Travel Guide Vallorcine

Vallorcine is the last village north of the Chamonix valley! Located in the Aiguilles Rouges massif, this small high mountain village - its altitude varies between 1,120 and 3,098 m - is situated on the French-Swiss border, in the upper Eau Noire valley. Between the Col des Montets and the Col de la Forclaz, it is the crossing point between the French department of Haute-Savoie and the Swiss canton of Valais (which leads to Martigny). Composed of a dozen contrasting hamlets along its slopes, it has remained a traditional village, a natural haven of peace! The rough crossing of the upper Black Water Valley - known as the "Bear Valley" - has preserved it from mass tourism. It has been able to develop its activities gently and keep its authenticity. Many buildings (old barns made of wood and stone) still keep the trace of an architecture that is marked both by the Savoyard heritage and by the heritage of the German-speaking Valais (the Walser people in the 13th century), with the typical regats (granaries) that can be found nowhere else in France. In summer, at the gateway to the Aiguilles Rouges nature reserves and the Bérard valley, the chalet laboratory with its botanical trail to discover the alpine flora is located in Vallorcine.