History and heritage of Les Gets: church, chapels, early skiing

• 1895 (15th-century bell tower kept)Church rebuilt
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• 1910, listed monument since 1989Aeolian organ
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• 1936 or 1937 depending on sourceFirst ski tow
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• 2004 and 2022MTB World Championships
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The history of Les Gets village can be read in a handful of buildings: a church rebuilt at the end of the 19th century, hamlet chapels and a truly unusual organ. It can also be read in sport, from the first ski tow of the 1930s to the mountain bike world championships. This page sticks to documented facts and flags dates on which sources disagree.

The village’s origins

The earliest written records go back a long way. According to Wikipedia, the site appears in a donation to the priory of Contamine-sur-Arve before 1128, and the place name “Giz” is recorded in 1275. The tourist office mentions pastoral settlement as early as the 10th century. The hamlet of Moudon is considered the first settled part of Les Gets.

The church of Notre-Dame-de-la-Nativité

The village church, at 7 Impasse du Musée, was rebuilt in 1895 on the site of a 15th-century church, of which only the bell tower was kept. Wikipedia credits the neo-Gothic design to the architect Eugène Denarié, which the official listings consulted do not confirm.

Inside, the choir is decorated with a tapestry, “Christ in Glory”, in the style of Jean Lurçat (mid-20th century), bought by the commune in 1970.

The 1910 Aeolian organ

The highlight is the Aeolian automatic philharmonic organ of 1910. It was listed as a historic monument in 1989 and restored between 1991 and 1994. It has more than 1,000 pipes, and around 700 perforated rolls allow it to play on its own. It belongs to the mechanical music museum next to the church.

The hamlet chapels

Moudon chapel

At 230 Chemin de Moudon, the chapel is dedicated to Saint Theodule. It is recorded in the 15th century and was restored in 1650 and 1821; a stone dated 1651 sits above the doorway. Wikipedia says it predates the year 1000, but without a source, so that date is not used here.

Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes chapel, Les Mouilles

On the way out of the village, below the Morzine road, the Les Mouilles hamlet chapel was built in 1871 by Abbé Joseph Marie Delavay, according to its official listing.

The Delavay name is also linked to Jean-Marie Delavay (1834-1895), a priest, missionary in China and botanist, born in the hamlet of Le Chôt in Les Gets, who died in Yunnan. The chapel listing mentions both men; any family connection between them is not stated in the sources consulted.

The 1871 carousel

The village keeps a carousel dating from 1871, described by the tourist office as a historic monument and one of the few in France still working with its original figures. The date of its listing has not been checked in the Mérimée heritage database. The museum website mentions a wooden carousel displayed outdoors.

The early days of skiing

The resort’s first ski lift was the Boule de Gomme ski tow, on the ski front. Its date is disputed:

The second version adds that it was built by Maris Servettaz and opened by Jean Pomagalski. To this day, a small free toboggan run on the ski front carries the Boule de Gomme name.

The Les Gets tourist office, a non-profit association, was founded in 1960 according to a tourism listing.

The Portes du Soleil

The Franco-Swiss Portes du Soleil ski area grew out of an association founded in 1964, according to an excerpt from a tourist office page (the full page was no longer available when checked). The project is said to have been presented in May 1964 at the Swiss National Exhibition in Lausanne. Treat these dates with caution, as no complete official source was found. How the two neighbouring villages connect today is explained on the Morzine link page.

Mountain bike country

Mountain biking is part of the village’s recent history. The resort hosted its first French Cup round in 1992, according to the tourist office, and its first UCI Downhill World Cup in 1996, according to the UCI.

Two dates stand out:

• 2004: UCI Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships, 8 to 12 September (cross-country, downhill, four-cross, trials);
• 2022: UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, 24 to 28 August (Olympic cross-country, short track, downhill).

Les Gets will host the downhill and cross-country again at the 2027 UCI Cycling World Championships. Past and upcoming events are covered on the mountain bike competitions in Les Gets page.

Going further

For 2027, the town hall has announced an exhibition on the village’s history in the attic of the new media library, in the former presbytery on the Rue du Vieux Village.