Alpe d'Huez Museum of History and Archaeology

Classified as a "Musée de France" since 2003 and associated with the archaeological site at Bandes-en-Oisans, the Musée d'histoire et d'archéologie de l'Alpe d'Huez traces the long history of the village of Huez and its alpine pastures, from the Middle Ages to the present day.
Having been awarded the "Musée de France" label by the French Ministry of Culture in 2003, the museum has been presenting visitors with two new displays since December 2022, including 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 PERMANENT 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".

THE MOUNTAIN SHOW

This long-term exhibition presents the transformation of the "Vieil Alpe" mountain chalets into hotels, forming an internationally-renowned high-altitude tourist resort from the 1980s onwards. Featuring 4 chronological "kiosks" (or immersive cubes), richly illustrated with photographs retracing the periods 1923-1939, 1945-1973, 1974-1989, 1990-2022, this chronology reveals to the curious the spectacular evolution of Alpe d'Huez through its pioneers (the Moulin, Chaix, Chalvin and Collomb families, personalities such as M. Rajon, J. Pomagalski, J. Paganon etc.), the heyday of the Alpe d'Huez resort and the transformation of the Alpe d'Huez into a world-renowned tourist resort.), the heyday of the traditional family-run hotel business from the 1930s to the 1960s, sporting events such as the Tour de France cycling race (which arrived in Alpe d'Huez in 1952 with Fausto Coppi's victory, followed by Dutch, Spanish, French and English victories in the decades that followed), new snow-related activities such as snowboarding in the 1980s, summer skiing on Sarenne in the 1960s, and ever-increasing events such as the Tomorrowland Winter electronic music festival (since 2019). In addition, the urban theme and the resort's multi-faceted architectural development are highlighted in the exhibition by the possibility of manipulating a touch table (historical and 3D models of the resort's neighborhoods) and an interactive terminal highlighting several players in this boom, which in some respects resembles a real city. The built heritage of Alpe d'Huez (hotels, ski lifts, public buildings, Rif Nel, "international" style buildings, neo-Savoyard chalets, etc.) is depicted, as are future real estate projects. Finally, films from the Institut National de l'Audiovisuel (leisure activities in the 1950s, the role of developers in the 1970s, the inauguration of the Pic Blanc bobsleigh run and cable car in the 1960s and 70s, and the bobsleigh competition at the Grenoble Olympic Games in February 1968) attract the attention of adults and children alike.

NEW

The history of the Tour de France cycling race will be depicted on 15 explanatory panels on the Museum's belvedere (July-August), in collaboration with the Musée National du Sport in Nice.


BRANDES AND THE RUE TO MONEY IN THE 12th AND 13th CENTURIES

Looking around Alpe d'Huez today, who would believe that in the Middle Ages, a human community of mining specialists, women and children settled on the Brandes plateau, at the foot of the Saint-Nicolas rock, to extract silver ore from the mountain's subsoil at an altitude of over 1,800m? And yet, from the 12th to the 14th centuries, 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 November to April. This technical history (pre-industrial development of Western Europe and nascent metallurgy) and human history were revealed by archaeological digs carried out since 1977 by archaeologist Marie-Christine Bailly-Maître, her teams of scientists and volunteer students. The discoveries made during these excavations (mining techniques, production of the silver dust that is Brandes' finished product for making the coins of the dauphin - lord of the Dauphiné - religious practices and daily life, construction of an original shell-keep watchtower) led to the creation of the "Maison du Patrimoine" in 1982, which became the "Musée d'Huez et de l'Oisans" and then, in 2023, the "Musée d'histoire et d'archéologie de l'Alpe d'Huez". Since 2012, the museum has been housed in the AgorAlp (the former Palais des Sports et des Congrès de l'Alpe d'Huez, on the 1st floor). A new scenography presenting the archaeological collection can be seen, contextualizing the artefacts found above and below ground with models and photographs.

