Albertville

For other uses, see Albertville (disambiguation).

Albertville

A general view of Albertville

Coat of arms

Albertville

Location within Rhône-Alpes region

Albertville

Coordinates: 45°40′36″N 6°23′36″E / 45.6767°N 6.3933°ECoordinates: 45°40′36″N 6°23′36″E / 45.6767°N 6.3933°E

Country

Albertville-Nord and Albertville-Sud

Government

• Mayor (2014–2020)

Martine Berthet

Area¹

17.54 km² (6.77 sq mi)

Population (2008)²

18,480

• Density

1,100/km² (2,700/sq mi)

INSEE/Postal code

73011 / 73200

Elevation

328–2,030 m (1,076–6,660 ft)
(avg. 352 m or 1,155 ft)

Website

http://www.albertville.com/

¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

² Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Albertville (French pronunciation: [al.bɛʁ.vil]; Arpitan: Arbèrtvile) is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.

The town is best known for hosting the 1992 Winter Olympics.

Geography

Albertville is situated on the Arly River, close to the confluence with the Isère River. Its altitude is between 345 and 2,037 metres (1,132 and 6,683 ft).

Nearby mountains include: Belle Etoile, Dent de Cons, Négresse, Roche Pourrie, Mirantin, Pointe de la Grande Journée, and Chaîne du Grand Arc.

Nearby mountain ranges include: the Bauges; the Beaufortain; and the beginning of the Vanoise.

Albertville is also the one of the two subprefectures of the Savoie department, with Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne.

History

Medieval town of Conflans

The modern city of Albertville was formed in 1836 by King Charles Albert of Sardinia, who merged the medieval town of Conflans, which has buildings dating back to the 14th century, with the town of L'Hôpital. Since then, Albertville has developed trade between France, Italy and Switzerland. Industries such as paper mills and hydroelectricity can be found along its river.

The 1992 Winter Olympics were organised in the Savoie region, with Albertville hosting it. Some of the sports venues were later adapted for other uses. Some sports venues still remain such as the ice rink designed by the architect Jacques Kalisz, although the town is more industrial than touristic.

In 2003, the town was labelled a "Town of art and history".