In Alpe d’Huez, a village and ski resort in the Isère region of France, stands a remarkable church: Notre-Dame des Neiges. Completed in 1970, the church was built to replace a small wooden chapel on the same site. The idea emerged in preparation for the 1968 Winter Olympics, and under the leadership of Father Jaap Reuten — who served as priest from 1964 to 1992 — the project was made possible through donations from parishioners and other benefactors.

The architecture of the church is strikingly modern and symbolic. Its roof follows the circular shape of a tent, suggesting that God has pitched His tent on Alpe d’Huez — a reference to the story of Abraham in the desert. The entrance to the church is located at the rear, through the choir, which forms the heart of the building. After passing through a long entrance corridor — the narthex — designed to let visitors adjust to the darkness and prepare for meditation, one arrives at a central light shaft. This vertical shaft acts as the mast supporting the “tent” and serves as a focal point around which the congregation sits in a circle — evoking the atmosphere of gathering around a campfire. The central mast is also aligned with two other bell towers in the municipality, symbolizing how religion connects people.

The church houses a unique organ named Christophe-Raphaël, built in 1978 by organ builder Detlef Kleuker according to a design by composer and former titular organist Jean Guillou of Saint-Eustache in Paris. The organ is positioned in the center of the skylight and is shaped like an outstretched hand reaching toward heaven. The fingers of this “hand” contain the organ’s pipes. The instrument features 24 stops, and notably, the keyboards are turned toward the audience, offering an unusually direct visual connection between the organist and listeners.

Every Thursday evening during the winter and summer seasons, concerts are held in the church, organized by the association Notre-Dame des Neiges – Orgues et Montagnes (orguesetmontagnes.com). These events regularly feature renowned organists and ensembles from around the world. In addition, summer organ courses are offered by Jean-Paul Imbert and David Cassan.

Source: notredamedesneiges-alpedhuez.asso.fr