1999 annus horribilis

1999, the year of the tragedies, in Chamonix

The year 1999 was marked in Chamonix by two tragedies that deeply bereaved the valley. The Chamonix audio-guided tour stops here, with respect and gravity, from the Place du Mont-Blanc, to evoke the memory of the victims and the darker side of the mountain.

The dark side of the mountain

From the Place du Mont-Blanc, facing the massif, the setting is majestic, but it also recalls, sometimes, the darker side of the mountain. The year 1999 remains in the memories of the valley as a tragic year, marked by two dramas. In February, a devastating avalanche fell on the hamlet of Montroc, carrying away dwellings and costing the lives of several people. A few weeks later, in March, a terrible fire broke out in the Mont Blanc tunnel, which links France to Italy; the disaster, of an unheard-of violence, caused numerous victims and durably marked the region. These two tragedies recall that the mountain, however beautiful it may be, remains a demanding and sometimes dangerous environment. Evoked here with respect and contemplation, they honour the memory of the victims and invite to prudence and humility in the face of the forces of nature.

What to see

Here you evoke, with respect and gravity, from the Place du Mont-Blanc, the two tragedies of the year 1999: the devastating avalanche of the hamlet of Montroc in February and the terrible fire of the Mont Blanc tunnel in March, which bereaved the valley and recall the dangerous side of the mountain. This place of memory honours the victims. It is a stop to be discovered with respect and contemplation.

Practical information

The memory of the tragedies of 1999 is evoked from the Place du Mont-Blanc, facing the massif, in the heart of Chamonix, reachable on foot. It is an open-air public space, freely accessible, where it is appropriate to observe the respect and the contemplation due to the memory of the victims. You discover it during a walk in the centre.

What tragedies marked Chamonix in 1999?

Two dramas: in February, a devastating avalanche fell on the hamlet of Montroc, costing the lives of several people; in March, a terrible fire broke out in the Mont Blanc tunnel, causing numerous victims.

Where to evoke the tragedies of 1999 in Chamonix?

From the Place du Mont-Blanc, facing the massif, in the heart of Chamonix, in France.