Crans-Montana

Crans-Montana
Aerial view of Crans-Montana
Aerial view of Crans-Montana
Flag of Crans-Montana
Coat of arms of Crans-Montana
Location of Crans-Montana
Map
Crans-Montana is located in Switzerland
Crans-Montana
Crans-Montana
Crans-Montana is located in Canton of Valais
Crans-Montana
Crans-Montana
Coordinates: 46°19′N 7°29′E / 46.317°N 7.483°E / 46.317; 7.483
CountrySwitzerland
CantonValais
DistrictSierre
Area
 • Total59.66 km2 (23.03 sq mi)
Highest elevation
(Schneehorn)
3,177 m (10,423 ft)
Population
 (31 December 2018)[1]
 • Total10,447
 • Density180/km2 (450/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (Central European Time)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (Central European Summer Time)
Postal code(s)
3971 Chermignon & Ollon
3963 Crans-sur-Sierre & Montana
3974 Mollens
3975 Randogne
SFOS number6253
ISO 3166 codeCH-VS
Surrounded byLens, Icogne, Sierre
Websitehttps://www.commune-cransmontana.ch/
SFSO statistics

Crans-Montana is a municipality in the district of Sierre in the canton of Valais, Switzerland. On 1 January 2017 the former municipalities of Chermignon, Mollens, Montana and Randogne merged to form the new municipality of Crans-Montana.[2]

Crans-Montana is also a ski resort that was created through the fusion of the two centres of Crans and Montana and belonged to six municipalities (Chermignon, Icogne, Lens, Mollens, Montana and Randogne), four of which merged to form the municipality of Crans-Montana.

History

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Chermignon

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Chermignon is first mentioned in 1228 as Chermenon and Chirminon.[3] It became an independent municipality in 1905 when it separated from Lens.[4]

Mollens

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Mollens is first mentioned about 1250 as Molaen. In 1286 it was mentioned as Moleing. The municipality was formerly known by its German name Molei, however, that name is no longer used.[5]

Montana

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Montana is first mentioned in 1243 as Montana.[6] In 1905 it separated from Lens to form an independent municipality.[4]

Randogne

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Randogne is first mentioned in 1224 as Randonni.[7]

Ski resort

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Lake Grenon, Crans-Montana

The resort is located in the heart of the Swiss Alps in the French-speaking part of the canton of Valais. It is located on a plateau above Sierre at an elevation of about 1,500 m (4,920 ft) above sea level, allowing a good view over the Valais Alps and Weisshorn in particular. The resort is a fusion of the two centres of Crans and Montana and belongs to 6 municipalities (Chermignon, Icogne, Lens, Mollens, Montana and Randogne).

The skiing area of Crans-Montana is composed of 140 km (87 mi) of pistes, and includes the Plaine Morte Glacier. It is topped by the Pointe de la Plaine Morte at 2,927 m (9,600 ft).

Crans-Montana is famous in alpine ski racing for the 1987 World Championships and is often on the World Cup schedule, usually for women's speed events.

Other activities

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The area hosts the winter mountain pop rock festival, the Caprices Festival [fr], and a professional golf tournament, the European Tour's Omega European Masters, which takes place each September. The area has also been frequently used for bicycle racing, hosting stage finishes of the Tour de Suisse seven times and of the Tour de Romandie eight times as of 2013. In addition, Crans-Montana also hosted the finish of the 20th stage of the 1984 Tour de France, won by Laurent Fignon, who also took the overall race win that year.[8]

The Golf-Club Crans-sur-Sierre [de] has four courses, one designed by Seve Ballesteros and another named after Jack Nicklaus.[9]

The internationally renowned Les Roches International School of Hotel Management is located in Crans-Montana. [10]

Geography

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Aerial view (1964)

Crans-Montana has an area, as of 2009, of 59.66 km2 (23.03 sq mi).[11]

Human geography

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Hamlets (frazioni):

  • Chermignon: Champzabé, Chermignon d'en Bas, Chermignon d'en Haut, Crans-sur-Sierre, Ollon
  • Mollens: Aminona, Conzor, Cordona, Laques, Saint-Maurice-de-Laques
  • Montana: Champzabé, Corin, Diogne, Montana-Vermala
  • Randogne: Bluche, Darnona, Loc, Montana-Station, Montana-Vermala

Population

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The new municipality has a population (as of December 2020) of 10,218.[12]

