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58-527: The École de haute montagne (High Mountain School) was created in Chamonix in 1932, becoming the world's first specialist training school for mountain troop leaders. The aims of the school were to teach mountain instructors, and to test and development of technical equipment and armaments. In August 1939 the majority of École de haute montagne's cadres joined the 199th Battalion Chasseurs de haute montagne, whose role

116-526: A chevron of undulated silver lines was mentioned as early as the 17th century. The undulating chevron is reminiscent of the two rivers or torrents passing through the city, the Sallanche and the Frasse, which meet at the site of the building of the town. Sallanches is made popular by the presence of many high-tech industries and over 300 retail stores making the town a commercial hub. The ski manufacturer Dynastar

174-451: A humid continental climate ( Dfb, according to the Köppen climate classification ) , with an average annual precipitation of 1,280 mm (50 in). Summers are mild and winters are cold and snowy . Chamonix is a winter sports resort town that still attracts skiers ready to test themselves both on the pistes in the official area and against the challenges of the backcountry skiing. As

232-509: A corridor for avalanches, a ravine flank of a mountain or a ravine". , , , , . It is a fairly widespread name under various derivatives in the alpine region. The city was built on the torrent of the Sallanche . The parish or village is mentioned in different Latin forms Salancia Sabaudiorum , Chalanchia , Salanchia in 1178 in the cartulary of the Cluny Abbey . Over the next centuries,

290-403: A distance. If this city had been able to preserve its streets, its monuments and the physiognomy that so many centuries had emprinted on it, Sallanches would offer the double attraction of a Gothic city of Flanders, spread in the middle of one of the most splendid sites in the world. ... Sallanches, the active and industrial capital of a canton, is no longer, for the traveller, a first encampment of

348-463: A maximum temperature above 30 °C (86.0 °F). The record high temperature was 40.2 °C (104.4 °F) on 11 July 2023, while the record low temperature was −20.3 °C (−4.5 °F) on 6 January 1985. The commune is a capital of the canton of Sallanches. Formerly attached to the joint trade union of the Pays du Mont-Blanc (initially grouping together 14 communes), since 2013 it has been

406-563: A member of the community of communes Pays du Mont-Blanc (CCPMB) grouping ten communes, with Combloux, Les Contamines-Montjoie, Cordon, Demi-Quartier, Domancy, Megève, Praz-sur-ArlyPassy, Saint-Gervais-lesWhite. Sallanches is part of the arrondissement of Bonneville and the sixth constituency of Haute-Savoie established in 2009. The sallancharde population tends to vote overwhelmingly, both in national and local elections, in favor of right-wing parties. The left has little presence in local political life (see municipal results below). In March 2008,

464-520: A plebiscite held on 22 and 23 April 1860, where 99.8% of Savoyards replied “yes” to the question “Savoie want to be gathered in France? The end of the 19th century saw large public work developments: construction of the quays (1863), development of the Place Saint-Jacques (1886), opening of the national road 202 Cluses - Saint-Gervais (1886), construction of a drinking water network (1889), arrival of

522-614: A railway station, Sallanches-Combloux-Megève , on the La Roche-sur-Foron–Saint-Gervais-les-Bains-Le Fayet line . Sallanches Aerodrome was a small aerodrome at the Ilettes leisure base. It served as a rear base for the mountains of the Mont Blanc massif. In 2019, the municipality abolished it to enlarge the natural area, and in 2020, the airfield was permanently closed and the hangars demolished. Sallanches

580-463: A source of regular congestion in the city. The interchange was completed in September 2009. The city is crossed by two former national roads, departmentalized since 2006: RD 1212 (ex-RN 212) Sallanches-Albertville, and RD 1205 (ex-RN 205) Bonneville-Chamonix. As of 2024, the city remains little connected to a public transport network, apart from the rail network and the inter-urban network: Sallance has

638-562: A victim of large traffic jams at its centre, is being considered. Some events since 2000 (non-exhaustive): According to both the Köppen–Geiger and Trewartha climate classification systems, Sallanches features a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb ; Trewartha Do ) with no dry season. It is relatively near a Köppen warm-summer humid continental climate ( Dfb ) or Trewartha temperate continental climate ( Dc ) due to moderate elevation and continentality . The average annual rainfall

