Taninges: Heritage, Art and Nature

Taninges offers several specific reasons to visit: monastic history, neoclassical architecture, exhibitions and designated natural areas. Two different walking routes also shape the character of the place. If you are looking for a hotel for your trip, Taninges can be assessed in terms of its cultural and natural attractions.

Monastic History, the Church and the Organ

The Chartreuse de Mélan was founded in 1291 as a monastery of the Carthusian order. It is also home to the “Art et Nature” cultural trail, which runs along the Giffre. The monastery’s founding and the trail thus represent two different ways of engaging with the Chartreuse: its long history and a route whose name brings together art and nature.

Another notable building is the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church in Taninges. The neoclassical church was built between 1824 and 1834. Its organ was built in 1895 by the organ builder DUNAND of Carouge—61 years after construction was completed. The architecture and instrument thus point to different periods in the town’s history.

Since 2004, the church has hosted annual concerts and organ-related visits. If you would like to plan your stay around one of these events, it is worth checking the schedule.

Exhibitions in the Old Town

Espace Jacquem’Arts is located in Taninges’s old town, on Rue des Arcades, and has been open since 1998. It hosts exhibitions featuring sculptures in wood, stone and metal, oil and acrylic paintings, engravings and prints, photographs, and watercolours. The range therefore extends from three-dimensional works to different forms of painting and graphic art.

Unlike the historic sites around the monastery and church, Espace Jacquem’Arts is a point of reference for visual art. The different art forms offer a specific point of orientation if you would like to consider exhibitions as well as architectural history when choosing your destination.

Natural Areas and Their Size

On 26 January 2013, two remarkable natural areas in Taninges were designated as Sites of Community Importance in the Natura 2000 network. Together, they cover 1,180 hectares, equivalent to 27 percent of the municipality’s area. The figure in hectares refers to the combined area of both sites; the percentage compares it with the area of the municipality.

Two Different Walking Routes

The “Art et Nature” trail is part of the Chartreuse de Mélan and runs along the Giffre. Another option is the “Circuit des rives du Foron et du bourg ancien” circular walk: it starts in Taninges, is rated easy and is 1.7 kilometres long.

The two routes have different focuses: one is a cultural trail associated with the Chartreuse, while the other is described as an easy circuit with a specific distance. Conditions on the circular walk depend on the weather, so it is worth checking the forecast when planning. This lets you choose between a cultural trail along the Giffre and a circuit with a stated distance, without treating the two options as equivalent.

If you are looking for a hotel in Taninges, these distinctions can help you assess the destination: your priorities might be monastic history and church art, exhibitions or an easy circular walk. The topics described provide a factual basis for deciding whether Taninges suits the focus of your trip.

Discover more destinations: Passy, Maxilly-sur-Léman, Saint-Eustache, Saxel, Habère-Lullin, Le Grand-Bornand, Châtillon-sur-Cluses, Sixt-Fer-À-Cheval

See the main travel guide: Haute-Savoie.