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Villages / Valais / Entremont district / Dranse

Dranse

Canton of Valais · District: Entremont · No published figure for the locality. The municipality of Liddes has 790 inhabitants (31.12.2025, provisional FSO figure)
Part of the municipality of Liddes
Origin of the name Founding Historical timeline Must-see historical sites Sources and references Nearby villages

Origin of the name Dranse

Written « Drance » in the list of the hamlets of Liddes, the hamlet bears the same name as the river that runs beside it. The meaning of this name has not been established.[1][7]

Founding of Dranse

Dranse is one of the hamlets that make up the municipality of Liddes, together with Liddes-Ville, Chandonne, Fontaine, Rive-Haute, Fornex, Les Moulins, Vichères, Chez-Petit and Palasuit. From the 15th century each hamlet of the municipality had its own chapel. At Dranse a first place of worship was built in 1758 to protect the inhabitants from floods, and an oratory replaced it on the same spot in 2001. In the 20th century the hamlet was the starting point of the first ski lifts in Liddes.[1][2][3][4]

History of Dranse

1758. A first place of worship is built in the hamlet to protect the inhabitants from floods.[2]

1957. A detachable two-seat gondola is planned from Dranse to the mayen des Seyes. The Giovanola company of Monthey submits an offer, but the project goes no further.[3]

1960. At the end of the year the two-seat Creux de Liddes ski tow, about 974 m long with a 375 m rise, opens at Dranse. The municipality's first ski tow, it serves mainly locals and the ski club.[3][4]

1988. Less attractive than the Vichères-Bavon area, the Creux de Liddes ski tow closes and is dismantled.[3][4]

2001. An oratory is built on the site of the 1758 place of worship.[2]

Historic sites in Dranse

Dranse oratory. Oratory built in 2001 on the site of the first place of worship, erected in 1758 to protect the inhabitants from floods.[2]

Bridge over the Dranse. The hiking trail follows the river, crosses the hamlet's bridge and then goes south through Dranse towards the Pallazuit water intake.[7]

Sources

  1. Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Liddes » (Albano Hugon, version du 28.01.2008, version italienne lue)
  2. Pays du Saint-Bernard (office du tourisme), « Church and chapels of Liddes »
  3. remontees-mecaniques.net, « Vichères - Liddes » (historique de la station)
  4. remontees-mecaniques.net, « Télésiège fixe 2 places (TSF2) Le Chapelet - La Chaux de Bavon »
  5. Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS), STATPOP, chiffres provisoires au 31.12.2025, via citypopulation.de
  6. geo.admin.ch, recherche de lieux (coordonnées)
  7. Pays du Saint-Bernard (office du tourisme), « N. 15 - Liddes »

Other villages near Dranse

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