NEW

Guided tours of the Archéo-site" are offered by the Museum on Friday mornings during the summer; the afternoon is devoted to a medieval snack (registration required at the Museum or by calling 04 76 11 21 74).

SUMMER 1944. THE OISANS MAQUIS

Let's not forget the extraordinary adventure of the Oisans Maquis during the Second World War. If the mountains seem to be an unspoilt area, sometimes tragic, often heroic events took place in the Massif des Grandes Rousses, and in Oisans more generally. Alpe d'Huez was home to a military hospital run by the Forces Françaises de l'Intérieur (FFI), first in Huez and then in the Signal chalet, 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 and surgeon Tissot ordered the evacuation of the wounded under his care in mid-August 1944. This marked the start of a slow and difficult ascent for the sick, some of whom were in critical condition, and for the hospital staff, up to the heights of the Alpette and the slopes of the Grandes Rousses. They received welcome help from the crew of a Boeing B-24 Liberator, "11 Americans who fell from the sky" (an expression coined by Pierre Montaz, himself a member of the French Resistance): the crash of their bomber over the commune of Prunières near Gap prompted them to cross the Oisans at the end of July 1944. They provided invaluable support to the FFI withdrawal. Protecting the wounded from the military hospital as they climbed to higher ground, the armed Oisans maquisards engaged in 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 landmark event in mountain Resistance history through richly illustrated educational panels and objects from the collections of the Musée de l'Alpe d'Huez and the Association des Amis et Anciens Descendants du Maquis de l'Oisans.


TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE EXHIBITIONS

"Visite-flash": discover the museum's objects in a different way! Three objects will be observed and placed in their historical context.
Wednesdays from 4:30 to 5:00 pm - FREE - July and August, from July 8 onwards


CULTURAL EVENTS

The Museum's Nocturnes (FREE, upon registration and starting at 8pm) are organized once a month during the summer season; discover the history of the Tour de France cycling race and its strong link with Alpe d'Huez through a partnership between Alpe d'Huez and the Musée National du Sport in Nice (Nocturne on Tuesday, July 21, on the Museum's belvedere).
For further information, call 04 76 11 21 74 or e-mail accueil.musee@mairie-alpedhuez.fr


GUIDED TOURS

=> Guided tour of Pic Blanc and its exceptional panorama at 3330m altitude
A guide will cover a wide range of topics: the 3-star Michelin Green Guide panorama, the history of the resort and skiing, information on geology, landscape, fauna, flora, glaciers, the history of the Alpe d'Huez resort...
No walking, maximum 20 people per visit (access by Pic Blanc cable car). Every Monday and Wednesday morning, from 10 a.m. to 12.30 p.m.
How to get there: meet in front of the Pic Blanc gondola ticket office (formerly DMC, at the top of the resort, 1850m above sea level, after the Pistes traffic circle on the right; payment at the ticket office and meeting in the same room with guide Frédérik Tane).
Tour prices: please contact SATA (04 76 80 30 30).
Information and registration required at Musée de l'Alpe d'Huez: 04 76 11 21 74 or accueil.musee@mairie-alpedhuez.fr

=> During the summer season, other guided tours are offered by the Service culturel d'Huez, with registration at the Museum (places limited, by e-mail or telephone at accueil.musee@mairie-alpedhuez.fr -; 5€ or 3€; 04 76 11 21 74): Notre-Dame des Neiges church, Huez village and Sarenne mills, panoramic trail, Maquis de l'Oisans historical hike, etc.


THE MUSEUM'S FINE ART EXHIBITIONS

In the Salle Anne Auvergne (1st floor of the AgorAlp, opposite the Museum), take advantage of the room's spaciousness and refurbished lighting to discover exhibitions of watercolors, paintings, sculptures, engravings, digital works, photographs, etc. for the duration of a summer.
FREE ENTRY; exhibition during August.
WORKSHOPS WITH THE ARTIST for children and adults on the techniques exhibited; €5 or €3/person; information available at the Museum (on site or by calling 04 76 11 21 74).