Orsières facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Orsières
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Orsières village
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 Orsières
Location in Switzerland
Orsières
Location in Canton of Valais
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| Country | Switzerland | |
| Canton | Valais | |
| District | Entremont | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 164.93 km2 (63.68 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 887 m (2,910 ft) | |
| Population
(Dec 2020 )
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| • Total | 3,194 | |
| • Density | 19.366/km2 (50.157/sq mi) | |
| Postal code |
1937
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| Localities | La Duay, Orsières, Somlaproz, Issert, Les Arlaches, Praz-de-Fort, Branche, Prayon, La Fouly, Ferret, Commeire, Reppaz, Chez-les-Addy, Chez-les-Giroud, La Rosière, Chamoille, Soulalex, Verlonne, Chez-les-Reuse, Champex-Lac, Prassurny, Le Biolley | |
| Surrounded by | Bagnes, Bourg-Saint-Pierre, Bovernier, Chamonix-Mont-Blanc (FR-74), Courmayeur (IT-AO), Liddes, Martigny-Combe, Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses (IT-AO), Sembrancher, Trient | |
Orsières is a small town, also called a municipality, located in the Valais region of Switzerland. It's part of the Entremont district.
Contents
History of Orsières
Orsières was first mentioned way back in the year 972! It was known then as Pons Ursarii. In the Middle Ages, it was an important stop for travelers on the Via Francigena, a famous route that led to Rome.
Geography of Orsières
Orsières covers an area of about 165 square kilometers (about 63.7 square miles). A good part of this land, about 25%, is covered by forests. About 17% is used for farming, and a small bit, 1.5%, has buildings and roads. More than half of the land, about 56%, is made up of mountains and other areas that aren't used for farming or building.
This municipality is nestled at the base of the Mont Blanc Massif, which is a huge mountain range. It sits along the road that goes over the Great St Bernard Pass. Orsières is special because it's right on the border with both Italy and France. It includes two beautiful valleys: the Val Ferret and the Vallée de Champex. Besides the main village of Orsières, there are also twelve smaller communities called hamlets, such as Champex, Ferret, Issert, La Fouly, and Praz-de-Fort.
La Fouly: A Mountain Getaway
La Fouly is a charming hamlet located high up at 1,992 meters (6,535 feet). It's a popular place for families and a great starting point for many mountain hikes. This small ski resort is surrounded by impressive peaks like Dolent (3,823 meters or 12,543 feet) and Tour Noir (3,836 meters or 12,585 feet), both part of the Mont Blanc Massif. La Fouly is also a stopping point for people hiking the famous Tour du Mont Blanc trail.
Orsières Coat of Arms
The coat of arms for Orsières is quite striking! It shows a black bear standing on its hind legs, with a red tongue, claws, and other details, all on a silver background. This design is called Argent, a Bear rampant Sable langued, armed and viriled Gules.
People of Orsières (Demographics)
Orsières is home to about 2,736 people. A small part of the population, about 11.5%, are people from other countries. Over the last ten years, the number of people living here has grown by about 6.9%.
Most people in Orsières speak French, which is the first language for over 96% of the population. A smaller number of people speak German (1.4%) or Portuguese (0.5%). There are also a few people who speak Italian.
In terms of age, children and teenagers (up to 19 years old) make up about 27% of the population. Adults (20 to 64 years old) are the largest group, making up nearly 57%. Seniors (over 64 years old) make up about 16% of the population.
Most people in Orsières live in private homes. In 2000, there were about 990 households, with an average of 2.6 people living in each. Many homes were single-family houses, making up about 75% of all buildings.
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Notable People from Orsières
Orsières has been home to some interesting people:
- Jean Troillet (born 1948 in Orsières), a famous mountain climber.
- Marcel Theux (born 1988 in Orsières), a Swiss ski mountaineer and long-distance runner.
- Daniel Yule (born 1993 in Martigny), a Swiss World Cup alpine ski racer.
Important Heritage Sites
The beautiful botanical gardens called Alpin Flore-Alpe are considered a very important heritage site in Switzerland. Also, the entire small community of Commeire is recognized as a special Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites.
Economy and Jobs
In 2010, the unemployment rate in Orsières was 3.6%. Many people in Orsières work in different types of jobs. Some work in the primary sector, which includes farming and forestry. Others work in the secondary sector, like manufacturing and construction. The largest number of jobs are in the tertiary sector, which includes services like sales, transportation, hotels, restaurants, education, and healthcare.
Many people who live in Orsières travel to other towns for work. In fact, for every person who comes to Orsières for work, about 2.3 people leave to work somewhere else. Most people use a private car to get to work, while a smaller number use public transportation.
Religion in Orsières
According to a survey in 2000, most people in Orsières, about 89.6%, are Roman Catholic. A smaller number, about 2.9%, belong to the Swiss Reformed Church. There are also small groups of people who follow other Christian faiths, Islam, or Hinduism. About 2.8% of the population do not belong to any church.
Weather in Orsières
Orsières experiences about 100.9 days of rain or snow each year. On average, it gets about 772 millimeters (about 30 inches) of precipitation annually. December is usually the wettest month, with about 73 millimeters (2.9 inches) of rain or snow over about 8.8 days. May has the most days with precipitation (around 9.7 days), but with less rain or snow overall. September is the driest month, with about 53 millimeters (2.1 inches) of precipitation over 7.3 days.
Transportation
The municipality of Orsières has two train stations: Orsières and La Douay. These stations are part of the Martigny–Orsières line, making it easy to travel by train.
Education in Orsières
Many people in Orsières have a good education. About 34.9% of the population have finished upper secondary education, which is like high school. About 7.5% have gone on to get a higher education from a university or a specialized college.
Orsières also has a local library called the Bibliothèque municipale et scolaire. In 2008, this library had over 11,520 books and other media. It loaned out 24,400 items that year, showing how much the community uses it!
See also
In Spanish: Orsières para niños
