Town and winter sports resort in Haute-Savoie (74): Praz-sur-Arly
Population: 1,300
Specialities: Savoie specialities. Crozets. Cheeses: reblochon, beaufort, chevrotin, abondance (all PDO), emmental, tomme de Savoie (PGI). Savoy cake, Savoy wines (AOC), vermouth.
Personalities: Patricia and Claudine Emonet, Thomas Fanara (alpine skiers). Claude Lelouch (built a magnificent chalet here, Domaine de l'Aigle).
Sport: sports club, sports centre. Downhill skiing. Espace Diamant ski area. International hot-air balloon festival in Praz-sur-Arly.
Economy: winter and summer tourism (first snow class in France in 1950). Agriculture.
Festivals: Montgolfiades. En Scène ce Soir, Les Mixyclettes, La Légende du Dragon, Foire à Tout, Chemin des Contrebandiers and Rétromobile.
Labels: Qualité Tourisme, station classée de tourisme.
Websites: www.prazsurarly.com
PRAZ-SUR-ARLY AND CYCLING
Praz-sur-Arly has seen the Tour de France pass through on several occasions, most recently in 2023 during the time trial between Les Gets and Saint-Gervais where Jonas Vingegaard stunned the race, beating Tadej Pogacar by 1:15 in 22.4 km. The village is 10km from the Aravis pass, which the Tour riders have ridden 42 times. The pass is in the village of La Giettaz, home to Michel Bibollet, who took part in the Tour de France in 1985 and 1988.
But the once-dependable resort of Megève has also hosted the finishes of several stages of the Tour de Savoie-Mont Blanc, in 2020 and 2021.
SIGHTS
Hamlet of La Tonnaz: This is the site of the first human settlement dating back to the Middle Ages. It's also the starting point for a number of hiking trails, which will delight fans of the region's traditional architecture.
Little baroque loops: These trails, designed as part of a collective, innovative approach, offer an accessible, family-friendly way to explore the wealth of the communes' historic and Baroque heritage. For visitors and residents alike, 6 walking trails have been created to explore 6 different themes in 6 communes: music in Combloux, astronomy in Les Contamines-Monjoie, the ancient cadastre in Cordon, painting in Passy, the revolutionary period and the destruction of religious buildings in Praz-sur-Arly, architecture in Saint Gervais Mont-Blanc).
This initiative highlights a rich cultural and architectural heritage, reflecting the history and identity of the Mont-Blanc region.
Church of Saint-Marie-Madeleine:
Construction: 19th century
Style: Romanesque Revival
History: in 1606, during a pastoral visit, François de Sales noted that the chapel, dedicated to Saints Bernard and Magdeleine, was "covered and ornate". A chapel dating from 1643 was enlarged in 1696 into a church in the hamlet of Les Pratz, belonging to the parish of Megève. Following the occupation by French revolutionary troops, the parish became independent and a new church was built on 4 August 1803. The current church replaced the original building in 1881 in a pseudo-Romanesque style. The interior was renovated between 1950 and 1955.
Crêt du Midi chairlift: Every day in summer, the Crêt du Midi chairlift transforms itself into a time machine, taking visitors back to the 19th century and following in the footsteps of the smugglers of the Val d'Arly along a fun trail complete with a comic strip.
Domaine de l'Aigle: Film director Claude Lelouch bought this chalet in 2007, where he shot two films, Roman de gare and Salaud on t'aime. After completely renovating the building, including an indoor swimming pool, and two other chalets, he decided to turn it into a sort of Villa Medici for the cinema, welcoming scriptwriters and directors looking for a peaceful place to work on their projects. In 2018, Claude Lelouch was the patron of a film festival, Ciné-Montagne, organised in Praz-sur-Arly.
TO EAT
Farcement: A traditional Sunday dish, farcement is a Savoyard speciality that used to be cooked during mass and eaten with the family at lunchtime. The recipe consists of a mixture of grated potatoes, bacon, prunes and sultanas. The mixture is baked in a special mould. The stuffing is usually served with a dish of rabbit or roast pork. The mould is first lined with strips of bacon before the rest of the mixture is added. The mixture is then cooked in a bain-marie for at least four hours. The stuffing is usually accompanied by a good red wine from the region.
