The history of Combloux goes back to... 1284!

​

Origin of the name

The name of Combloux appears for the first time on a parchment, in 1284, on which is a seal decorated with the head of a wolf. Among the possible etymologies (Comba Loci, comblovium) it is that of “cumba lupis” which is generally retained: “La Combe aux Loups”.

Some Landmarks

Located on the Roman road, then on the path linking Megève to Sallanches, seat of the deanery around the year 1000, the village of Combloux was populated from the 12th century, when the Benedictines from Megève cleared the region.
Haute-Savoie, a French department since only 1860, the date of the annexation, was part of the states of the great dynasty of the House of Savoy which saw a succession of many Counts, then Dukes (Amédée VIII in 1416) and finally the Kings of Piedmont Sardinia, the last (Victor Emmanuel II) becoming the first king of unified Italy in 1861.

Agriculture

The village was mainly populated by peasants until relatively recent times. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the village had 1,000 inhabitants, the “Comblorans”. The agricultural resources not allowing to support all the population, a rather important emigration began towards the big cities, in particular Paris, to work at the Drouot auction house, stronghold of the Savoyards.

As in many villages, polyculture and animal husbandry made it possible to live “on the farm”; the surplus was sold at the Sallanches market.

In 1942, Combloux had 134 farms, and to this day, 26 are still in operation. With the exception of one farm organized as a GAEC, the others have small livestock and are managed by farmers practicing a multi-activity, linked to the development of tourism (ski instructors, employees at the ski lifts, craftsmen, drivers of horse-drawn sleighs. Young dynamic farmers take over the farm from their parents, modernize it and enthusiastically introduce people to their activity.Yes, we can still hope to see the herds grazing for a long time in our green mountains!

Tourism

Tourism began at the beginning of the century, thanks to a few people coming to rest in summer in Combloux, in summer.

A well-to-do clientele, mainly Anglo-Saxon, descends, from 1912, in the “Grand Hôtel du Mont Blanc”
After the acquisition of the hotel by Cie PLM (Paris-Lyon-Méditerranée) which enlarged it and provided it with leisure facilities (6-hole golf course, tennis, skating rink), an aristocratic and wealthy clientele (ministers, academicians , generals, bankers,…the Michelin family…) frequent our village.

Winter tourism developed from the Olympic Games in Chamonix in 1924. 
A few hotels and furnished accommodation welcome holidaymakers.

In December 1935, the first ski lift was installed by the PLM.
The publicity made by the PLM was decisive for Combloux: flyers, posters of 4m/3 affixed in the big stations, including the following slogans "Combloux, balcony of Mont Blanc", "Combloux, Pearl of the Alps in the setting of the glaciers" ….

The war brought the station's irresistible rise to a halt. The Grand Hôtel PLM closed its doors and was sold as apartments in 1955. Deprived of its good fairy, Combloux then took charge of its own destiny.
But if Combloux has become a popular winter and summer sports resort, let's not forget that it remains a lively village all year round which has managed to preserve its agriculture and develop its crafts.