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696-480: A year. The commune of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc includes 16 villages and hamlets. From north to south: Le Tour 1,462 m (4,797 ft), Montroc, Le Planet, Argentière 1,252 m (4,108 ft), Les Chosalets, Le Lavancher, Les Tines, Les Bois, Les-Praz-de-Chamonix 1,060 m (3,478 ft), Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, Les Pècles, Les Mouilles, Les Barrats, Les Pélerins, Les Gaillands, and Les Bossons 1,012 m (3,320 ft). Due to its elevation, Chamonix has

754-478: Is a cog railway that provides access to the tourist site of Montenvers. Opened in 1909, its rail station was built next to SNCF's Chamonix station on the St Gervais-Vallorcine Line. In fact the two stations are directly linked. Montenvers provides further tourist access to middle and high mountain areas. Chamonix has one of the highest cable cars in the world, which links the town to the summit of

812-509: Is linked to Switzerland by what used to be RN 506a. In 2006, it was converted to a Route Départementale 1506, with a part of it integrated into RN 205. The nearest airport to Chamonix is Geneva Cointrin International and it is 88 kilometres (55 miles) away. Chamonix is served by the metre-gauge St Gervais-Vallorcine Line , operated by SNCF . The line from Saint Gervais (on the standard-gauge rail network) to Chamonix opened in 1901; it

870-769: Is located close to the Swiss and Italian borders. The town occupies the northern part of the Sallanches basin, a large glacial plain crossed by the Arve and bordered by the Aravis Range , the Mont Blanc massif and the Faucigny massif. The vast basin with low steep slopes contrasts with the high peaks that surround it. Sallanches is dominated to the west by part of the Aravis Range, in particular

928-413: Is located less than 65 km from Geneva Airport , less than 70 km from Annecy–Haute-Savoie Airport , and less than 200 km from Lyon Airport . In spite of the ancient etymology of the name of the city, no remnants exist of a Gallo-Roman site. In excavations from 1992, only two tombs characteristic of the 5th - 6th centuries were discovered in the basement of the church. Until the end of the 13th century,

986-459: Is served by the A40 autoroute Mâcon-Chamonix motorway, allowing Sallanchards to reach Annemasse in 35 minutes, Annecy or Geneva in less than 50 minutes, and Lyon or Grenoble in less than two hours. Sallanches is connected to the national motorway network (link A40-A41, A40-A6...). Until 2009, Sallanches had only a half-exchange, preventing the population from travelling by the motorway to Chamonix ,

1044-497: Is very high due to its location in the northwestern part of the Alps . Summers are warm to hot and stormy while winters are cold to very cold and snowy. On average, Sallanches experiences 97.6 days per year with a minimum temperature below 0 °C (32.0 °F), 4.9 days per year with a minimum temperature below −10 °C (14.0 °F), 8.3 days per year with a maximum temperature below 0 °C (32.0 °F), and 23.4 days per year with

1102-752: The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Southeastern France . It was the site of the first Winter Olympics , held in 1924 . Chamonix is situated in the French Alps just north of Mont Blanc , the highest mountain in Western Europe. Between the peaks of the Aiguilles Rouges and the notable Aiguille du Midi , it borders both Switzerland and Italy . It is one of the oldest ski resorts in France, popular with alpinists and mountain enthusiasts. Via

1160-660: The European Curling Championships in 1991 and 1999. The town of Chamonix is served by French Route Nationale 205 ( RN 205 ), nicknamed the Route blanche , or "white route", due to its snowiness. This is an extension of French autoroute 40 ( A40 ), similarly nicknamed the autoroute blanche , which ends at Le Fayet, a village in the commune of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains . The 11.6-km Mont Blanc Tunnel , which opened in 1965, links Chamonix to Courmayeur in Italy. Chamonix

1218-619: The High Mountain Military Group (Groupe militaire de haute montagne, GMHM) was relocated from Grenoble where it had been created 5 years prior, to settle at the EMHM. All mountain brevets are all available in summer and winter. There are then other qualifications which, although not specific to mountain troops, were created and developed within the High Mountain Military School (EMHM), including

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1276-486: The Mont Blanc area. The first section of volunteer NCOs were incorporated into the EHM in 1961. On the initiative of Colonel Gonnet , then commander of the EHM, an international military rally of mountain troops was created in 1963. In addition to France, the four other alpine nations ( Germany , Switzerland , Austria and Italy ) participated. In 1966 the EHM was redesignated as the École militaire de haute montagne. In 1981

1334-400: The Mont Blanc massif , many visitors pass through the town en route to well-known alpine resorts such as Chamonix , Megève and Saint-Gervais-les-Bains . In 2018, the commune had a population of 16,508, and its urban area had 46,128 inhabitants. The name Sallanches derives from Chalanche , a French-provençal word, of probably preceltic origin, designating "stiff slope which serves as

