The Bella Tola’s heritage is its main asset and it is with great respect that we shall be celebrating 150 years of history this summer.

It was in 1859 that mountain guide Pierre Pont started construction of the first Hotel Bella Tola in the great stone family house to the east of the church, at the request of the village curé who till then had always provided accommodation for travellers. The advent of pioneering hotels ushered in a new era in the Val d’Anniviers.

In around 1883 a long, narrow massive freestone edifice was built on the present location, standing out tall and rather austere against the mountainside. A new world came into being at the entrance of the village, bringing together English travellers and well-to-do nobility in search of nature.

Summer 2009 will be tinged with nostalgia for those days and we have lined up a variety of events to salute this impressive heritage. We would like to invite you to join us in piecing together the hotel’s formidable history by bringing us any documents, objects or anecdotes you may have so that we can hand these unforgettable memories down to future generations.

Historically yours,