All of the municipalities in the pays d’Evian vallée d’Abondance are labeled Pays d’Art et d’Histoire. This label is awarded to local authorities, which engage in the animation and enhancement of their architecture and heritage.
The event that left its mark on Bernex’s village occurred on 21st September 1689. Piedmontese heretics, who had found refuge in the Vaud country, were nostalgic for their homeland and decided to return to the country. Having landed in Locum, a small hamlet in Meillerie, they went straight up to Bernex via the Col de Creusaz where they set-up camp. During the night whilst taking revenge for the church looting and the presbytery operated by the Vaudois, the Bernolands (Bernex inhabitants) set fire to the camp earning the nickname “Bourla-Kam”: the camp burners.
On Whit Monday for many years afterwards there was a procession to the foot of the Creusaz cross to commemorate this event.
Winter sports tourism started in the 1950s at the same time as all the Chablais resorts. At that time skiing was already in place thanks to the Envers drag lift. In 1975 the resort inaugurated the Pré-Richard drag lift, and since then the ski domain has evolved immensely with new runs and ski lifts.
The year 2014 marks a genuine turning point in the history of Bernex’s ski domain with the SRMB (Bernex Ski Lift Company) and the desire to transform Bernex into a real resort.
