Mont-Cenis
Between France and Italy
Mont-Cenis has always been a site of major importance. Since the Middle Ages, the Col du Mont-Cenis has been an important passageway between France and Italy.
From Charlemagne to Napoleon, crowned heads used the pass. Sometimes with their courts on courtesy visits. More often, with their armies, to wage war. Merchants, pilgrims and travelers also took advantage of this passageway to Turin and Rome.
The site is also exceptional for its micro-climate, on the border between the northern and southern Alps, which allows a rare flora to thrive. An Alpine Garden, open free of charge in summer, presents this flora for you to discover while admiring the panorama and view of the lake.
A huge lake in the heart of the Alps
The Mont-Cenis plateau is marked by its superb lake. Although there has always been a natural lake on the plateau, it was nowhere near as impressive as the one we have today. Today's body of water is a dam lake. The "barrage poids", built between 1962 and 1968, supplies the Villarodin-Bourget hydroelectric power stations, among others.
It's possible to walk around the lake (allow 5 hours). Fluctuating lake levels reveal some of the lake's secrets. In early June, when the lake is very low, you can see the old dikes built by the Italians between 1911 and 1921. The Mont Cenis plateau was in fact Italian until the end of the Second World War.
A heritage to visit
On the border between France and Italy, Mont-Cenis has always been of strategic and military importance. For centuries, the site remained part of the Kingdom of Piedmont and Sardinia. But with the birth of Italy and the attachment of Savoy to France, Mont-Cenis became a border zone. The plateau became Italian and fortifications were soon erected. These included late-19th-century forts such as the superb Fort de Ronce, which can easily be visited in summer, Fort de Variselle, Fort Malamot and Fort de la Turra, as well as bunkers scattered across the mountain pastures. After the Second World War, Mont-Cenis became entirely French. These forts and their unusual heritage remain from this troubled period.
Terrain d'aventures
Mountain biking, gravel, hiking and marmot walksThe Mont Cenis plateau is also a superb area for many sports and activities. Cycling enthusiasts can enjoy the ascent of the pass from Val Cenis-Lanslebourg (and the bravest can descend to Susa in Italy and then climb the steep slopes on the Italian side). The plateau is also ideal for mountain biking and gravelling, with its former military trails. There's also a "discovery" circuit around the lake, which you can try out with an electrically-assisted mountain bike, making it even easier to climb up from Val Cenis-Lanslebourg!
When it comes to walks and hikes, the site offers family outings to see the marmots or the pretty high-altitude lakes of Petit Mont-Cenis. For the more athletic, the hiking possibilities are endless, including the Petit Mont-Cenis signal (3,162m, one of the "3000" accessible by hikers in summer at Haute Maurienne Vanoise) or hikes to Italy with overnight stays in refuges or bivouacs.
Aquatic activities
Canoeing, fishing and pedal boatsFor water sports enthusiasts, it's now possible to navigate the Lac du Mont Cenis by canoe or pedalo. Situated at an altitude of 2,000 metres, the Mont Cenis nautical base is the highest in Europe. In summer, at the start of the day, the lake is often very calm, transforming itself into a veritable mirror reflecting the surrounding peaks. An even more magical sight from a canoe.
The lake also holds some great catches for fishing enthusiasts.