Читать книгу Mountain Adventures in the Maurienne. Summer routes for a multi-activity holiday in the French Alps онлайн

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The region's economy has always been a mixture of agriculture and transport/tourism. The first road suitable for motor vehicles crossing the Alps was the Mont Cenis road. This was an improvement on the magnificent road constructed in the early 19th century on the orders of Napoleon to ease traffic over the pass to Italy. The modern-day road takes the same line, and the uniform gradient and sweeping curves make the 700m climb a joy, even on a bicycle. Technical innovations in transport were also tried and tested in the valley. The Fell railway, which was built from Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne to Susa, was described by the English illustrator, climber and explorer, Edward Whymper, as ‘a marvel’.

Roman remains in Susa

This used a system to climb steep slopes, a precursor to the funicular railway; it followed the road for the main part, with an ingenious third rail placed in the centre of the track. The rail was ‘gripped’ by two wheels to allow a train to climb much steeper gradients than normal. Once over the pass, the descent to Susa was protected from avalanches by long covered sections. This was such a severe descent that the brake linings had to be replaced after each descent! Remains of these sections can still be seen next to the road today. The railway was an experimental undertaking and was dismantled when the railway tunnel at Frejus was constructed. This tunnel was started in 1857 and the two teams of tunnellers shook hands on 26 December 1870, with the first train travelling in September 1871.