Le Châtelard
Origin of the name Le Châtelard
The name Le Châtelard, borne by two parts of the hamlet, Le Châtelard-Village and Le Châtelard-Frontière, has not been explained.[2]
Founding of Le Châtelard
Le Châtelard belongs to the municipality of Finhaut, on the French border. In 1264 the prior of Chamonix grants the land between the Col des Montets and the Barberine to a Walser community, some of whose members later settle at Le Châtelard and Giétroz. For a long time the site of Le Châtelard-Frontière has only a customs post and the Porte du Valais, a fortified gate used to close the border in times of unrest or epidemics. The village grows in the 19th century from the passing traffic of travellers.[1][2]
History of Le Châtelard
1840. A commercial area develops with the passage of many travellers.[1]
before 1906. The site already has a tobacco factory, a customs building and cafés. The Hôtel Suisse stands near the border and the Hôtel Royal at La Madeleine, where the roads from the Trient valley and La Forclaz meet. The latter has since been demolished.[1]
1906. The Martigny-Châtelard railway arrives. The station is designed as the international stop of the Martigny-Chamonix line.[1][2]
1908. The line reaches Chamonix.[2]
1920. The Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) build a funicular to carry heavy materials up to the Barberine dam site. It enters service in 1921.[3]
1923-1928. The SBB Châtelard-Barberine hydroelectric scheme is commissioned in stages.[4]
1925. A plant is inaugurated at Le Châtelard-Village and creates new jobs.[2]
1935. The funicular opens to the public.[3]
1968. The funicular closes.[3]
1975. Saved by the company Trains Touristiques d'Emosson, founded the year before, the funicular reopens, together with a small 60 cm gauge panoramic train.[3]
2014. In June the municipality of Finhaut takes over the Parc d'Attractions du Châtelard and creates VerticAlp Emosson.[3]
2015. The Châtelard-Château d'Eau funicular is completely renovated.[3]
Historic sites in Le Châtelard
Le Châtelard-Frontière station. International station of the Martigny-Chamonix line, which has kept its historic character.[1]
SBB plant and Châtelard-Barberine museum. The hydroelectric plant at Le Châtelard-Village, still in operation, houses a museum on the building and running of the scheme. Visits by appointment.[4][5]
Le Châtelard funicular. It climbs to Château d'Eau, from where a small panoramic train and then the Minifunic lead to the Emosson dam.[3]
EDF plant. So that the wall of the Emosson dam would lie in Switzerland, Switzerland and France exchanged part of their territory. The EDF plant at Le Châtelard therefore lies in France.[2]
Sources
- Commune de Finhaut, « Le Châtelard-Frontière »
- Commune de Finhaut, « Finhaut en histoire »
- Funimag, « VerticAlp Emosson » (funiculaire du Châtelard)
- VerticAlp Emosson, « CFF Châtelard-Barberine hydroelectricity museum »
- Musées suisses (museums.ch), « Musée CFF Châtelard-Barberine »
- Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS), STATPOP, chiffres provisoires au 31.12.2025, via citypopulation.de
- geo.admin.ch, recherche de lieux (coordonnées)
Other villages near Le Châtelard
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