Maurienne

Coordinates: 45°12′N 6°40′E / 45.200°N 6.667°E / 45.200; 6.667
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Maurienne (

Arpitan: Môrièna) is one of the provinces of Savoy, corresponding to the arrondissement of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne in France. It is also the original name of the capital of the province, now Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne
.

The Grande Casse is the main peak of the valley.

Location

The crystalline range of Ambin and one of its numerous wild valleys in Maurienne

The Maurienne valley is one of the great transverse valleys of the

Vanoise. The capital, Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne
, lies at the confluence of the Arc and the Arvan.

Roads and railways

Part of the main road and rail route between Lyon and Turin runs through the valley. The A43 autoroute and a railway line enter at the western end from the Isère valley, and leave at Modane using the Fréjus Road and Rail Tunnels respectively which both emerge at Bardonecchia in Italy. The Turin–Lyon high-speed railway will also be built through the lower valley.

The other roads out of the valley use the following mountain cols:

Other cols such as the

Col d'Etache, Col du Carro and the Col de Vallée Etroite
are only passable on foot.

Districts

The province contains the following cantons:

  • canton d'Aiguebelle
  • canton de La Chambre
  • canton de Lanslebourg-Mont-Cenis
  • canton de Modane
  • canton de Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne
  • canton de Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne

Economy

The well preserved nature, thanks to the national park, attracts many tourists looking for real alpine wilderness, and a fauna still preserved.

The abundance of hydro-electric power (there are twenty-four hydroelectric stations in the valley) created heavy industry such as electrochemical plants and aluminum refining, but now the emphasis in the area is on tourism, especially winter sports. Numerous ski resorts line the valley, from the small villages like Albiez-Montrond to the purpose-built resorts, dating from the 1970s like Le Corbier and Les Karellis.

The Vanoise National Park and its protected surroundings are a major tourist attraction. Alpine ibex, grey wolves, lynx, royal eagles or vultures are among the many rare species that live in the numerous valleys of Maurienne.

The famous but rare and expensive Bleu de Termignon cheese is made in the commune of Termignon in the Haute-Maurienne near the Italian border.

History

Main article: County of Maurienne

The region has numerous traces of human habitation since the

French towns and lands of Art and History
.

The Basse-Maurienne

The lower part of the valley is industrial, and its three significant towns are:

The Haute-Maurienne

The Maurienne Valley is one of the longest intra-alpine valleys in the Alps.

The upper valley of the Arc is known as the Haute-Maurienne. It lies along the Italian border around 45 km near Mont Cenis. The principal town is Modane, an old frontier town, at the mouth of the Fréjus Road Tunnel and dominated by the resort of Val Fréjus. The other villages, rising up from the valley, are:

Haute Maurienne entirely covered by Vanoise National Park and its protected periphery.

About 5,000 inhabitants live there permanently, but the population reaches about 15,000 in the winter.

Much of the Haute-Maurienne is included in

lammergeier was recently reintroduced into the area. It appears that wolves
have reached the region within the past five years.

Skiing and snowboarding

The Maurienne valley is home to around 20 ski resorts. There is also access to

The Three Valleys via the Orelle
gondola.

Alpine/downhill

In rough order heading up the valley:

Cross country


See also

Notes and references

External links

45°12′N 6°40′E / 45.200°N 6.667°E / 45.200; 6.667

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