In this post, we’re diving into a small but fascinating piece of Chamonix history, with help from Christine Boymond Lasserre, who runs a French language blog dedicated to the valley’s heritage and past.

Christine explored the origins of the name “Kursaal”. Today, the name refers to an apartment building in the centre of Chamonix. But its story goes much further back, to the early 20th century. The topic caught our attention for a simple reason. We manage a property called Le Kursaal Apartment, yet we had never stopped to question where the name actually came from.

As it turns out, it has a far richer history than you might expect.

From Villa des Fleurs to the Kursaal Residence

In 1885, during the Belle Époque, the Villa des Fleurs was built in the centre of Chamonix, near what is now Place Balmat.

At the time, Chamonix’s casino stood opposite the villa. Over the years, the Villa des Fleurs was transformed into a café casino, and its games room became known as the “Casino Kursaal”. The name Kursaal was commonly used in the 19th century across northern Europe, particularly in spa towns. The word has German roots and roughly translates as “cure hall”.

Between 1893 and 1906, the building changed purpose several times. It operated as a casino, then a café, and later housed a museum called the Alpineum. The museum was founded by Joseph Cusin Berlincourt and displayed souvenirs that had belonged to Jacques Balmat. He also held regular lectures there, using light projections, which were innovative for the time.

In 1906, the building became the Grand Cinématographe du Mont Blanc. By 1920, Joseph Cusin Berlincourt had donated his collection to the town.

The Villa des Fleurs was demolished in 1920. There were plans to build a grand casino on the site, but funding fell through. Instead, a maison de rapport was constructed. This apartment building was given the name Kursaal.

The Kursaal residence, still standing today, was built in an elegant Art Deco style, complete with columns and mosaic detailing.

Many thanks to Le Blog de Christine for this information – see the original post in French on her website for more history of Chamonix.

Find out more about our Le Kursaal Apartment with its 3 bedrooms and sauna, right in the heart of Chamonix town centre.