Sainte-Marie-de-Cuines (73130)

HOW TO GET HERE

A43 motorway exit n°26 -  take the roundabout and exit left in the direction of SAINTE MARIE DE CUINES

PRESENTATION

Surface area 1440 hectares of which 1000 is forestry

This growing village currently has 788 inhabitants and is situated on the left hand bank of the arc river at the foot of the Glandon mountain pass and  3 Km from LA CHAMBRE. Its hamlets stretch between the long plain and the forested slopes of the Grand Châtelard where the Mont forest track leads to a number of forest trails for mountain-biking and walking all year round.
The ski resorts of SAINT COLOMBAN DES VILLARDS, SAINT FRANCOIS LONGCHAMP and the cross-country tracks in the  Zone Nordique du Grand Coin are all nearby and you can be on the slopes in under 30 minutes.

SAINTE MARIE DE CUINES  is packed with history with imposing remains of fortified houses overlooking the village.

ACCOMMODATION

In the village centre you will find the hotel Le Grand Châtelard, and the hotel Ibis Budget lies at the motorway exit n° 26 de la A43. All the apartments listed on the accommodation pages of the website can also be found in the village centre.

HERITAGE

The church is dedicated to  Notre Dame de l’Assomption : two parts of the edifice were listed in 1949, the steeple and the apse made from tufa date from the 11th century. Inside the style is baroque and much of the furniture is 17th century. The trancept  was added during the 19th century.

The church is open thanks to volunteers, on Fridays during July and August  – For more information contact the Tourist Office - Office de Tourisme Cantonal – Occasional religious services: for more info contact  the Office de Tourisme Cantonal.

The remains of the Château-Joli, fortress erected in the 11th century by a powerful family in La Chambre. Nowadays just a few remains of the walls can be seen which remind us of the avant garde tower, the main body of the house and a shield that a chapel once leant against.

The tower, la tour de Châtel-André dates back to the 12th century and belonged to the Cuines' Vassals. This former manor is now in ruins... However the tower measuring 7 m x 8 m that overlooks the Perrel hamlet provides a fantastic view of the La Chambre basin.

SAINTE MARIE DE CUINES has a tumultous past with the battle - La Bataille des Cuines, in March 1598 when the Duc de Savoie Charles-Emmanuel fought and won against French soldiers under the commands of Créqui.

ACTIVITIES

Rock-climbing, horse-riding, mountain-biking, forest walks, tennis, boulodrome

THINGS TO SEE

L’Aura :

The largest collective work of art in the world is made from 42 000 pieces of aluminium which symbolise the 42 000 inhabitants of the MAURIENNE valley