Ballandaz loop

Located at an altitude of 860 m, it’s the most important village of the municipality. Close to Bozel and on the way to go to Pralognan, this village has always known an economic functioning: City-hall, school, Galerie Hydraulica (museum) and some shops that are still open.Le Villard mostly called Le Villard du Planay, has got an industrial past which is still visible. One of the most important facts of this hamlet has been the loss of the factory (created in 1898 and closed in 1984) which was a big part of the village. It’s still possible to see marks from this industrial past with the 3 hydroelectric power plants that are running, the engineer district, and the house of the manager, the building of the old canteen (which are nowadays accommodation), the worker’s houses and an old penstock from the early 20th century. If you are going through the village, you could see the nice chapel Sainte Marguerite. You could also discover the industrial and hydroelectric past of the valley, visiting the museum Galerie Hydraulica, which has been newly renewed.

This interpretation centre, with its scenography, lets you discover all the secrets of hydroelectricity and its history, which have left their mark on the Bozel valley.At the foot of one of the largest penstocks to capture water from the Vanoise glaciers, the Galerie Hydraulica reveals the secrets of hydroelectricity and its industrial applications. Through an interactive scenography, enriched by the memories and testimonies of local people, plunge into the heart of this adventure which, long before ski resorts, brought life to an entire valley. Self-guided or guided tours.

The canyons of Ballandaz are a real treasure in the heart of the mountains of Tarentaise. It is an amazing natural spot marked by the strength of the water revealing the history of Le Planay and the valley of Bozel.The water from the canyons was considered for a long time as dangerous and causing floods and disasters. It had an irregular flow. During the eighteenth and the nineteenth century the inhabitants of Tarentaise used to consider the water a danger and not a gift due to its destructive force especially when the snow melted. Roads, bridges, flood barriers or windmills were often carried along during floods and farm plots,essential to the mainly agricultural economy,were badly damaged. The beginning of the Belle Epoque changed the approach regarding the water. At the end of the nineteenth century climate stations like Pralognan emerged and thermal cures became successful. The canyons are then visited by curists from Brides-les-Bains looking for trendy healthy water. The development of thermal cures is linked with the tourism expansion: at the beginning of the century romantics are particularly sensitive to the magnificent and melancholic mountain environment : woods, waterfalls and impressive summits. This popularity is going to increase with the arrival of electricity. Clean and silent energy propels modernity to the valley. New means of transport have grown : Tramways working on electricity replace dirty steam railways that spoilt the clothes of rich customers. The strong water from the canyons becomes the power source thanks to hydroelectric development. Hydroelectric schemes are the beginning of the instrudrial adventure in Villard-du-Planay all along the twentieth century. Nowadays these facilities provide electricity for the national network. The canyons of Ballandaz are a great place of wonder full of history where the water has a powerful effect on the stones and the mountain.