Historic population

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The historical population is given in the following chart:[13]

Heritage sites of national significance

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The Roches des Fées and the Hotel Bella Lui are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance.[14]

Climate

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Crans Montana has a warm summer humid continental climate, (Dfb) according to the Köppen climate classification. Between 1981 and 2010 Montana had on average 101 days of rain or snow per year and received on average 692 mm (27.2 in) of precipitation. Crans Montana has fairly evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year, as is common in this type of climate. As with other locations in the canton of Valais, annual precipitation rates are quite low due to its location in the rain shadow of some of the tallest mountains in the Alps.[15]

Climate data for Montana (1981–2010)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 1.6
(34.9)
2.2
(36.0)
5.6
(42.1)
9.2
(48.6)
14.1
(57.4)
17.7
(63.9)
20.5
(68.9)
19.8
(67.6)
15.9
(60.6)
11.6
(52.9)
5.4
(41.7)
2.3
(36.1)
10.5
(50.9)
Daily mean °C (°F) −1.8
(28.8)
−1.7
(28.9)
1.0
(33.8)
4.2
(39.6)
8.9
(48.0)
12.2
(54.0)
14.7
(58.5)
14.2
(57.6)
10.8
(51.4)
7.1
(44.8)
1.8
(35.2)
−0.9
(30.4)
5.9
(42.6)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −4.8
(23.4)
−5
(23)
−2.6
(27.3)
0.3
(32.5)
4.7
(40.5)
7.6
(45.7)
9.9
(49.8)
9.8
(49.6)
6.9
(44.4)
3.8
(38.8)
−1.1
(30.0)
−3.8
(25.2)
2.1
(35.8)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 64
(2.5)
53
(2.1)
47
(1.9)
40
(1.6)
58
(2.3)
62
(2.4)
63
(2.5)
70
(2.8)
48
(1.9)
54
(2.1)
57
(2.2)
74
(2.9)
692
(27.2)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 106
(42)
90
(35)
58
(23)
30
(12)
4
(1.6)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
8
(3.1)
40
(16)
89
(35)
425
(167)
Average snowy days (≥ 1.0 cm) 9.3 8.1 7.1 4.5 0.6 0 0 0 0 1.0 5.3 8.1 44.0
Source: MeteoSwiss [16]

Transport

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The Funiculaire Sierre–Montana–Crans leads from Montana to Sierre, next to the Sierre/Siders railway station.

Notable people

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References

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  1. ^ "Ständige Wohnbevölkerung nach Staatsangehörigkeitskategorie Geschlecht und Gemeinde; Provisorische Jahresergebnisse; 2018". Federal Statistical Office. 9 April 2019. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  2. ^ Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der Schweiz published by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (in German) accessed 27 April 2016
  3. ^ Chermignon in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
  4. ^ a b Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der Schweiz published by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (in German) accessed 19 July 2011
  5. ^ Mollens in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
  6. ^ Montana in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
  7. ^ Randogne in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
  8. ^ "Crans-Montana". Tour de Suisse. Archived from the original on 4 March 2014. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  9. ^ Robbins, Tom (11 October 2019) Lone ranger: solo ski touring in Crans Montana in Financial Times. Retrieved 30 July 2020
  10. ^ "Hospitality & Leisure Management 2020".
  11. ^ Arealstatistik Standard - Gemeindedaten nach 4 Hauptbereichen
  12. ^ "Ständige und nichtständige Wohnbevölkerung nach institutionellen Gliederungen, Geburtsort und Staatsangehörigkeit". bfs.admin.ch (in German). Swiss Federal Statistical Office - STAT-TAB. 31 December 2020. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  13. ^ Swiss Federal Statistical Office STAT-TAB Bevölkerungsentwicklung nach institutionellen Gliederungen, 1850-2000 (in German) accessed 27 April 2016
  14. ^ "Kantonsliste A-Objekte". KGS Inventar (in German). Federal Office of Civil Protection. 2009. Archived from the original on 28 June 2010. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
  15. ^ "Klimanormwerte Crans Montana 1981 - 2010" (PDF).
  16. ^ "Climate Norm Value Tables 1981 - 2010" (PDF). Climate diagrams and normals from Swiss measuring stations. Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology (MeteoSwiss). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 February 2022. Retrieved 19 September 2021. The weather station elevation is 1,423 meters above sea level.
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Media related to Crans-Montana at Wikimedia Commons