Chamonix Culture Day & Town Tour

Service Description

Includes a guided walking tour in Chamonix town centre and Chamonix Valley without refreshments provided. Food or drink is self financed although a rendez-vous is suggested for a French light lunch together from noon til 1. If desired participants can join in at a French restaurant, or those preferring to keep it light can skip lunch and meet again at 1 outside the restaurant. Information is provided throughout the Town Tour and Chamonix Valley visit on the culture of the people and town who historically played their roles in shaping the town and community into what it is today. Chamonix Culture Day reveals a history, patrimonie, success ups & downs. From the ancients priesthoods living in the monasteries that bequeathed land to French peasants to make their way in life, to local families who housed travellers, trades people, noble families and eventually thrived making a living from mountain guest houses, hotels, and to the eventual arrival of tourism, winter sports, and even a train line to Chamonix & Martigny in Switzerland, it all allowed French locals to enjoy their lives catering for voyageurs and holiday makers. The industrial types built up their businesses in the Arve valley around the Arve river, wood workers, forestry, construction, metal workers, chalet building, and nowadays everything the modern world needs for a sporty population. The summer season and the winter seasons offer ample opportunity for visitors to enjoy themselves skiing and locals found ways to make money. Tourist always needed somewhere to stay, eat and drink. The sports industry evolved into a world leading trend setting ski industry offering top of the range products for down hill skiing, ski jumping, cross country skiing, mountain climbing, rock climbing, snow shoeing, walking, trekking, trail running, winter mountaineering. Chamonix is now well know for its streets full of sports shops where buying shoes and boots and equipment for visiting trekkers and climbers, shopping is a full time activity. The winter Olympics in 1924 introduced the world to winter sports in a way that will continue into the future, the people of Chamonix played an important role in the winter sports industry and evolution of equipment and skills in the mountains. Visitor come from around the world to use the mountain lifts and ski down the mountains. In summer the landscape and scenery seduce many walkers who enjoy mountain paths, alpine refuges, and shopping!!