Les Allamands village

The village owes its origins and its name to a tribe of Germanic origin known as the ‘Hans’, who settled in the Val Clévieux around the year 1206. Their village was devastated in the 15th century by a landslide that came from the Pointe de Chamossière. Because of their Germanic origins, they gave the name ‘Allamands’ to the site they settled on.
The Allamands village, at the foot of the Col de la Golèse and the Col de Bostan used to be very busy. The Col de la Golèse was part of the ‘route du Valais’ which, after crossing the Col de Coux, led down into Swiss territory and on to the main Rhone Valley route. The village was also a meeting point for contraband smugglers and other illegal immigrants. Back in the day, they would bypass the Col de la Golèse, which was guarded by men-at-arms, via a steep path known as ‘le pas de la Bide’, which led to the Col de Bostan before reaching the village.