Mount Tabor
Mount Tabor, the Three Kings
We are in France and not in Galilee! At the foot of the chain of the Magi which dominates the valley (Gaspard, Melchior and Balthazar), stands Mount Tabor which culminates at 3178 m. A chapel is even erected at the top of Mount Tabor. This chapel (closed since the summer of 2021 because of works) is the goal of an important pilgrimage in summer.
At the crossroads of the Maurienne, the Etroite Valley, and Névache, Mont Thabor is an isolated site in a "high mountain" valley softened by the presence of the Sainte-Marguerite lakes, which also offer a nice walk from Valfréjus.
Between France and Italy
The Thabor is a border area. It is on the border between Savoie and the Hautes Alpes, between France and Italy. After the Second World War, the peace treaty of February 10, 1947 confirmed the rectification of the French-Italian border. As in the north, on the Mont-Cenis plateau, and in the south, with the Chaberton summit, the border was pushed back from the Echelle pass to the Rois Mages mountain range, including the upper part of the Vallée Etroite. These sectors, which were therefore Italian, became French. Old milestones are still visible in this sector. An unusual heritage to discover.
Hiking
A 3000-meter summit accessible to all in summerFrom Valfréjus or Le Lavoir, the Thabor massif is a hiker's paradise. A wild itinerary winding between lakes and scree allows to reach a superb summit where the mineral landscape becomes lunar, and the exceptional panorama on prestigious summits: Grandes Jorasses, Cervin, Grande Casse, Mont Viso...
Culminating at 3178 meters of altitude, the summit is very accessible in summer, without special equipment (snow is still often present at the beginning of July, ask at theTourist Office before starting the hike). Moreover, because of its remarkable geological history, Mont Thabor is a mine of natural treasures. Let yourself be surprised!
Please note: if the hike does not present any particular difficulty, it is quite long (count a long day to go and return). The easiest way is to spend the night at the Thabor refuge to make this hike over two days.
Departure / arrival : parking du Lavoir, Valfréjus
Difference in altitude : +1255 m/- 1255 m
Distance : 20 km
The Narrow Valley
a wild and preserved valleyValle stretta for our Italian neighbors, this place is magical! Go from France to Italy without even realizing it! Take the road that goes up from Modane to Valfréjus (6 km) then at the exit of the village, take the direction of the Lavoir. The road is passable but remains an unpaved forest road. Leave your car on the parking lot, at the foot of the Lavoir barracks (and take the opportunity to fill up on cheese on your way back, this former barracks of the "Maginot Line of the Alps" is home to a cheese factory that produces, among other things, alpine Beaufort cheese all summer long) and take the famous GR5.
From the Modane train station, you can also take the bus to Valfréjus and then walk from the station on the route du Lavoir. The walk in the forest is very pleasant, especially in summer.