Villard-Reculas, 60 inhabitants and 1500 tourist beds
Villard Reculas has a great history. 20 years ago it was a dying village with no more than 6 inhabitants...
However, at the beginning of the last century, Villard Reculas comprised of more than 200 inhabitants who worked primarily on the land. The decline in the population started during the great war of 1914 -1918. The school closed in 1965 and with its closure the village continued its inevitable demise. Villard Reculas had already attracted skiers because the village possessed a teleski - constructed in 1946, which permitted skiers to ascend the summit of Signal and descend to Alpe d'Huez.
The inhabitants and the Mayor decided to take the future of the village in hand after noticing an interest in the village by property developers. After consulting the inhabitants by referendum in 1969 they planned the development of the village.
At this time the only access to Villard Reculas was from the village of Huez by a small balcony road which was very exposed to avalanches and sometimes remained closed for many winter months. To provide the village with economic survival it was therefore decided to construct another route from the valley which finally opened in 1980...
In parallel with the development of the road it was decided to construct the first communal gites with its architecture respecting the identity of the mountains. The first gite was completed in 1981, and at the same time other buildings were constructed notably shops and the tourist office. Little by little chalets were constructed and tourism gave renewed life to the village.
|
Alpe
0033 (0)4 76 80 9000 - 