Culture and heritage

Activity and Research 7

7. Culture and heritage

Morzine is a traditional alpine town. Until the development of roads and other communications, mountain areas were isolated and self-sufficient. The people who lived in the areas had to make good use of the materials and resources which were available.

Crafts - wood carvings

Morzine - French Alps

In Morzine the traditional houses, called chalets are built from local wood and have roofs made of local slate. Pottery was also made locally.

Fruit Drinks

French alps

Traditional houses

French alps

Cows and goats which grazed in the fields provided local people with meat, milk and cheese.

Local Cheese on Sale

Morzine - French Alps

Traditional wood-working, cheese-making and other crafts are still important and add to the appeal of the area to tourists who now visit. Morzine holds a number of fetes and fairs throughout the summer to provide an opportunity to demonstrate traditional crafts and skills. This helps keep the skills and traditions alive.

Locally made products

French alps

Restaurant providing traditional meals

French alps

Many shops in the town produce locally made products such as cheese and wood carvings. Most restaurants provide traditional meals on their menus.

Activity 7

There are a number of good reasons why fetes featuring local culture and heritage are held in Morzine.  These include:

• Generating more trade for local businesses
• Attracting more visitors to the town
• Keeping local traditions alive
• Providing local produce for the menus in local restaurants
• Giving the tourists a chance to mix and talk to local people
• Giving local people a chance to enjoy themselves
• Giving local people pride in their traditions
• Giving younger people the chance to learn skills from older people
• Providing local produce to be sold to tourists

Chose what you consider to be the most important six of these reasons and drag them to the arrows around the picture below.

Additional Research
Use the information above to explain the importance of keeping traditional skills, culture and heritage alive in tourist destinations.  Find examples from other types of destination using a website research.