popular during the summer months. Since then he has expanded his range of packages, and he even offers lessons in cooking to slim. www.chabichou-courchevel.com In Divonne les Bains, one of the Michelin-starred chefs Dominique Roué, who has been in charge of the kitchen at the prestigious Grand Hôtel, has set up the Coulisses Gourmandes just next door where he gives lessons. His young assistant also offers lessons in how to match dishes and wines. www.coulisses-gourmandes.fr Guest houses too are getting into cookery lessons. For example, the truffle-based dishes served at the Maison du Moulin in Grignan in the Drôme are renowned. www.maisondumoulin.com Like the Institut Paul Bocuse, the Ecole du Grand Chocolat Valrhona based in Tain l’Hermitage was set up to ensure continuous professional development for chocolate makers. However, today even chocoholics can sign up for lessons in making chocolate and how to choose the best vintages of cacao. There is also a special course aimed at children and teenagers. www.valrhona.com Philippe Gauvreau, the Michelin 2 star chef at La Rotonde in Charbonnières (10 minutes outside of Lyon) has specialised in cookery lessons for children. www.restaurant-rotonde.com It’s also easy to find places to learn about the science of wine and how to become a great wine taster. One such place is the Ecole Beaujolaise des Vins which has several pupils, or Alpes Flaveurs, a smaller set-up owned by a Savoyard with a passion for wine.
He is a
certified wine expert as well as a mountain guide, and so will take tourists on discovery tours of the region and of its wines via local wine producers. Another place that focuses on wine is the Université du Vin in Suze la Rousse, which is brilliantly equipped with tasting rooms and offers sessions for amateur wine buffs. www.beaujolais.com www.alpes-flaveurs.com www.universite-du-vin.com
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The great wines of the region The Saône has its vineyards, the Beaujolais, and the Rhône has them too, with both the northern and southern Côtes du Rhône that the American Parker guide considers amongst the best wines in the world. Beaujolais boasts 11 vintages if you count Beaujolais Villages which represents 25% of the area’s production. Chiroubles, Brouilly, Saint Amour, Regnié, Moulin à Vent, Morgon, Juliénas, Fleurie, Côtes de Brouilly, Chenas, are all Gamay-type wines. Some of them display strong characteristics of Burgundy wines, located just next door. Obviously, Beaujolais wines are particularly known because of the famous Beaujolais Nouveau which is released for sale on the third Thursday of November, but if you look closely at the appellations and if you tour the vineyards set in magnificent rolling green hills, you can be sure of discovering some great surprises. The Côtes du Rhône from the north of Valence are, on the whole, not as well known as the others, but the Condrieu wines, that are made from viognier grapes and grown on terraces overlooking the river Rhône as it loops south of Lyon, are worth making a detour for. Just like Côte Rôtie wines, Château Grillet, Crozes Hermitage, Hermitage , Cornas, Saint Joseph, Saint Péray as well as all the Côtes du Rhône Village. You shouldn’t miss the wines of Savoie either or lump them in with the dry wines that are traditionally drunk with fondues and raclettes.
Chignin Bergeron, for example, strongly
resembles some wines from the Rhône valley and likewise with Mondeuse, the base notes of which are quite similar to Cornas.
Apremont, Abyme, Roussette, Bergeron, Aligoté, Crépy,
Gamay are all worth trying. The Ardèche also produces good types of wine like Viognier, whilst Bugey wines, including Cerdon which is like a natural raspberry champagne and the excellent sparkling Montagnieu, are about to obtain their AOC label. For a more limited clientele, the gamay-type wines of the Côte Roannaise, which were much appreciated by the Kings of France during the Renaissance period, are now promoted by renowned chef Troisgros.
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Doing the rounds of AOC and local products There are numerous products bearing the AOC label in the Rhône-Alpes. Poultry from Bresse, with their distinctive white feathers, red crown and blue feet, are the only species to be awarded this precious label and are enthusiastically promoted by chef Georges Blanc. Every year, a few weeks before Christmas, the finest capons (castrated cockerels) and hens are judged during the fairs known as Les Trois Glorieuses, which even the top chefs would not miss for anything. Breeders display their medals on their farm walls. Cheeses from the Gex area, such as Bleu de Gex, delight fans of great cheese, as does the Picodon from the Drôme.
