Between 2 rivers 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.

Le Planay Chef-lieu (1130 m) is quite typical by the way of how it is built: with houses on both sides of the road that leads to Pralognan la Vanoise. In this valley between the mountain Dent du Villard (2280m), the Vuzelle (2654m) and the Grand Bec (3398m), it’s really surprising to find a “modern” church.If you are going through the village you could make nice discoveries showing the popular faith of the former mountain dwellers: small oratory Saint Anne protecting the village against the avalanche of the Dent du Villard, the grotto Notre Dame de Lourdes erected in 1920 by a family who lost his son in the mountain and finally the church with its surprising modern architecture built in 1972 which has replaced the old one built in 1628. You can’t go to the Planay village without looking at the Vuzelle waterfall, which has more than 100 m of height, sometimes water, sometimes ice; it has been classified at the national patrimony in 1935. In the 40s, some works were made by EDF to pick up the water after the drop, to bring the water 764 m down by penstock to a hydroelectric plant in the Villard. Le Planay village is also the departure of numerous hiking trails.