Crans-Montana

Crans-Montana

Resorts and ski lodges in Montana village

Coat of arms
Crans-Montana
Crans-Montana
Coordinates: 46°19′N 7°29′E / 46.317°N 7.483°E / 46.317; 7.483Coordinates: 46°19′N 7°29′E / 46.317°N 7.483°E / 46.317; 7.483
Country Switzerland
Canton Valais
District Sierre
Area[1]
 • Total 59.66 km2 (23.03 sq mi)
Highest elevation (Schneehorn) 3,177 m (10,423 ft)
Population (Dec 2015[2])
 • Total 10,931
 • Density 180/km2 (470/sq mi)
Postal code 3971 Chermignon
3963 Crans-sur-Sierre
3971 Ollon
3963 Montana
3974 Mollens
3975 Randogne
SFOS number 6253
Surrounded by Lens, Icogne, Sierre
Website http://www.crans-montana.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.[3] Crans-Montana is also a ski resort that was created through the fusion of the two centers 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

Chermignon

Chermignon is first mentioned in 1228 as Chermenon and Chirminon.[4] It became an independent municipality in 1905 when it separated from Lens.[5]

Mollens

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.[6]

Montana

Montana is first mentioned in 1243 as Montana.[7] In 1905 it separated from Lens to form an independent municipality.[5]

Randogne

Randogne is first mentioned in 1224 as Randonni.[8]

The ski resort

One of the local lakes

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 good view over the Valais Alps and Weisshorn in particular. The resort is a fusion of the two centers 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 glacier of Plaine Morte. 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. It also hosts the only winter mountain pop rock festival Caprices Festival and the second largest European golf event Omega European Masters, (an event from the European and Asian Tour) which takes place each September. The resort 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.[9]

Geography

Crans-Montana has an area, as of 2009, of 59.66 km2 (23.03 sq mi).[1]

Population

The new municipality has a population (as of December 2015) of 10,931.[2]

Historic Population

The historical population is given in the following chart:[10]

Heritage sites of national significance

The Roches des Fées and the Hotel Bella Lui are listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance.[11]

Climate

Between 1961 and 1990 Montana had an average of 110.5 days of rain or snow per year and on average received 982 mm (38.7 in) of precipitation. The wettest month was December during which time Montana received an average of 120 mm (4.7 in) of rain or snow. During this month there was precipitation for an average of 9.9 days. The month with the most days of precipitation was January, with an average of 10.4, but with only 108 mm (4.3 in) of rain or snow. The driest month of the year was September with an average of 51 mm (2.0 in) of precipitation over 6.8 days.[12] According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Montana has a Tundra climate, abbreviated "ET" on climate maps.[13]

Climate data for Montana (1981–2010)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 1.6
(34.9)		 2.2
(36)		 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)		 12.2
(54)		 14.7
(58.5)		 14.2
(57.6)		 10.8
(51.4)		 7.1
(44.8)		 1.8
(35.2)		 −0.9
(30.4)		 5.87
(42.58)
Average low °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)		 −3.8
(25.2)		 2.1
(35.9)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 114.5
(45.08)		 94.4
(37.17)		 53.1
(20.91)		 33.4
(13.15)		 4.6
(1.81)		 0.4
(0.16)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0.8
(0.31)		 8.1
(3.19)		 42.0
(16.54)		 84.5
(33.27)		 435.8
(171.57)
Average snowy days (≥ 1.0 cm) 10.1 8.3 7.1 5.2 0.6 0.1 0 0 0.1 1.1 5.9 8.4 46.9
Average relative humidity (%) 67 67 66 64 66 67 66 69 72 70 70 68 67.7
Mean monthly sunshine hours 137 141 175 179 196 216 248 230 201 172 126 121 2,143
Source: MeteoSwiss [14]

Notable people

References

  1. 1 2 Arealstatistik Standard - Gemeindedaten nach 4 Hauptbereichen
  2. 1 2 Swiss Federal Statistical Office - STAT-TAB, online database – Ständige und nichtständige Wohnbevölkerung nach institutionellen Gliederungen, Geburtsort und Staatsangehörigkeit (in German) accessed 30 August 2016
  3. ↑ Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der Schweiz published by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (in German) accessed 27 April 2016
  4. ↑ Chermignon in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
  5. 1 2 Amtliches Gemeindeverzeichnis der Schweiz published by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (in German) accessed 19 July 2011
  6. ↑ Mollens in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
  7. ↑ Montana in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
  8. ↑ Randogne in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
  9. ↑ "Crans-Montana". Tour de Suisse. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  10. ↑ Swiss Federal Statistical Office STAT-TAB Bevölkerungsentwicklung nach institutionellen Gliederungen, 1850-2000 (in German) accessed 27 April 2016
  11. ↑ "Kantonsliste A-Objekte". KGS Inventar (in German). Federal Office of Civil Protection. 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
  12. ↑ "Temperature and Precipitation Average Values-Table, 1961–1990" (in German, French, and Italian). Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology - MeteoSwiss. Retrieved 8 May 2009., the Montana weather station elevation is 1427 meters above sea level.
  13. ↑ Climate Summary from Weatherbase.com
  14. ↑ "Climate Norm Value Tables". Climate diagrams and normals from Swiss measuring stations. Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology (MeteoSwiss). Retrieved 5 February 2013. The weather station elevation is 1,427 meters above sea level.
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