There is also the Fourme de Montbrison and the Rigotte de
Condrieu which come from the Loire. Tommes de Savoie together with rare specialities such as Bleu de Termignon from the Maurienne make up the vast cheese dish of the Rhône-Alpes not forgetting the Alpine Beaufort, which is perfect in a gratin of crozets (tiny square pasta from Savoie). In the Aravis mountains, at La Clusaz and Le Grand Bornand, you can find Reblochon cheese at the markets. It was originally created by farmers who put aside the best and creamiest milk after milking (la rebloche). As for Cervelle de Canut, this is a cream cheese with herbs which was invented by Paul Lacombe of Léon de Lyon and which is still served in the bouchons. Charcuteries from Lyon and sausages also play a large part in the local food habits and are even exported to the furthest ends of the earth. Sausages such as rosette, jésus, sabodet (made from pork rind), saveloy, stuffed with truffle and/or pistachio, Beaujolais andouillettes, made from chitterlings… The Ardèche is renowned for its chestnuts, often recognised by country folk for having saved them from famine on many an occasion. Today, during the Castagnades held during the months of October and November, visitors can discover recipes using chestnuts, chestnut puree and any number of poetic-sounding varieties of chestnut: la comballe, la boucherouge, la sardonne, la pourette. Another fruit that stands out in the Ardèche and which is also made into similar types of products as the chestnut, is the bilberry which has to be picked using a special comb.
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It’s not possible to ignore the orchard fruits of the Rhône valley, even if some of them are not actually AOC-recognised: peaches, apricots, pears, cherries, all of which are made into fruit juices, jams and sorbets in artisan factories. It is in Nyons that a variety of olive, the “tanche” has been awarded AOC status for the first time. There are any number of varieties grown here and olive oils from the Drôme and the Ardèche are very different vintages when compared. The new oil festival Alicoque takes place in Nyons annually on the first weekend of February and is a great event worth attending. www.afidol.org www.monde-olivier.com For many years the Tricastin and southern Drôme are the biggest producers of truffles “tuber melanosporum” (85 % of the whole harvest in France), way ahead of other regions that claim to be top truffle producers. From the month of December, truffle markets can be found throughout the Drôme. In Grignan, Nyons, Taulignan, Saint Paul Trois Châteaux... This is the best time to taste truffles in any of the neighbouring bistros, either as a “croque au sel” (a snack of braised truffle on toast served with salt) or in an omelette. Maison de la Truffe et du Tricastin in Saint Paul Trois Châteaux www.office-tourisme-tricastin.com www.truffle-and-truffe.com Make another detour as far as Montélimar to fill up on the famous nougat de Montélimar ! This is a speciality from the Drôme, a sweet, hard paste made from honey, sugar, almonds, egg whites, vanilla and pistachios. Nougat is one of the 13 traditional desserts at Christmas. Make sure you don’t miss the nougat maker Arnaud Soubeyran, which is the oldest… and still working (factory visit, tea room and shop!). www.nougatsoubeyran.com Michel Chabran, top chef from the Drôme at Pont de l’Isère, confirms that “the Drôme is a land that has been blessed by the gods!”. Close by, in Romans, ravioles are the speciality of the area, small cushions of pasta that are stuffed with cream cheese and look like ravioli, then cooked in chicken stock. Pogne, a plump brioche flavoured with orange water and a speciality of Valence, was originally ony made once a year at Easter. Now it’s eaten year round. Stuffed with pralines, it is the brioche of Saint Genix. Pralus, the cake and chocolate maker from Roanne, became