1392-456: The Aiguille du Midi at 3842 m. It is based on an older system built in 1920, rebuilt in the first half of the 1950s over five summer seasons, fully modernized in 1979, and upgraded again in 2008. On the other side of the valley, another cable car links Chamonix to the viewpoint of Planpraz. A second line links Planpraz to the summit of Le Brévent at 2525 meters. Many other cable cars exist in

1450-455: The Salanchardes municipal elections were held in three competing lists: two lists on the right, “Sallanches, Ensemble Agissons” (conducted by the outgoing mayor, Georges Morand), “Salanches 2008, another future” (conducted by a deputy of the outgoing majority, René Chesney) and a left-wing list, “Democracy and progress” (conducted by an outgoing councillor). On 9 March 2008, Georges Morand's list

1508-617: The Second World War , a Children's Home operated in Chamonix, in which several dozens of Jewish children were hidden from the Nazis. Some of those who hid them were recognised as " Righteous Among the Nations ". By the 1960s, agriculture had been reduced to a marginal activity, while the number of tourist beds available rose to around 60,000 by the end of the 20th century, with about 5 million visitors

1566-498: The alpine excursions. During the debates on the future of the Duchy of Savoy in 1860, the population was open to the idea of a union of the northern part of the Duchy of Switzerland. A petition circulated in this part of the country (Chablais, Faucigny, North of Geneva) and brought together more than 13,600 signatures [Foot 4 , of which 127 are for the commune21, The duchy is reunited following

1624-468: The cable car lift to the Aiguille du Midi it is possible to access the off-piste ( backcountry ) ski run of the Vallée Blanche (White Valley). The name Campum munitum, meaning fortified plain or field, had been used as early as 1091. By 1283 the name had been abbreviated to a similar form to the modern Chamonis. Other forms through the ages include Chamouny in 1581, Chamony in 1652, Chamouni in 1786, and

1682-695: The city for at least three hours, destroying 268 houses out of the 273 of the town- the historic town was destroyed. After the period of the French occupation during the French Revolution (Sallanches was the capital of a judicial district under the Directionoire) and the First Empire (France) , from 1792 to 1814, the Sardinian monarchy was restored. At the beginning of the 19th century, the religious influence of

1740-456: The city is well below the minimum limit of 20% set by the SRU Act, since it currently has an 11 per cent social housing rate. Many current municipal projects aim at the conversion and complete reorganisation of the heart of the city. The city is now growing above all through its periphery and hillsides, but develops little in the center. In addition, a road bypass to the city, which is very regularly

1798-457: The city regressed. It continued its economic development with fairs and markets, varied trades and some factories (filatures, brewery, chocolate). The first tourists on their way to Chamonix stopped in its inns. Over the centuries, the city experienced several devastating ordeals: epidemics, torrential floods and fires (1519, 1669, 1840). 1840 is the most significant date in its history: a fire destroyed it almost entirely and its architectural past

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1856-726: The city's craftsmen on the weekly market were granted to its inhabitants. This communal code was at the origin of the prosperity of the city and the establishment of noble families who built castles and fortresses. Throughout this period, the fate of Sallanches was linked to that of the province of Faucigny , since 1355 in possession of the House of Savoy at the origin of the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia (1718). Sallanches experienced seven major fires: on 14 April 1520, on 29 November 1669, on 20 January 1696, on 9 February 1768, on 13 November 1773, on 19 April 1783 and on 19 April 1840. The seventh fire ravaged

1914-627: The early 13th century had established a priory there. However, in 1786 the inhabitants bought their freedom from the canons of Sallanches , to whom the priory had been transferred in 1519. In 1530, the inhabitants obtained from the Count of the Genevois the privilege of holding two fairs a year, while the valley was often visited by the civil officials and by the bishops of Geneva (first recorded visit in 1411, while St. Francis de Sales came there in 1606). But travellers for pleasure were very rare. Chamonix

1972-506: The highest European mountain west of Russia, Mont Blanc attracts mountain climbers . The Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc has been held every August since 2003. There is a cable car up to the 3,842 m (12,605 ft) Aiguille du Midi . Constructed in 1955, it was then the highest cable car in the world and remains the highest vertical ascent cable car in the world. Chamonix is divided into three separate ski areas (Les Grands Montets, Brévent - Flégère, le domaine de Balme) which run along

