CHAMBERY NATURALLY CAPTIVATING EQUIPPED IN THE SAME WAY AS A LARGE CITY TOURISM FOR ALL NATURE AND CULTURE A UNIQUE ENVIRONMENT IN THE HEART OF THE ALPS CCHAMBERY_26-06-07_GB.inddHAMBERY_26-06-07_GB.indd 1 221/08/071/08/07 111:29:481:29:48 2 ASSET 1: GEOGRAPHY WIEN MUNCHEN PARIS LONDRES BERN BUDAPEST GENEVE KIEV LYON Annecy VENEZIA LJUBLJANA CHAMBÉRY VERONA Grenoble TORINO MILANO Valence Gap Digne BARCELONE MADRID Nice FIRENZE / ROMA MARSEILLE B. THOMAS (MDP) B. THOMAS AT THIS MOMENT BEGAN THE SHORT HAPPINESS OF MY LIFE, THOSE PEACEFUL AND RAPID MOMENTS, WHICH HAVE GIVEN ME A RIGHT TO SAY, I HAVE LIVED. JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU, THE CONFESSIONS, BOOK VI G. GAROFOLIN, MAIRIE DE CHAMBÉRY J.-C. RIFFLARD/BALLOÏDE PHOTO J.-C. RIFFLARD/BALLOÏDE CCHAMBERY_26-06-07_GB.inddHAMBERY_26-06-07_GB.indd 2 221/08/071/08/07 111:30:001:30:00 3 ALL ROADS LEAD TO CHAMBERY ITS STRATEGIC GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION MAKES IT THE “GATEWAY TO THE ALPS” AND A CROSSROADS IDEALLY SITUATED BETWEEN THE ALPINE CORRIDOR AND THE HISTORIC ROUTE ACROSS THE ALPS, WHICH, IN THE NEAR FUTURE, WILL BECOME PART OF A ROUTE ACROSS EUROPE (BARCELONA-BUDAPEST). ● Situated at an altitude of only 270 m, at the centre of a fi ve-pointed star, each of which represents a major communication route (interlinking motorway hub, train, airports) ● Chambery is very easy to reach and is close to the main cities: 3 hours and, soon, less than 2½ hours from Paris, 1 hour from Lyons and Geneva, and, in the future, from Turin ● This location is a major asset for the town’s economic and tourist attractiveness. CCHAMBERY_26-06-07_GB.inddHAMBERY_26-06-07_GB.indd 3 221/08/071/08/07 111:30:061:30:06 4 10 ASSETS FOR CHAMBERY CHAMBERY SOME MAJOR ASSETS L. MADELON HUGELY TRANSFORMED IN THE PAST THIRTY YEARS, THE FACE OF CHAMBERY HAS BEEN CHANGED. HERE WE HAVE LISTED THE MAIN THEMES OF THIS TRANSFORMATION, ON THE BASIS OF WHICH THE TOWN HAS PRESENTED ITS NEW LOOK WHICH SURPRISES AND ATTRACTS VISITORS. THIS IS A GENERAL PERSPECTIVE OF A PROJECT, WHICH IS STILL IN PROGRESS AND DUE TO BE COMPLETED WITH SEVERAL MORE REALISATIONS ALREADY PROGRAMMED, PRIOR TO THE MAJOR EVENT IN 2010 TO CELEBRATE CHAMBERY’S 150TH ANNIVERSARY “VILLE DE FRANCE DEPUIS 1860”. ● Chambery is not lacking in major assets for its attractiveness ● Its geographic location – a crossroads and a gateway to the Alps – its historic centre and its ancient and contemporary heritage ● Its environment: lakes, mountains, the Alps, its human size and its social mix, the result of refusing to relegate those with modest resources to the town’s outer reaches, not forgetting its cultural facilities, similar to those found in a city ● It holds several keys for the future: a University, a science park working on some leading sectors – solar power, ecodesign, the environment and the mountains – and the Lyons-Turin rail project ● The town’s future is very much focused on a policy of sustainable development which takes account of its neighbouring territories: Bourget Lake and the Bauges and Chartreuse massifs. The foundations of the transformation Today, on the strength of its cohesion - urban, social, territorial – and its many assets which all contribute to its image, the town is actively committed to a process to promote its potential. ● Chambery has improved its ● Chambery has really been relegating those with low resources ● With Technolac, the town, a appearance with a rescaled and “rejuvenated” with the development to the anonymous suburban areas far stakeholder in this technological park, redesigned town centre , of the University and the facilities from the town centre. and the Department of Savoie have J. URVOY which delights visitors, in particular provided for students, in particular, made their entry into the 21st century. ● T he Gateway to the Alps, Chambery with regard to the quality of its for foreign students. With the development of research and has strengthened its links with the ancient and contemporary heritage. new activities, including those related ● The town has developed in line surrounding mountains and Alpine to the environment and the mountain, ● It has equipped itself with some with the constant attention paid to territories, by becoming the central Chambery has based its image on its major amenities, especially cultural maintaining the urban and social town for three parks, even before geographic location, thus ensuring and sports facilities similar to those cohesion by favouring, in particular, a the recent opening of the “Maison genuine attractiveness. available in a city, which strengthens policy of districts – around its network des Parcs et de la Montagne”, Chambery’s attractiveness and of six