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famous for inventing the Praluline, a delicious praline brioche that is now exported throughout the world. Walnuts from Grenoble are one of the region’s first AOC products and walnut oil is become increasingly popular. Just like the Saint Marcellin, a creamy cheese that is made in the Isère. In the Chartreuse mountains, a minute’s silence to be in tune with the Abbey’s monks who guard the secret recipe of green and yellow Chartreuse made in the cellars at Voiron. Rhône Alpes, land of beer Just a quick mention. Who would imagine that a land of vines and mountains would be a beer produer? And yet there are increasing numbers of cottage breweries in the RhôneAlpes, all worth checking out. These are beers like no other, such as walnut beer and white beer flavoured with 7 plants from the Chartreuse mountains as well as beers flavoured with chestnut, bilberry etc. All very enticing. It’s worth noting that the water used for brewing, such as that in Chamonix, is especially pure. www.brasserie-montblanc.com www.brasseriedupilat.com www.mandrin.biz www.mbchx.com www.brasseriegeorges.com
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8 - Festivities Just like Lyon’s Fête des Lumières which attracts approximately 4 million visitors to the area between the rivers Saône and Rhône, certain events in the region enjoy an international reputation and are definitely worth the journey January La Grande Odyssée A dog sled race right in the heart of the Alps which is undoubtedly the hardest in the world. Compared with other important Nordic races, which take place over relatively flat ground, this one takes the dogs up and down impressively steep slopes. Watching the teams of energetic dogs reach the polar base at the Mont Cenis mountain pass, having gone through the
ancient
village
of
Bonneval
sur
Arc,
is
an
unforgettable
experience.
www.grandeodyssee.com July Jazz à Vienne This is one of Europe’s major festivals and every year it invites some of the biggest names in international jazz to perform in the magical setting of the Roman amphitheatre. www.jazzavienne.com August Fête des Guides in Chamonix Taking place on 15 August, this festival celebrates the mountain environment and Mont Blanc. Fans of Chamonix would not miss it for the world. www.fetesdesguides.com Fête du Lac d’Annecy One of the top firework displays in Europe, linked to a musical theme and reflected in the pure waters of the lake surrounded by its mountains. www.lac-annecy.com September Biennale de la Danse in Lyon This event takes place every two years, alternating with the Biennale d’Art Contemporain, and hosts dance companies from across the world at more than 20 venues in Lyon and the surrounding area. Two of the highlights are the parade of dance troupes through the city and a large-scale ball. www.biennale-de-lyon.org
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Biennale d’Art Contemporain in Lyon Taking place every other year in the autumn, the event attracts artists from throughout the the Rhône-Alpes to various venues in the city, with accompanying entertainment. www.biennale-de-lyon.org November Les Castagnades d’Ardèche Held from mid October to mid November in every town and village throughout the Ardèche, this is a comprehensive celebration of the chestnut and its many guises: chestnut puree, chestnut ice cream, chestnut soup… All the restaurants have their own recipe. www.castagnades.fr Biennale Internationale du Design in Saint Etienne Saint Etienne has is a city that has specialised in Design over a number of years and the Biennale attracts numerous professionals from almost 100 countries from all over the worl. Unmissable. www.citedudesign.com Fête du Beaujolais Nouveau Released on sale every year on the third Thursday in November, it arrives on the tables of bistros and restaurants throughout the world the very next day. In the Beaujolais and Lyon, it’s party time all night. www.beaujolais.com
December La Fête des Lumières in Lyon Taking place over a 4-day period around the 8 th December, during which Lyon’s monuments are creatively lit making this a light show that is a definite “must see”. Today the whole world comes to Lyon. www.lumieres.lyon.fr a,d www.lyon-france.com Les Glorieuses de Bresse One week before Christmas, this is the big market selling the famous fat Bresse poultry, the only species to be awarded an AOC. Taking place at Bourg en Bresse, Montrevel and Pont de Vaux, top Michelin-starred chefs and knowledgeable amateurs come to choose their capons and hens for Christmas dinner. www.glorieusesdebresse.com
