Things to see and do Rhônes-Alpes

It is a tunnel closely monitored since the 1999 disaster - reassuring, therefore - and long 11,6 kilometres, between Chamonix and Courmayeur. Only the width of the tube, which could not be changed, still seems too narrow for the eternal claustrophobes. But for all the rest, what improvements: better lighting and overhaul of the ventilation system, a 100-metre drive, a mid-term rescue station, a combination of French and Italian control rooms and, above all, the construction of an independent evacuation gallery under the road. More fun, the tail of vehicles at the counter: you will have the impression of taking the start of a ski competition, with front of you the small barrier that displays on screen the time allotted before your departure. 10, 9, 8, 7… When it rises, you can start up to the limit speed of 70 km/h and with a spacing of 150 metres between each vehicle, which now seems very well respected. The reason? The multiplication of surveillance cameras, such as tickets.

Caravaneige is not a novelty and has long been practised in the French Alps. The sites are perfectly equipped to warmly receive campers who wish to live the mountain at their own pace.

Nernier is a poetic commune with medieval lake architecture. The beautiful vineyards covered by vineyards make us think of Marcel Pagnol's'castle '. Maybe we're understanding why so many painters and poets stayed in Nernier. One of the most famous was Lamartine.

Created in 1983 by contemporary artists Jean Deprez and Catherine Jacquet, on the ground floor of an ancient bourgeois house (and in the adjoining garden), this "alternative, experimental and permanent exhibition of collective exhibitions in rural areas" is meant to be a "Contemporary Art Mixer"! The exhibited works (4 to 5 exhibitions per year) are developed in-situ by artists for this atypical place. Becoming an association since 2007, the "works thanks to the sale of cards, superb small, limited and updated artists'prints at every exhibition. You will be surprised then very quickly by the staging of works in the rooms of this house, by the quality of the artists exhibited and by the warm welcome of Catherine: tea, coffee or syrup (depending on time) in the living room after the visit commented. An artist's workshop that is a very private address, known only by the followers and the curious, which gives you the sensation of belonging to the underground of contemporary art! In May 2012, the "is in full chambardement to welcome a giant Cluedo. Feel free to ring at his door!

It was here that the poet-novelist composed her famous poem Paradis à Amphion. On the shores of Lake Geneva, the small pink stone temple houses a central column bearing a golden urn in its rotunda. It contains the heart of Anna de Noailles. It is engraved with a quatrain composed by the poetess and destined for her sepulchral temple. The votive monument, signed by the architect Jose Emilio Terry, was erected in the garden of the Villa Bassara where she stayed for the last time in 1916.

Located at the Salève on its west slope, La Muraz near the large urban centres has managed to preserve its rural heritage.

Nature lovers can stroll along the largest freshwater lakes in Western Europe. The quays are dotted with presentations explaining the formation and the life of Geneva. Beyond that, only around 50 % of the shore is easily accessible, the law there requests it though not respected… In Vongy, under a large viaduc railway, you will find a pass and scale that allow trouts to reproduce upstream.

This showroom for kitchen furniture, bathroom and storage, opened in 1999. Mobalpa is emblematic of the economic success of the valley in the wood industry, a major activity. Originally, a cabinetmaking workshop created by the artisan Eugene Fournier in 1907. The workshop is developing and, with the help of the sons Marcel and Paul, is moving towards the kitchen. In 1949, the Mobalpa brand (contraction of Alpine furniture) is launched and furniture becomes elements to combine between them. The company keeps innovating (built-in furniture, custom fixtures, ultra-resistant connections), and opens up to export the new lines (bathroom furniture, accessories, and storage). Mobalpa opens this gigantic space of 2 000 m ², contemporary and design, for a permanent exhibition of over 100 models presented to the general public. A visit to a beautiful area with documentation and library, to test in real size all the styles and facilities offered by this specialist (certified Quality and Environment) that always produce in the ultra-modern factory of Thônes.

Municipal authority of 1997. On Lake Geneva, naturism on a portion of the beach of La Pinède.