Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval (; frp, Hi) is a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

in the

Haute-Savoie Haute-Savoie (; Arpitan: ''Savouè d'Amont'' or ''Hiôta-Savouè''; en, Upper Savoy) or '; it, Alta Savoia. is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France, bordering both Switzerland and Italy. Its prefecture is Ann ...

department within the

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (ARA; ; frp, Ôvèrgne-Rôno-Ârpes; oc, Auvèrnhe Ròse Aups; it, Alvernia-Rodano-Alpi) is a region in southeast-central France created by the 2014 territorial reform of French regions; it resulted from the merger of Au ...

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...

in southeastern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. It is located at the end of the Giffre Valley. Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval is one of

Les Plus Beaux Villages de France ''Les Plus Beaux Villages de France'' (meaning “the most beautiful villages of France”) is an independent association created in 1982 for the promotion of the tourist appeal of small rural villages with a rich cultural heritage. As of Septem ...

. Although the Cirque du Fer à Cheval has made Sixt famous, other attractions including the Cascade du Rouget waterfall, named "Queen of the Alps" and a nature reserve cover most of the district's geographical area. Its architectural heritage includes the priory and church stemming from the former Sixt Abbey, founded by Ponce de Faucigny.

Geography

The area of the

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an o ...

ranges in altitude from ; three-quarters of its area (9,200 hectares out of 11,200 total) are part of a natural reserve and completely uninhabited. The name Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval comes from the shape of the

natural amphitheatre An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ...

("Cirque du Fer à Cheval") which, from above, looks like a horseshoe. Located in the Natural Reserve of Sixt, the Cirque du Fer à Cheval, classified a Grand Site de France is a destination for approximately 500,000 visitors each year. The heart of the village is the parish of the Abbaye. Sixt is divided into 12 parishes, along the two main rivers called Giffre des Fonts also called "Giffre-Haut" (Upper Giffre), and Giffre du Fer à Cheval. The Giffre river, a tributary of the

Arve The Arve (french: L'Arve, ) is a river in France (''département'' of Haute-Savoie), and Switzerland (canton of Geneva). A left tributary of the Rhône, it is long, of which 9 km in Switzerland. Its catchment area is , of which 80 km ...

, has its source in Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval, coming from a few hundred waterfalls in the nearby mountains. Four of the twelve parishes are located between the parish of the Abbaye and the Cirque du Fer à Cheval (Les Curtets, L'Echarny, Le Molliet, Nambride). The seven other parishes are located between the parish of the Abbaye and the Rouget Waterfall, in the upper Giffre valley (Maison Neuve, Salvagny, Passy, Le Fay, Hauterive, La Chapelle, and Englène). Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval is linked to the Samoëns' valley through one sole road. The highest mountain in the village, the Mont Buet (also called "Women's Mont Blanc") reaches . Sixt shares borders with Switzerland (on the northeast) and also

Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Chamonix-Mont-Blanc ( frp, Chamôni), more commonly known as Chamonix, is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of southeastern France. It was the site of the first Winter Olympics in 1924. In 2019, it had ...

(to the south). The village and its is recognized as one of

(The Most Beautiful Villages of France), of which there are only five in all of the French Alps.

Mountain sports

Sixt is a year-round destination for adventurers, walkers, skiers and mountain bikers. There are trails and paths among alpine meadows, forests and waterfalls, including the Cascade du Rouget, "Queen of the Alps” waterfall, a 40-minute walk from the village. Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval is a winter sports resort. Part of the Grand-Massif ski resort, Sixt is a destination for skiers and proponents of other forms of alpine activities (paragliding, via ferrata, mountaineering, ice-climbing, and rafting). A ski area which enables families of all abilities to access the 265 km of slopes of the Grand Massif resort (Sixt-Samoëns-Flaine-Les Carroz) – from beginner slopes to blue, red, black and off-piste. Sixt owns one of the longest ski slopes of the Alps, which can be accessed from the Grande Platières summit above Flaine. This 14 km "Piste des Cascades" all the way down to Sixt, below, is a gentle blue run through meadows, iced waterfalls and forests, where it is possible to see chamois and alpine ibex.

Geography

Mountain sports

See also