today Taney is in the heart of a natural reserve."
Some history about the village, the natural reserve and the refuge...
FIRST TRACES
Researches led in 1987, then in 1999, revealed that the first traces of life on the Lake Taney date about 30'000 years before J-C. In fact, in caves "Grande et Petite Barme" as well as in those of the "Crosses", the archaeologists discovered rests of the bear of caves as well as human bones and tools in flint. These tools would be attributed to the Neanderthal man, who would have lived in the region before the glacial era.
THE RESERVE
Of a beautiful dark blue color... This lake, which seems to have no exit flow, is surrounded with meadows covered with alpine flowers, with bouquets of high dark fir trees and with rocks. Rhododendrons, yellow violets in two flowers, fireweeds in ear, martagons and aconites form a multicolored carpet. On banks, frogs croak, and we can sometimes see a salamander of the Alps in the shade of the forest. The Lake Taney is a site of national importance for amphibians, because they come to spawn in number there. This small paradise dominating the valley of the Rhône at a height of 1400 mt was declared nature reserve since 1964, to avoid the construction of ski lifts and other installations.
THE VILLAGE
Taney is a hamlet of the municipality of Vouvry. The first chalets were already built there during the XIIIth century. From the Middle Ages and until 1613, Taney belongs at Home of Big St-Bernard. Taney has always been a "tourist" place for the inhabitants of the municipality of Vouvry. Today, most of the chalets are mainly inhabited in summer. Nevertheless, some inhabitants answer presents all the weekends during winter, and there are even 8 inhabitants who live all year round!
THE REFUGE
Built in the end of 1880, the refuge was originally the property of the solicitor Cornut, which occupied it with the family as chalet.
The Steiner family at the beginning rented it, then bought it to make a restaurant. They exploited it from 1920 till 1963. Then, it was taken over by their daughter.
At the beginning of the years ' 80, the refuge was bought by the Parchet family. Under their reign, the chalet underwent numerous transformations and enlargements to arrive to
its current shape. In March, 2013, Manuel Micoli and Raphaëlle Herrmann took over the management.
ANECDOTES
Here are some short stories which took place on the Lake Taney.
An outstanding trout
