Alpe d’Huez Museum of History and Archaeology

Description

The Alpe d'Huez Museum of History and Archaeology is the only structure in a high-altitude resort to have been awarded the "Musée de France" label. It traces the long history of the village of Huez and its alpine pastures, from the Middle Ages to the present day.

The museum presents visitors with two new scenographies through the permanent exhibitions "Le spectacle de la montagne" and "Brandes et la ruée vers l'argent des XIIe et XIIIe siècles". There's also a space dedicated to the Second World War, with the exhibition "Eté 1944. Le Maquis de l'Oisans".

3 EXHIBITIONS: "LE SPECTACLE DE LA MONTAGNE", "BRANDES ET LA RUEE VERS L'ARGENT DES XIIE ET XIIIE SIECLES", "ETE 1944. LE MAQUIS DE L'OISANS".

These exhibitions punctuate the Museum's visitor itinerary:

"The Mountain Show

Presented from December 2022, this permanent exhibition tells the story of the transformation of the "Vieil Alpe" alpine chalets into hotels, forming an internationally-renowned alpine resort from the 1980s-90s onwards. Featuring 4 historical kiosks, richly illustrated with photographs covering the periods 1923-1939, 1945-1973, 1974-1989, 1990-2022, this exhibition with its immersive, explanatory cubes reveals this rich history to the curious, with the role of the ski pioneers, the heyday of the traditional, family-run hotel business in the 1930s to 60s, sporting events such as the Tour de France, new snow-related activities such as snowboarding in the 1980s, summer skiing and ever-increasing events such as Tomorrowland Winter. In addition, the architectural and urban development of the resort is highlighted in the exhibition by a touch table (historical and 3D models of the resort's districts) and an interactive terminal featuring several witnesses to this urban development. The Alpe's built heritage (hotels, ski lifts, public buildings, Rif Nel, individual chalets, etc.) is also presented. Finally, INA films and a children's area will attract the attention of adults and children alike.


"Brandes and the silver rush of the 12th and 13th centuries".

Looking around Alpe d'Huez today, who would believe that in the Middle Ages, a community of men, women and children settled on the Brandes plateau, at the foot of the Saint-Nicolas rock, to extract silver ore from the mountain at an altitude of over 1800m? And yet, from the 12th to the 14th century, these inhabitants of the mining village of Brandes (the highest in Europe for this period) lived there year-round, despite the difficult climatic conditions from October to April. This technical and human history was revealed by the archaeological digs begun in 1977 by MC Bailly-Maître and her teams of scientists and volunteers. The discoveries made during these excavations (mining techniques, the manufacture of Brandes silver dust, religious practices and daily life, military construction) led to the creation of the Maison du Patrimoine in 1982, which became the Musée d'Huez et de l'Oisans and today the Musée d'histoire et d'archéologie de l'Alpe d'Huez. The museum was awarded the "Musée de France" label in 2002 and moved to the Palais des Sports et des Congrès on the 1st floor in 2012. A new scenography presenting the archaeological collection is visible and contextualizes the artifacts found underground.

"Summer 1944. Le Maquis de l'Oisans".

Finally, let's not forget the extraordinary saga of the Oisans Maquis during the Second World War. Although the mountains seem to be an unspoilt area, sometimes tragic, often heroic events took place in the Grandes Rousses massif, and in Oisans more generally. Alpe d'Huez was home to a military hospital belonging to the Forces Françaises de l'Intérieur (FFI), notably in the chalet du Signal, an annex of the Grand Hôtel. "Faced with the advance of the German army and its desire to control the Oisans (following the capture of the Vercors in July), Doctor Tissot ordered the evacuation of the wounded patients in August 1944. This marked the beginning of a slow and difficult ascent for the patients, some of whom were in critical condition, and the hospital staff, up to the heights of the Alpette and the slopes of the Grandes Rousses. They received help from the crew of a Boeing B-24 Liberator, "11 Americans who fell from the sky": the crash of their bomber in the commune of Prunières, near Gap, prompted them to cross the Oisans. They provided invaluable support for the FFI withdrawal. Protecting the wounded as they climbed to higher ground, the Maquisards fought a fierce battle on the heights of the Alpette against a division of German Alpine fighters; they emerged victorious on August 14, 1944, with no loss of life. Relive this historic event through educational panels and objects from the museum's collection.


ANIMATIONS

Activities are organized throughout the season at the museum. For further information, call 04 76 11 21 74 or email accueil.musee@mairie-alpedhuez.fr

"Le grand atelier des maquettes" with Elise ALLIRAND, Tuesday mornings at the museum from 10am to 12pm (create your own model of a remarkable building in Alpe d'Huez and leave with it); €5/person or €3; limited to 10 participants.

GUIDED TOURS

* Guided tour of the Pic Blanc (3330m)
Visit covering a wide range of topics: 3-star Green Guide panorama, history of the resort and skiing, geology, landscape, wildlife, glaciers...
No walking (access by cable car). Every Monday and Wednesday, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
How to get there: meet inside the Grandes Rousses DMC cable car ticket office (top of the resort, 1850m).
Rates: please contact SATA (04 76 80 30 30).

* historical walk around the resort (Tuesdays, 2:30 to 4:30 pm; discover the history and architectural heritage of the resort; 5€/person or 3€; registration at the museum or 04 76 11 21 74 or accueil.musee@mairie-alpedhuez.fr)

* Maquis de l'Oisans historical hike (Mondays and Thursdays, 2:30pm to 5:30pm; follow in the footsteps of the rescue and ascent to altitude of the Alpe d'Huez military hospital in August 1944; 5€/person or 3€; registration at the museum or 04 76 11 21 74 or accueil.musee@mairie-alpedhuez.fr).

* Other tours are offered by the Huez Cultural Service, with registration at the Museum (limited places; 5€ or 3€):
Notre-Dame des Neiges church (Tuesdays, 5:30pm to 7pm), archaeological site (Wednesdays and Fridays, 2:30pm to 4pm).
Registration at the Museum, by telephone (04 76 11 21 74) or e-mail accueil.musee@mairie-alpedhuez.fr; €5 or €3; maximum 25 people.

FINE ARTS EXHIBITIONS SALLE ANNE AUVERGNE

In the Salle Anne Auvergne (1st floor of the Palais des Sports et des Congrès), take advantage of the volume and luminosity of this exhibition room and its works to discover watercolors, acrylic paintings, sculptures and engravings for the duration of a winter.
Free admission