Megève

Megève
Megève
Administration
Country	France
Region	Rhône-Alpes
Department	Haute-Savoie
Arrondissement	Bonneville
Canton	Sallanches
Intercommunality	Pays du Mont-Blanc
Mayor	Sylviane Grosset-Janin (2008–2014)
Statistics
Elevation	1,027–2,485 m (3,369–8,153 ft) (avg. 1,113 m/3,652 ft)
Land area1	44.11 km2 (17.03 sq mi)
Population2	4,139  (2006)
- Density	94 /km2 (240 /sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	74173/ 74120
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Coordinates: 45°51′28″N 6°37′05″E / 45.8578°N 6.6181°E / 45.8578; 6.6181

Megève is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.

Megève is a famous ski resort near the Mont-Blanc in the French Alps. Many consider it to be one of the most beautiful resorts in the world.

History

The town started its development as a ski resort in the 1910s when the Rothschild family started to spend their winter vacations there after becoming disenchanted with the Swiss resort: St. Moritz. In 1921, Baronne Noémie de Rothschild opened an important hotel which boosted the resort's development. By the 1950s Megève was one of the most popular ski resorts in Europe and attracted many wealthy individuals and celebrities. Nowadays it is still visited largely by affluent people as is made obvious by the real estate prices.^[1]

Sports

Winter sports

Megève's Alpine skiing area, known as the "Domaine Évasion Montblanc", comprises: Megève itself (Mont d'Arbois, Jaillet, Rochebrune and Côte 2000), Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, Combloux, La Giettaz, Les Contamines-Montjoie and Saint-Nicolas-de-Véroce. The "Evasion Mont-blanc" range covers approx 445 km and includes some of the best ski slopes in Europe.

On an area of 8 km² there are 111 lifts providing access to 219 slopes totalling 445 km.

• The slopes are thus divided: (from hardest to easiest) 34 blacks, 82 reds, 65 blues and 38 greens. (See ski trail rating)
• The lifts: 70 platter lifts, 31 chairlifts and 10 gondola lifts and aerial tramways.

In addition, the "Domaine Évasion Mont-Blanc" includes 18 cross-country skiing trails totalling 95 km (59 mi.).

The first three World Junior Figure Skating Championships were held in Megève in 1976, 1977, & 1978.

Megève was one of four European World Cup venues featured in the 1969 film Downhill Racer, starring Robert Redford and Gene Hackman.

Other:

• The "Megève Polo Masters" is an international polo tournament played on snow.
• The "Snow Golf Cup" is a unique golf tournament, held on snow on Megève's Mont d'Arbois plateau.

Summer sports

Megève is also a popular summer holiday destination especially renowned for its golfing opportunities.

Twin towns

Oberstdorf in Germany is since 1970 a twin town of Megève. It is also located in the mountains and famous for summer and winter holidays.

Panoramic view of Megève.

Media

Megeve is the ski resort in the beginning of the film Charade where Audrey Hepburn's Regina Lampert meets Cary Grant's character. It is also the name of one of the tracks by Henry Mancini on the film's soundtrack.

See also

• Communes of the Haute-Savoie department

References

• INSEE

1. ^ Roughly 6900 €/m² on average, according to www.cotation-immobiliere.fr (as of October 2008)

External links

• Official tourism website of Megève. {fr}/{en}
• Official website of the municipality of Megève.{fr}
• Megève local people, tradition.{fr}
• Ski School Megeve.
• Ski Technique Ski School Megeve.
• English Ski School Megeve.