With lower interest rates available at present, the French are having a change of heart with regard to purchasing real estate. Banks have greater access to relatively inexpensive resources that they can make available to their clients. The European Central Bank is making things even easier for banks and as a result the latter are increasingly motivated to lend money.
The Mont-Blanc range, a playground of choice for skiers, mountaineers and walkers, offers 200 kilometres of exquisite mountain terrain and dramatic beauty as far as the eye can see. For protection from the cold and isolation, the Swiss mountaineer, Ferdinand de Saussure, created the first mountain huts in 1786.
With its pinnacle rising to a height of 1,200 metres, no mountaineer worthy of the title can remain indifferent to the rugged face of the Alps’ Grandes Jorasses. This imposing mountain cannot, however, be seen from Chamonix itself, as Les Grandes Jorasses rise up from the glacier known as the Sea of Ice, its jagged spurs a challenge for even the most experienced climbers.
This «low-energy building» label fixes primary energy consumption in a new construction at or under 50 KW/m2/year and at or under 80 KW/m2/year in a renovated property (with variations depending on the climatic zone and the altitude). This label imposes an air-tightness test and should be compulsory for all new dwellings from the end of 2012 onwards.
A visit to the Haute-Savoie region would not be complete without taking the opportunity to learn and to discover some history and culture. The Museum of the Resistance is located along the road to Thônes, just a few kilometres from La Roche-sur-Foron.
All experienced hikers know that walking in the high mountain environment demands organisation, caution and humility. Taking off for several days’ hiking along high mountain tracks with a backpack full of provisions requires careful preparation and the mountain huts encountered along the way are always a welcomed sight.
In revealing the Mer de Glace, Mont-Blanc’s majestic sea of ice glacier, Pocoke and Windham paved the way for many other explorers who would follow in their steps decades later. The famous Horace de Saussure is another who came to discover the grandeur of the Chamonix Valley.
As the keystones of Chamonix, the Aiguille Verte and the Drus have been coveted by many. With its 4,121 metre summit, the Aiguille Verte is admired by most mountain climbers. Already in 1825, Christian Almer took a keen interest in this steep summit. The first ascent of the Matterhorn was achieved thanks to the determination of this high mountain guide.