The Monetier-Serre Chevalier
Location: France Department of Hautes Alpes
Type of village: Permanent bungalows
Year of opening: 1957
Year of closing: 1983
A little history: The village opened in the winter of 1957/58. It was the Club's third snow village to see the light of day.
Over time, it will appear under different names in the Tridents: Altitude, Le Monetier or even Serre Chevalier.
Located near Monetier Les Bains, an upper commune of the Serre Chevalier resort, and connected to it by the famous "Club route", the village spreads out among the larches on the edge of the Guisane, a mountain torrent, which flows a few kilometers lower at Briançon into the Durance.
The location was found in 1957, and particularly appealed to the Club which acquired it.
The site was already occupied by a village designed in the early 1950s on the American “accommodation + leisure” model.
Described as ultra-modern for the time, the village consists of a group of single-story "bungalow" chalets housing the bedrooms. Each has its own private bathroom.
A larger building in the center of the village houses the restaurant.
In terms of leisure, the place has a summer swimming pool which transforms into an ice rink during the winter, tennis courts as well as a mini golf course.
The club also has a mountain restaurant in Serre Ratier
Some of you have certainly made your way in the middle of winter and in the snow, to go from your room to the restaurant and vice versa!. As a result, a note in the various descriptions of the village recommended après-ski or warm clothing.
At the end of the winter of 58/59, when the first Neige Oscars were awarded, Monetier won ahead of the two villages of Leysin and the brand new village of Tignes.
The journey
Departure on Saturday evening from Paris Gare de Lyon by special Paris-Modane-Turin sleeper train, stop at Sauze d'Oulx in Italy then descent to the village via Mont Genèvre
Today
Club Med returned to the Serre Chevalier resort in 2001, setting up in Le Bez, a hamlet of La Salle les Alpes. The former village of Le Monetier has since become a CCAS (Social Energy Activity) village.
More photos of Monetier here
Videos
Club Med ski lessons Le Monetier 1958, a film from the archives of Marcel CONTAL.
Thank you very much for this link on Monetier les bains
I did 3 summer seasons there
My 1st season summer 1965
With CDV André BAHEUX and not jean Marie COUCHARD !!!
Thanks to collier bar
And to you PHILIPPE
Hello,
To complete the CDV table, the one in 1976 was Pop's.
Kind regards.
Well seen Jean-mi
Catherine Richez wife of Jean Paul Richez died in 2000
Thank you for these memories.
I spent a summer season there in 1980 as a miniclub go.
Unforgettable memories, great atmosphere.
Angelo
Hello,
I did part of the "August/September" 80 season as a bar GO, do you have any photos from this period
Didier
Very nice site! Bravo! Too bad there aren't dates on many GO team photos
. I sent 2 photos of Pakostane 1987 with Lionel CDV. I have other photos of Ipsos 1986 and De La Douce 1988 if you want.
Good evening GO cuisine with Serge Balladjean as CEF and Stanley Gorsse as village chief in 1978-1979. Thank you, great memories. Gerard ANDRE