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Heritage
The history of the Pays du Mont-Blanc is the history of life in the mountains. The inhabitants overcame the difficulties and harsh life of bygone years by their beliefs, their capacity to excel, their solidarity and their creativity. What has survived of today is more than buildings and can be found in strong personalities, an Art of Living based on community life and authentic culture.
The cultural heritage of the Pays du Mont-Blanc is as immense as its towering summits. The key to survival in these valleys in bygone times was courage. Inaccessible and far away from the progress of the world, mountain dwellers lived in a difficult universe. Farmers, hawkers and smugglers created splendid churches and baroque chapels, a highly specific culture and mountain trade routes. This isolation forged their interdependent spirit and beautiful traditional festivals attended by all.
Mountaineering started here. These visitors encouraged the inhabitants to look at their mountains differently. Tourists came to enjoy the views, have fun on the snow and pursue a wide range of leisure activities. The main signs of these changes were in village architecture and the creation of new resorts.
This cultural heritage is alive. Mountain hamlets, baroque churches, extraordinary resorts, visionary architectures, new gastronomic delights, courageous, talented and professional mountain craftsmen - only in the Pays du Mont-Blanc and nowhere else!
