The Church of Notre-Dame des Neiges

Description

The church of Notre-Dame des Neiges is famous for its architecture, its organ in the shape of an outstretched hand and its 13 stained-glass windows (illustrating scenes from the Gospel according to Saint Mark) painted by the artist Arcabas.

It is famous for its original tent-like architecture and its stained glass windows painted by the Isère artist Arcabas, including La Cène, presented in 2014 at the Chartes International Stained Glass Center exhibition. In the run-up to the 1968 Olympic Games, the idea arose to replace the small wooden chapel at Alpe d'Huez with a larger church, from which the Meije could be seen. Under the impetus of Dutch priest Jaap Reuten, who served there from 1964 to 1992, Notre-Dame des Neiges was inaugurated on December 6, 1969. Financed by donations from parishioners and numerous benefactors, the church was built using simple materials (concrete for the circular frame, copper for the roof, glued laminated timber for the framework, translucent glass for the dome). A film about its construction and liturgical and cultural life, directed by Laurence Monroe, was broadcast on KTO in 2013.

Contacts

77 chemin de la Chapelle
38750 Alpe d'Huez

Telephone : 04 76 80 97 05
Telephone : 06 26 47 05 36
Website : http://www.notredamedesneiges-alpedhuez.asso.fr
Website : https://www.alpedhuez.com

Prices

Free of charge.

Openings

From 01/01 to 31/12, daily between 8.30 am and 7 pm.
Church closed in May and November.
In summer, mass on Sundays at 6pm from July 7 to August 25 (except July 28, mass at Village d'Huez at 11am).

Equipments

  • Toilets

Services on site

  • Guided individual tours
  • Unguided group tours
  • Shop
  • Unguided individual tours

Language(s) spoken

  • English
  • French

Information in

  • Dutch
  • German
  • English
  • Spanish
  • French