2024-04-19 10:17:20
With around 500 inhabitants, the medieval town of Colmars-les-Alpes in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence is preparing to host the Torch Relay next Saturday, May 11. An event that this small mountain village bordered by the tumultuous waters of the Verdon is impatiently awaiting.
With just over 500 inhabitants, the village of Colmars-les-Alpes is one of the smallest towns selected to host this event. So that it becomes a landmark in the rich local history and marks the minds of children and their parents, many volunteers are active in the preparations.
Exhibitions, musical parades, break dance show, giant climbing wall, mechanical surfing and many other activities await visitors in the Flamme village which will be set up for the occasion in the Pré des Lices. No less than 12 local sports associations will offer demonstrations while numerous challenges will be taken up by young and old alike. An official ceremony to award the artisanal medals produced in limited series will punctuate this highly anticipated day.
All students in schools in the Community of Communes Alpes Provence Verdon were also invited to this meeting. A great opportunity to raise awareness among young people regarding the benefits of practicing sport and the values it conveys: “friendship, excellence, respect” a press release tells us.
The course of the day
- 10:00 a.m.: Opening of the exhibition on the theme of the Olympic Torch Relay of the 1968 Grenoble Olympic Games in which residents of Haut-Verdon took part.
- 12:45 p.m.: Olympic’Parade with musicians and singers from the Compagnie Les Enjoliveurs.
- 1:35 p.m.: Start of the Paris 2024 Olympic Torch Relay from Fort de Savoie. Crossing the medieval city fortified by porters between the Porte de Savoie and the Porte de France.
- 1:55 p.m.: Welcome of the last torchbearer of the Paris 2024 Olympic Torch Relay on the podium installed in the Pré des Lices.
- 2:00 p.m.: Official opening of the Olympic Torch Relay village. Throughout the followingnoon, the sports associations of the upper Verdon valley affiliated with a national federation welcome visitors of all ages to take on numerous challenges and break records. Giant climbing wall, mechanical surfing and sports fields will be freely accessible.
- 3:30 p.m.: Opening to the public of Fort de Savoie (exhibition on the 1968 Grenoble Olympic Flame Relay), the Maison Musée du Haut-Verdon and the walled walkway of the fortified city.
- 3:30 p.m.: Break Dance show with the troupe of professional dancers Streetsmile DJ set and Battle.
- 4:00 p.m.: Introduction to Break Dance with professional dancers from the Streetsmile troupe.
- 5:00 p.m.: Closing of the challenges organized in the Olympic Torch Relay village by sports clubs.
- 5:15 p.m.: Official medal ceremony and stroll through the Olympic’Parade with the musicians and singers of the Compagnie Les Enjoliveurs.
- 6:00 p.m.: Friendly end of the day around an Olympic cocktail offered by the municipality.
The beautiful history of medals
Children and adults who have taken part in the numerous challenges will be entitled to an official medal ceremony. In the same spirit as those which will be awarded to the athletes of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games decorated with an original piece of the Eiffel Tower, the Colmars medals also have a history. All are being made by two local artisans who have combined their know-how. Numbered, made from century-old larch wood from the Ratery forest, they include a poplar slab taken from a tree that all Colmarsians know. As in many towns, it was planted in 1889 at the foot of the ramparts as part of the celebration of the centenary of the French Revolution. For the record, this same year was marked by a ceremony in the gardens of the Palace of Versailles, the entry into the Pantheon of four revolutionaries and the organization of the Paris Universal Exhibition which left the famous Eiffel Tower.
Colmar-les-Alpes, the equal of Mont-Saint-Michel
The capital of the upper Verdon valley, Colmars-les-Alpes is located at the foot of the Champs and Allos passes. It brings together a historic architectural heritage (city fortified by Vauban) and a natural and scientific heritage (municipality of the Mercantour National Park).
In Colmars, a commune labeled “Village and city of character”, heritage and culture can be seen, touched and breathed, as evidenced by the Maison-Musée du Haut-Verdon, the walkway and the forts of Savoie and France which attract several thousand visitors per year.
Raised to the rank of the most beautiful fortified city in France, it is displayed alongside Mont-Saint-Michel, Carcassonne, Saint-Malo and Avignon. At the end of the 19th century, Colmars became a border town of the Kingdom of France and was surrounded by ramparts. In the Modern Era, under the aegis of Vauban, numerous redevelopments were undertaken including the construction of forts. With a remarkable heritage inherited from six centuries of history, the city of Colmars constitutes the cultural gathering place of the upper Verdon valley. It is also the North-West gateway to the Mercantour National Park where, at the beginning of the 90s, the ibex was reintroduced.
During the summer months, there is no shortage of sporting and leisure activities. Thanks to its sports fields and its numerous marked trails, active people will find a wonderful playground there. The programming of large-scale events reinforces this dynamism.
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