|
 Is a little change of air called for? So then, why not in the Pays de Maurienne! This region of Savoie is certainly not lacking in reasons for its charm. There is a multitude of possibilities for walking, hiking, VTT, swimming, fishing, sailing, and canyoning, with eight canyons equipped for the descent. And if we linger a little, we discover a region whose history and traditions are captivating. Its art as well, with its prehistoric remnants, rupestrian engraving and baroque treasures of the 16th century. . Chapels, oratories and churches harbour magnificent murals, works of art created by an alpine population who strove to protect themselves from their difficult living conditions by attracting the blessing of saints.
Because of its geographical location, this valley has always been an important place of passage. Fans of La Maurienne even go as far as to affirm that it is here that Hannibal and his elephants crossed the Alps in 218 B.C. If the exact identification of the pass is still difficult to verify, we know that two thousand years later, Napoleon successfully used the Col du Mont-Cenis, a pass more than 2000 m in altitude, to return from his campaign in Italy. He lingered there long enough to enlarge the road so that vehicles could pass, to build forts for surveillance and to enlarge the hospice to accommodate monks and serve as way stations for passing visitors.
A region of lakes, La Maurienne surely is, with the Lake of Mont-Cenis located below the eponymous pass. A large and deep lake in which the surrounding glaciers are reflected. A landscape that is a bit moon-like, with some paths, a building in pyramid form housing an exhibition of the stories of travellers to Mont-Cernis. An alpine garden too, constituted wholly of local plants, thanks to an abbot named Fritsch, who was passionate about horticulture. And then there are the smaller lakes which are no less captivating: Lac de la Grande Léchère, encircled with pathways meandering between chalets and meadows, or Lac Vert, which owes its name to its deep emerald waters surrounded by spectacular glaciers.
And, at last, it's impossible to speak of La Maurienne without evoking its friendly hospitality and gastronomy. « There are strong trout and excellent old and new wines everywhere », Montaigne is supposed to have said of it, in 1581, when he passed through the region. Witnesses of a past often marked by scarcity, the local meals are robust and not lacking in inventiveness. Among the specialities, the « farcon » ("stuffing") has the distinctive feature of combining potatoes (the starch or carbohydrate), bacon (the meat), prunes and raisins (the dessert) in a single dish. It's certainly for this reason that the production of cheeses has something in it similar to the creation of jewellery. Produced in several hundred types by only four cheese makers, the Bleu de Termignon is the most successful. Created from a herd of barely 60 animals, this delicate cheese takes its subtle perfume from the thin film of mould that covers the plants and passes into the milk, and then into the cheese. Little jewels, matured with passion and meticulous attention to detail, they are sold numbered!
For more information on La Maurienne and to organise your stay: http://www.maurienne-tourisme.com/
|
Haut