Snowshoeing itinerary : The Abbey

The free shuttle service named Giett’Bus links your accomodation to the bottom of the ski slopes of the Portes du Mont-Blanc ski area. Let yourself be transported !

The church of La Giettaz, dedicated to Saint Pierre-aux-Liens, was rebuilt in the middle of the 19th century to replace the medieval building. Its bulbous bell tower and its furniture make it a fine example of late Savoyard Baroque.The first church in the village was built at the very end of the 14th century. Imagine, before this construction, the Giettois went to mass, risking their lives in winter, in Flumet for the inhabitants of the village, and in Megève for the inhabitants of the hamlet of Plan! If the exterior is admirable by the presence of the majestic onion bell tower with two lanterns, the interior of the vast building derives its originality from its Greek cross plan: this choice allowed the construction of a central dome, which was decorated with frescoes. in 1848. Raise your eyes to the sky: restored in the spring of 1999, their colors await your eyes! In 1732, a sculpted altarpiece was installed, paid for by the Giettois who had emigrated to Paris. The current major altarpiece, from 1849, partially reuses this old decor (the pale green part with the twisted columns), so it retains the vitality born of the Baroque spirit.

Little chapel located at the place known as L'Abbaye and which is part of the Oratory and Cross itinerary.The chapel was probably the first place of public worship in La Giettaz, at the beginning of the 11th century. The Benedictine monks came from Megève to the place known as L'Abbaye in the summer, which meant that they needed a chapel close by. It was rebuilt in the 17th century and given the name of the Annunciation. During the Revolution, it suffered much damage : its bell tower was destroyed and its bell requisitioned to make canons. Neither was it spared by the avalanches of 1843, 1847 and 1914. In 1927 it was restored but was again swept away by an avalanche of 1978 which came down from Les Verres and La Pare (at the summit of the Aravis mountains). It was rebuilt on a smaller scale in 1981 and 1982, further to the east, away from the risk of avalanches. The Virgin of the Anunciation was sculpted by a local from La Giettaz, with the inscription "Me Voici".

The Oratoire des Clapières is the only wayside cross to have escaped the destruction of the Revolution : it is the oldest in Val d’Arly. Situated on the Route des Chalets, its name comes from “clapier” meaning pile of stone.