Modane is in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in the department of Savoie located close to the Italian border.
Understand
[edit]Get in
[edit]By car
[edit]The town is the French exit of the Fréjus road tunnel, which connects France to Italy. At the exit of the tunnel, the A43 motorway which begins and leads to Chambéry and then to Lyon, also passes over the heights of the city (in Charmaix).
In addition, the D 1006 (formerly Nationale 6), an important road axis from Chambéry, also passes through Modane before continuing towards the Mont Cenis pass and the Italian border. The road is also the main axis of the municipality, which it crosses along its entire length in its center.
By train
[edit]- 1 Modane train station (Gare de Modane). The Frecciarossa and TGV inOui high speed trains connecting Paris Lyon train station with the italian cities of Turin and Milan stops in Modane.
Get around
[edit]See
[edit]- 1 Granite fountain, Place de la mairie. Dating back to 1572.
- 2 Église Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption. Testimony of the reconstruction, it is due to the architect who also built the most famous church on the Assy plateau. Only the bell tower of this building is prior to the Second World War, the rest was destroyed during the bombings.
- 3 Chapelle Saint-Jacques. The only Baroque building in the city, this modest chapel, built in Romanesque style at the time, has been completely restored.
- 4 Chapelle Notre-Dame du Charmaix. Pilgrimage on the first Sunday of September.
- 5 Muséobar, 42 Rue de la République, ☏ +33 4 79 59 64 23. Through four reconstructions of period cafés from 1880 to 1935, the Muséobar retraces and brings to life the history of Modane and Fourneaux. Trompe-l'oeil, music from mechanical pianos, testimonies and above all images illustrate this extraordinary history.
- 6 Rizerie des Alpes. M-Sa 13:00-18:00. Classified as a historical monument and declared a 20th century heritage site: this was the function of this "Greek temple" in the city centre, on the edge of the Arc. It is worth a quick visit to this building, included in the supplementary inventory of historical monuments. Now transformed into an exhibition centre for the future Lyon-Turin railway line.
- 7 Carré Sciences. An interactive space of 120 m2 dedicated to scientific culture, an extension open to the general public of the underground laboratory of the CNRS in Modane.
- 8 Old entrance to the Frejus railway tunnel (Ancienne entrée du tunnel ferroviaire du Fréjus). Built on the occasion of the first breach in the Alps between 1857 and 1871, this former entrance to the Fréjus railway tunnel is located along the Modane-Valfréjus road.
- 9 Leaning House (Maison penchée). The leaning house is located along the Modane-Valfréjus road. Formerly called the "powder magazine", it was used to store a supply of gunpowder intended to destroy the tunnel in the event of war. The house was made of dry stone. In 1939, the construction of a reinforced concrete blockhouse was completed. In 1944, the Germans blew up the railway tunnel and the dry stone house collapsed. The blockhouse flew 30 m and, falling, sank into the ground, remaining intact. When you enter it, you can easily lose your balance, because it is leaning at two angles. It is the most visited monument in Savoie. The leaning house is part of the Fort Saint-Gobain museum association. It belongs to the army, the SNCF and the municipality of Modane. Free.
- 10 Saint-Gobain Fort (Ouvrage Saint-Gobain), ☏ +33 4 79 05 01 50, [email protected]. 15 June-15 September: Th-M 14:00-18:30, W 9:00-12:00 and 14:00-18:30. Now a museum, this fort was built in the 1930s to prevent access to the central Maurienne from Italy.
- 11 Replaton Fort. Built at the end of the 19th century to defend the entrance to the railway tunnel, this fort is similar to that of Séré de Rivières. It is worth taking a walk from Loutraz (30 minutes) and admiring the night lights of the fort. Visible only from the outside.
Do
[edit]Buy
[edit]- 1 Intermarché Super, Avenue de la Liberté 70, ☏ +33 4 79 05 22 45. A supermarket that offers the widest selection of food products in the city.
Eat
[edit]- 1 Il Peppuccio, Place Sommeiller 28, ☏ +33 4 79 05 22 84.
- 2 Pizzapresto, Place Sommeiller 22, ☏ +33 4 79 05 25 04, [email protected]. 9:00-14:00 and 17:00-21:00.
Drink
[edit]Sleep
[edit]- 1 Hôtel Le Commerce, Place Sommeiller 20 (opposite the train station), ☏ +33 4 79 05 20 98, [email protected]. 3 stars hotel.
Connect
[edit]- 1 La Poste, Avenue Jean Jaures, ☏ +33 9 70 82 36 31.
Cope
[edit]- 2 Tourism office (Office de tourisme de Valfréjus), Rue des Bettets, ☏ +33 4 79 053383. M-Su 9:00-12:30 and 14:00-18:00.
Go next
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