Bessans

Bessans
The town hall, war memorial and church in Bessans
Bessans
Location within Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region  Bessans
Coordinates: 45°19′N 7°00′E / 45.32°N 7.00°E / 45.32; 7.00Coordinates: 45°19′N 7°00′E / 45.32°N 7.00°E / 45.32; 7.00
Country	France
Region	Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Department	Savoie
Arrondissement	Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne
Canton	Lanslebourg-Mont-Cenis
Intercommunality	Haute Maurienne-Vanoise
Government
• Mayor (2014–2020)	Jeremy Tracq
Area1	128.08 km2 (49.45 sq mi)
Population (2014)2	343
• Density	2.7/km2 (6.9/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
INSEE/Postal code	73047 /73480
Elevation	1,759–3,752 m (5,771–12,310 ft) (avg. 1,835 m or 6,020 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

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

Bessans is a commune in the Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. It is located in the valley of Maurienne and crossed by the Arc river. Nestled in the center of a former glacial through, it is renowned for its large Nordic skiing domain in the winter and for its trekking and mountain climbing opportunities in the Summer. Surrounded by lush fauna and flora, the village is characterised by its rich heritage, where wall paintings, Baroque chapels, engraved stones and artisan sculptors are inextricably linked. The legend of the Devil of Bessans admirably describes the originality of this traditional culture that is still very much alive today.

Located on the Haute-Maurienne plateau, at an altitude of 1750 meters, the area is known for its sporting activities. Bessans is located in a valley, ideal for Nordic skiing. Following the collapse of the mountain downstream from Bessans (between 10000 and 3000 years BC), an ice-dammed lake formed. The successive sedimentary deposits have created the plateau on which Bessans is situated. The physical characteristics of the site are reinforced by an early and high-quality snow from November to April, and by sunny weather. These allow the team French Nordic skiing and Biathlon teams, as well as those of other nations to train in Bessans

There are numerous glaciers in the area (Albaron, Deep sea, Large Pareis, Baounet...), and nearby is the highest peak of the Maurienne (Charbonnel, 3752 m),

The first traces of the human occupation are found in Haute-Maurienne. Close to Bessans, on the walls of the Rock of the Castle, one can see cave paintings representing a herd of stags, accompanied by other signs. Flint arrowheads and other evidence of early settlement were found at the foot of the rock at the time of recent excavations. It is also known that locally mined serpentinite was used to manufacture axes whose specimens were found with more than 200 km (120 mi) of the site.