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9 - Tourist map (see back covers) and access The Rhône-Alpes region is easy to get to, with its direct flights via Paris, Geneva, and Lyon from various European cities, plus its winter scheduled flights to Chambéry and Grenoble which help speed up access to the region’s ski resorts. The high speed trains (TGV) link Lyon with Paris in two hours. Lyon is at least five hours away from Paris by car via the A6 motorway. By air Lyon - Aéroport Lyon Saint-Exupéry Direct flights to 30 countries and almost 100 destinations from Lyon-Saint Exupéry. Numerous direct flights to Lyon or Paris-CDG, or another European capital. Flight duration Paris-CDG - Lyon : one hour. Launch of the Lyon-New York service operated by Delta Airlines planned for summer 2008. www.lyon.aeroport.fr Geneva - Aéroport International de Genève (2 hours from Lyon) Summer 2008 schedule (from Sun 30 March), there are 104 destinations served by direct flights from Geneva International Airport including 80 European destinations and 24 to other continents. 45 airlines operate the schedule, including 28 European airlines. London continues to have the best links with Geneva: its 5 London airports (Heathrow, Gatwick, London City, Luton and Stansted) handle 203 flights each week between London and Geneva; Paris comes in second place, with 112 flights, followed by Zurich (63 flights), Amsterdam (63), Frankfurt (49), Munich (42), Barcelona and Madrid (42). www.gva.ch Chambéry/Aix-les-Bains Chambéry’s airport, which is close to the Alps and has a schedule of seasonal flights between December and April for the winter season, offers services to the following international destinations: Denmark, the UK, Norway and Sweden. www.chambery-airport.com Grenoble/Saint-Geoirs Grenoble’s airport, which is close to the Alps and has a schedule of seasonal flights between December and April for the winter season, offers services to the following international destinations:
Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Scotland, the UK, Ireland, Norway, the
Netherlands, Poland, Sweden. It also offers two scheduled flights to Dublin and London. www.grenoble-airport.com
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By train •
From European capitals
Eurostar from Brussels and London – 2 hrs 15 minutes journey time to Paris! And 5 hrs from Lyon to London via Lille. Eurostar offers connecting services with over 100 European destinations. www.eurostar.com Thalys from Brussels, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Anvers, Cologne to Lyon, Geneva and for various Alpine ski resorts ! www.thalys.com •
In France Route
Journey time
Paris - Lyon - TGV
2 hrs 30 minutes – daily return service
Lille - Lyon - TGV
3 hrs 10 minutes
Marseille - Lyon - TGV 1 hr 35 minutes Lyon – Annecy
2 hrs 10 minutes
Lyon - Grenoble
1 hr 30 minutes
Lyon - Geneva
1 hr 50 minutes
www.sncf.com By car Rhône-Alpes boasts an excellent network of motorways between its cities. A few examples of distance between cities Lyon - Grenoble
129 km (80 miles)
Lyon - Annecy
163 km (101 miles)
Lyon - Valence
105 km (65 miles)
Lyon - Genève
152 km (95 miles)
Car hire For the best rates, and for rental packages, it is always advisable to book hire cars before leaving home, whether your destination is Paris, Lyon and any other French or European city. Car hire companies Avis
www.avis.com
National Citer www.nationalcar.com
Budget
www.budget.com
Sixt
Europcar
www.europcar.com
Hertz
www.hertz.com
Rhône-Alpes press kit – 2009
www.sixt.fr
Page 59
Rhône-Alpes press kit – 2009
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CONTACTS RHÔNE-ALPES TOURISME Isabelle FAURE - Promotions Manager Northern & Central Europe Tel. +33 (0)4 72 59 21 77 – Mail : isabelle.faure@rhonealpes-tourisme.com 104 Route de Paris- 69260 Charbonnières-les-Bains- France www.rhonealpes-tourisme.com – www.rhonealpes.tv
MAISON DE LA FRANCE Jacqueline MIRTELLI – Head of Public Relations Department Tel. +44 (0) 20 7061 6624- Mail : jacqueline.mirtelli@franceguide.com Lincoln House - 300 High Holborn - London WC1V 7JH – Great Britain www.franceguide.com
Rhône-Alpes press kit – 2009
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