municipalities – involving playing host to a “resource centre” ● The Lyons-Turin rail project will area of influence, traditionally all aspects of daily life: housing, on mountain-related issues and highlight its outstanding alpine extending beyond the territory of the solidarity, culture, children, the organising numerous events. location, between the heart of the Department of Savoie. elderly, education, sport, etc. without alpine corridor and France’s main gateway, not only towards Italy, but also towards the countries of the Balkans and the Southern Danube. ● CCHAMBERY_26-06-07_GB.inddHAMBERY_26-06-07_GB.indd 4 221/08/071/08/07 111:30:101:30:10 5 THE VIEWPOINT OF A PERSONALITY JEAN THERME Technological Research Director at CEA (French Atomic Energy Commission) and one of the promoters of INES DROIT RÉSERVÉ CEA GRENOBLE L. MADELON © (National Solar Power Institute) in Savoie The town’s 10 main assets An attachment for one’s region ”Born very close to Chambery in distinctive landscape. The excursion 1-GEOGRAPHY – All roads lead to chambery ....................................................................................................................................PAGE 2 Saint Jean d’Arvey, a village lying ends at an alpine chalet… What a 2-HERITAGE – A living and protected historic centre ..................................................................................................PAGE 6 partway up the foothills of the Bauges transformation! This change of worlds massif, I have always been attached within such a short space of time A resolutely modern town................................................................................................................................................................................................... PAGE 10 to my Savoyard and rural origins. astounds them. These territories have 3- NATURE – All of nature at the edge of town .............................................................................................................................PAGE 12 In the same way as many residents maintained their character and their Open wide the door to the Alps .................................................................................................................................................................................PAGE 14 of Savoie, I was forced to leave the landscapes and continue to live from 4-RECEPTION/CULTURE /LEISURE ACTIVITIES – As well equipped as a city ..... PAGE 16 region to follow a professional career, animal husbandry, the forest and 5- HUMAN ACTIVITIES – A new way of living the town ............................................................................................PAGE 20 but I returned as soon as possible to environmentally-friendly tourism. live in Saint Jean d’Arvey, on the land Nobody has ever wanted to turn From tradition to audacity ...................................................................................................................................................................................................PAGE 22 of my family. the Bauges or the Chartreuse into a 6- IDENTITY – A strong identity, the desire to work for the future ...........................................PAGE 24 Therefore, I lead a double life. During standard “product”. And, it’s just as 7- EDUCATION AND ECONOMY – Learn, transmit and create ...................................................................PAGE 26 the week, I find myself in a high-tech well! 8- MOUNTAIN – The town and the mountain: world of global economies and powers When, you continually have this a common future ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................PAGE 28 and, at weekends, I am on my tractor, image in front of your eyes, you want with the few sheep I breed, taking to preserve it and even improve it. 9- ECOLOGY – Chambery, the capital of solar power ................................................................................................PAGE 32 care of my land. Because, it is here in No doubt, this is why the residents of st 10- STRATEGY – Rail for the 21 century ......................................................................................................................................................PAGE 34 Savoie, in a land which is open to the Chambery and Savoie, in the same world, where there is still a living rural way as the Swiss, are more sensitive area, that I maintain this ability to “be to environmental issues. It is not a 2 in contact with the land” in a world coincidence that the largest research increasingly dominated by virtuality and development centre on solar and things of an ephemeral nature. power in France has been created in It is my resource