Moûtiers

Moûtiers, historically also called Tarentaise, is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.

It is the access point to the Les Trois Vallées ski area and its train station, although not on a high-speed rail line, is an important stop for TGV trains from Lyon, Paris and beyond.

Geography
Moûtiers is located deep in the Tarentaise Valley. It is its geographic capital, between Albertville and Bourg-Saint-Maurice. Several popular French ski resorts are located in its vicinity. The river Isère flows in the town.

History
Moûtiers was the capital of the Ceutrones, a Celtic tribe of Gaul. Its antique name, Darantasia, appears on a surviving ancient Roman road map known as the Tabula Peutingeriana. In a medieval text dating from 996, Moûtiers was called Monasterium (root of the word "monastery") from which its later names, Moustiers and finally Moûtiers, were derived.

Moûtiers was the episcopal see of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tarentaise. The archdiocese was disbanded in 1801, and reestablished as the Diocese of Tarentaise. This diocese was united with the diocese of Chambéry and diocese of St-Jean-de-Maurienne to form the diocese of Chambéry, Maurienne and Tarentaise.

Today, the town has a small historic center with narrow streets surrounding Saint-Pierre cathedral.

It hosted the TV display for the 1992 Winter Olympics.

Sightseeing

 * Saint-Pierre cathedral
 * Grand Rue (main street)