2030-471: The mountain slopes (which were communally or co-operatively owned), and this association held a monopoly of guiding from the town until it was broken by French government action in 1892; thereafter guides were required to hold a diploma issued by a commission dominated by civil servants and members of the French Alpine Club rather than local residents. From the late 19th century on, tourist development

2088-498: The nearby high mountains. With an emergency team of 30 doctors and emergency staff, plus 50 support staff, it is expected that the new mountain medicine department will become a world-leader in developing treatments and researching into altitude sickness , frostbite , hypoxia , trauma-injuries and related sports medicine . Sallanches is mentioned in American author Willa Cather 's 1935 novel Lucy Gayheart . Hemoglobin Sallanches,

2146-434: The neo-classical Sardinian style, namely very symmetrical buildings with balconies overlooking the street and backyards hidden from direct gaze. The town hall was completed in 1844, in this style characterized by numerous colonnades and trompe-l'oeil paintings. The traveller and archivist paleographer Francis Wey (1812-1882) commented on these developments in 1860: "The appearance of this recently rebuilt city can be summed up at

2204-461: The opening of the Mont Blanc tunnel in 1965, Sallanches has asserted itself as a capital of the Mont Blanc region in its sumptuous setting, open to the Mont Blanc massif, with a relatively preserved natural environment. The city of Sallanches, because of its demographic explosion due in particular to a lower cost of living and house prices than those in the surrounding stations, has been facing an increased housing shortage, particularly social housing

2262-465: The particular spelling Chamonix from 1793. Chamonix is the fourth-largest commune in metropolitan France , with an area of 245 km (95 sq mi). Its population of around 8,900 ranks 1,089th within the country of France. The valley was first mentioned in 1091, when it was granted by the Count of the Genevois to the great Benedictine house of St. Michel de la Cluse , near Turin , which by

2320-586: The rail route continues over the border into Switzerland, meeting the SBB network at Martigny . This latter section, a metre-gauge cog railway , is operated by Transports de Martigny et Régions SA. The train service from Vallorcine to Martigny is known as the Mont Blanc Express . Timetables on the St Gervais-Vallorcine and Vallorcine-Martigny sections are synchronized. The 5.1-km Montenvers Railway

2378-619: The registry detached from the Bonneville District Court, located on the premises of the mayor´s office, a gendarmerie brigade and municipal police. The most important administrations all have branches in Sallanches: Social Security, Employment Centre (in the city centre until 2009, in the industrial zone since then), and the Public Finance Centre. "De gueules au chevron versé ondé d'argent" The Blazon of

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2436-466: The services of a friendly society to its members, and in the 20th century many of them were noted mountaineers and popularisers of mountain tourism, notably the novelist Roger Frison-Roche, the first member of the Compagnie not to be born in Chamonix. Serving as the host city for the first Winter Olympic Games in 1924 further raised Chamonix's profile as an international tourist destination. During

2494-693: The small town developed as a religious and economic center of the region. Since the 14th century its church, erected as a collegiate church, extended its jurisdiction over many parishes around the course of the Revolution. Sallanches had two convents: the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin founded in 1619 and the Ursulines from 1630; they disappeared in the turmoil of the French Revolution . In 1310, first franchises for selling agricultural products products manufactured by

2552-458: The spelling evolved with apud Salanciam (1212), Salenchia (1339) or Cura de Salanchia (1344). The current form seems to have stabilized from the 18th century onward. In Franco-provençal , the name of the commune is written Salanshe , according to the script of Conflans. Sallanches is a commune located in the far east of France in the Arve Valley of the historical region of Savoy . The town

2610-518: The summit of the Quatre Têtes (2364 m) and La Miaz (2336m). The town is bordered in the north by Magland , the northwest Le Reposoir , in the west by the ski resort Le Grand-Bornand , in the southwest by Cordon, Haute-Savoie, , in the south by La Giettaz , in the southeast by Combloux and Megève , and in the east by Passy and Domancy . The area is dedicated mainly to agriculture and tourism (due to its lakes, offering campsites). Sallanches

2668-481: The three paragliding pilot licenses (Brevet A, B, and C) each having a higher qualification level. Example: The C-card is for all-weather solo flights, all sites, and night flights. Chamonix Chamonix-Mont-Blanc ( French pronunciation: [ʃamɔni mɔ̃ blɑ̃] ; Arpitan : Chamôni-Mont-Blanc ), more commonly known simply as Chamonix ( Chamôni ), is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in

