Cultural trail taking in the hamlets

St Sigismond’s Church
This church particularly pays tribute to St Gratus, who is commonly invoked to help with harvests.
The 17th century building has retained some 15th century features, not least the ogee arches above the side entrance door. The main entrance in grey Villette marble is directly inspired by the principles laid down by F. Cuenot in his 1660 book.
The trompe-l’œil vault paintings by the three Artari brothers at the turn of the 19th century depict the four great prophets of the Old Testament, the evangelists and the four Fathers of the Latin church.
Jean-Baptiste Delponte rebuilt the high altar in 1815 on the basis of elements that escaped destruction during the French Revolution with, in the middle, a Nativity of the Virgin painted by Tosi. Two wreathed columns adorned with vine branches and wild roses frame the main scene, which is flanked by St Peter and St Paul.
The second strip celebrates St Gratus and St Roch, who are often called on to intervene in times of harvest and plague, St James and St Francis-de-Sales.
The six altarpieces of the side aisles are neoclassical restorations. In 1705, Pierre Chanu sculpted the choir stalls and preacher’s pulpit.

The vineyards (information panel)

Hamlet of Le Villard

Chef-lieu of La Côte d'Aime
The former cheese dairy, which closed its doors in the 1970s, now houses a little museum containing exhibits connected with the traditional art of cheesemaking and life as once lived in the mountain pastures and villages. A film gives you some idea about how Beaufort is made. Cheese sold onsite.
The village also boasts a reconstruction of an early 20th-century classroom, containing all the materials and furniture that made up the daily lives of the schoolchildren in those long gone days.
04.79.55.69.25./ 07.66.09.78.94

Hamlet of Préberard
A QR Code provides a link to the Patrimoine de La Plagne Tarentaise website on the area’s heritage.

Orchards

Hamlet of Montméry
Here too is the house that once belonged to Joannès (A QR Code links you to the Patrimoine de La Plagne Tarentaise website), a bygone inhabitant of the village whose mission it was to breathe new life into the objects that had marked his and his parents’ and grandparents’ childhoods. Immerse yourself in the atmosphere of a house from days long past where humans and animals lived together in harmony. Everyday objects, furniture, work tools, and more besides… testimonies to the lives of the people who lived there in the early days of the last century. Surroundings that provide a better understanding of how life could be both simple and difficult at the same time, and also make us realise how much life has changed between then and now.
Montméry’s little cheese dairy keeps all its materials on show in a perfect state of preservation, from the fine copper cauldron used in the making of Beaufort cheese to the little notebooks where the weight of milk delivered by each producer was entered.
Montméry has two chapels, the larger being Saint Etienne Chapel, while Saint James Chapel stands like a sentinel over the hamlet, visible from a good distance away.
And last but not least, an orientation table is on hand to help you take in the fine views of the mountain peaks to best advantage.
04.79.55.69.25./ 07.66.09.78.94

Saint-François-de-Sales Church - Valezan
This church harbours an impressively sized altarpiece in various shades of beige. A gilded timber tabernacle from Italy is given pride of place. Statues of four evangelists as well as St Francis de Sales and St Felix above can be seen in recesses. There are fifteen medallions on the Rosary altarpiece. A decorated rood beam, adorned with cherubs, can be seen at the chancel entrance. There is also an 18th century timber statue on the right-hand pillar.
Open on Wednesdays from 15:30 to 17:30, in July and August.
Free
Tel.: +33 (0)4 79 07 66 41

Village of Valezan
Notre Dame de Lourdes Chapel is located to the east of the village. It was built in 1881 on the aptly named Chemin des Chapelles. It contains two paintings of Our Lady of La Salette, as well as paintings of Saint Roch and Saint Genevieve in memory of two other chapels now disappeared.
The upper part of the village also contains the Baroque-style Saint Francis of Sales Church, built between 1727 and 1730. Its furnishings testify to the villagers’ religious zeal in the early 18th century, as well as to the village’s prosperity. It is located on Les Chemins du Baroque (https://www.savoie-mont-blanc.com/Decouvrir/Explorer/Culture-et-patrimoine/Les-Chemins-du-Baroque).

Hamlet of Picolard
1,250m up, on the Versant du Soleil (sunny side) ledge, this hamlet is a prime viewing spot for looking out over the ski areas of Les Arcs, Montchavin-les-Coches, La Plagne, La Rosière, the Col de la Madeleine and Mont Pourri.
St Antoine's Chapel, dating back to 1702, can be found here. Outside, you can admire the quadrangular pinnacle crowning it. Then step inside to see a Baroque altarpiece featuring typical iconography. The chapel lies along the "Chemins du Baroque" sightseeing trail.

Art Espace Chevrière
06 60 72 70 92
contact@art-espace-chevriere.com
Hameau de Chevrière
73700 Les Chapelles
http://www.art-espace-chevriere.com/

Hamlet of Villarivon
The balcony on its façade opened onto a hay barn. The windows had no frames and were left open to provide ventilation. The ground floor was composed of cellars and spacious stables, and housed the servants' families, who lived with the cows A member of the Jarre family who became an abbé and member of King Victor Emmanuel II’s court spent a few years in Turin and drew inspiration from the city’s palaces when he built the farmhouse.

Village of Bellentre
Above the pediment, you can see a statue of a cockerel, the municipality of Bellentre’s emblem.
Not far away, Notre Dame de la Compassion Chapel dates back to 1634, but little is known of its history. The stele nearby commemorates the sacrifices made by the village’s “poilus” (infantrymen) in the First World War.

Les Versants d'Aime Leisure Centre
Open from 15 May to 1 October
Lifeguard on duty during the summer from 12 noon to 6 p.m.
Description
Follow the blue waymarks: Les Hameaux du Soleil.
To rent e-bike :
Bike Surgery
8 Place Joux, 73210 Aime
+33 4 57 37 69 95
- Departure : Place de l'Eglise, 73210 Aime
- Arrival : Place de l'Eglise, 73210 Aime
- Towns crossed : AIME-LA-PLAGNE, LA PLAGNE TARENTAISE, LES CHAPELLES
Altimetric profile
Recommandations
If in doubt, you can take an introductory lesson in how to ride an electric bike with an instructor.
Information desks
1139 avenue de Tarentaise<br>Aime<br>73210 Aime-la-Plagne,
http://www.laplagne-vallee.com
info.vallee@la-plagne.com
04 79 55 67 00
Transport
Access and parking
Parking: Place de l'Eglise and Place de la Basilique
Parking :