Crans-Montana was born when two friends from the valley, Louis Antille and Michel Zufferey, fell in love with this majestic plateau during a hunting trip, and opened the first hotel, Le Parc, in 1893, marking the beginning of the history of the entire region. The exceptional air quality and sunshine gave rise to sanatoriums from 1896 onwards. Following this came the golf era from 1906, and then skiing, with the first downhill race in 1911. Other developments such as the vineyards, the ‘bisses ‘(irrigation canals), alpine pastures and also key events and also celebrities have made Crans-Montana a destination that is enriched with 125 years of fascinating history.
To mark this anniversary, 12 giant illuminated letters spelling Crans-Montana have been installed on the banks of Lake Grenon, at the foot of the Hotel du Parc hill, and on the Centenary Path, which links the centre of Montana and Crans. Replicas of these letters will also be found dotted around in natural surroundings, marking 12 of the most beautiful viewpoints in the region. So whilst walking between the valley and the glacier, you’ll come across these 12 letters together with a telescope, accompanied by video portraits of local celebrities, whose experiences and anecdotes will teach you even more about a theme closely related to each place.
For those who won’t have the chance to visit these little corners of paradise, it is possible to meet these local celebrities and hear their fascinating stories on this page. We have beem highlighting a story and a celebrity every two weeks for 6 months. Log in and follow the 125ANS series. The glacier, the ‘bisses’, golf, skiing, water or mountain pastures, don’t miss any of the 13 episodes which embody the wonderful diversity of Crans-Montana.
1. A symbol composed of 12 giant letters located on an historic site.
2. 12 wonderful viewpoints with copies of the giant letters, and 12 suggestions of routes to visit them. Download the map
3. 12 stories told by passionate local characters.
4. Specially designed interactive content made for the 125th anniversary.
5. An opportunity to look at the main highlights which make Crans-Montana such an attractive destination.
Sylvie Doriot Galofaro, Samuel Bonvin and Martial Kamerzin will tell you more about the 125 years project and the history of the resort.
The resort wouldn’t exist today without the Hôtel du Parc, the first hotel on the Haut-Plateau, which opened its doors in 1892, but was inaugurated in 1893 by Michel Zufferey (1850-1917) from Sierre and his brother-in-law from Miège, Louis Antille (1853-1928). This date marks over a century of history in Crans-Montana: 125 years ! The history of a resort in a region that was nothing but pastures and mountain chalets originates in the complex tourist and political history of six communes, four of which merged on 1st January 2017, namely Mollens, Randogne, Montana and Chermignon. Alongside the merged communes, Icogne and Lens form the Haut-Plateau region.