2726-422: The train (1889). On the economic front, when some traditional activities stagnated or disappear, the watchmaking appeared around 1880. The city entered the modern era in 1901, with the first light bulb. In 1921, Sallanches was declared a "passenger resort". In addition to the development of processing industries, its commercial function (banks, insurance, food distribution) in the service of neighbouring communes

2784-601: The valley from Le Tour down to Les Houches. In addition to the 1924 Winter Olympic Games, the town hosts a round of the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup and the Arlberg-Kandahar . It previously hosted the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1937 and the 1984 and 1988 Biathlon World Championships for women. The 1930 Ice Hockey World Championships was mostly held at Chamonix. The town also hosted

2842-496: The valley, and are heavily used by skiers and residents. The Plan Joran chairlift at the base of Les Grands Montets is due to be replaced by a 10-person gondola for the Winter 2014/15 season. Chamonix is twinned with: Sallanches Sallanches ( French pronunciation: [salɑ̃ʃ] ; Arpitan : Salenches ) is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. Located close to

2900-451: Was destroyed. King Charles Albert of Savoie-Carignan then devoted exceptional funds to reconstruction. A new town was built, whose plan in Sardinian checkerboard was designed by the engineer François Justin. he drew his plan around the two torrents that cross the city, it is this plan that always forms the urban skeleton of the city center. The architecture of the reconstructed buildings was

2958-451: Was dominated by national and international initiatives rather than local entrepreneurs, though the local community was increasingly dependent upon and active in the tourist industry. The commune successfully lobbied to change its name from Chamonix to Chamonix-Mont-Blanc in 1916. However, following the loss of its monopoly, the Compagnie reformed as an association of local guides, and retained an important role in local society; it provided

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3016-518: Was elected for his first term in the first round, with about 66.5% of the vote, compared to 18.9% for Marie-Pierre Gourichon and 14.5% for René Chesney. Morand was re-elected for a second term in the first round in the March 2014 elections and for a third term in the second round in June 2020. Since 1947, only six mayors have succeeded one another: List of successive mayors from 1947 until presentz Sallanches has

3074-400: Was extended to Vallorcine in 1908. The line holds the record for the steepest gradient on any standard ( adhesion ) railway. There are 10 stations on this line within the commune of Chamonix: Montroc-le-Planet , Argentière , La Joux , Les Tines , Les Praz-de-Chamonix , Chamonix-Mont-Blanc , Chamonix-Aiguille-du-Midi , Les Moussoux , Les Pélerins and Les Bossons . From Vallorcine ,

3132-592: Was founded in Sallanches by merging the ski companies Dynamic and Starflex in 1963; it is owned by the Rossignol group. Skis Rossignol remained as of 2024 the only remaining manufacturing site of skis in France. In 2015 Sallanches hospital announced that, as part of the government's "groupements hospitaliers de territoire" policy, it would develop a specialist accident department to research and develop mountain-related emergency medicine, because of its proximity to, and past experience of, dealing with accidents occurring in

3190-443: Was increasing. Sustained economic activity in the city after World War II led to a popular appeal and expansion outside of its checkerboard-domain from 1840. During the 1970s, the commune merged with that of Saint-Roch (1972) and that of Saint-Martin-sur-Arve (1977). After decades of intensive industrial development including the turning industry and Dynastar skis and the resurgence of tourist and commercial activity, facilitated by

3248-549: Was part of the historical land of Savoy and emerged as the feudal territory of the House of Savoy during the 11th to 14th centuries. The historical territory is shared between the modern countries of France, Italy and Switzerland. The House of Savoy became the longest surviving royal house in Europe. It ruled the County of Savoy to 1416 and then the Duchy of Savoy from 1416 to 1860. The first party to publish (1744) an account of their visit

3306-557: Was that of Richard Pococke , William Windham and others, such as the Englishmen who visited the Mer de Glace in 1741. In 1742 came P. Martel and several other Genevese, in 1760 Horace Bénédict de Saussure , as well as rather later Marc-Théodore Bourrit . The growth of tourism in the early 19th century led to the formation of the Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix in 1821, to regulate access to

3364-666: Was to defend France's alpine borders. The school's mission changed in 1945 to train mountain and ski specialists for the entire Army. In 1947 the French Military Ski Team was formed, under the Commissariat for Military Sports, it was supported and managed by the EHM. In 1948 the Chamonix Mountain Relief Society , the doctors of the School participated with the rescue team to provide emergency relief and aid in

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