The Casino

Right in the middle of the square, you can’t miss the Chamonix casino. The story of “gaming circles” here goes back to the 19th century, a time when gambling wasn’t exactly legal yet. In France, games of chance were actually banned at first. It wasn’t until 1806 that Napoleon allowed them—but only in seaside and spa towns, to attract wealthy visitors. It took almost a hundred more years before places like Chamonix, called “climatic” towns because of their healthy mountain air, were included in that law. In 1851, when the “Casino des étrangers” (Foreigners’ Casino) opened in the Hôtel du Nord, Chamonix wasn’t French yet  but part of the Kingdom of Sardinia. With a legislation that was full of gray areas, the Casino des étrangers, was reserved for tourists and played with words to stay vague and get around the law. In 1905, the town, now French, opened its first casino at Bois du Bouchet, going so far as organizing a carriage system to connect it to the town center! Success however wasn’t in the cards, and the site closed in the 1920s in favor of a brand-new Art Deco casino, inaugurated in 1930 (now gone). But let’s get back to the Royal right in front of you. This hotel was built in 1848 to complement the offering of the Hôtel de l’Union, located just across the street and recently bought by a German businessman. “L’Union” was already renowned for its comfort and prestigious clientele, but it was here, at the Hôtel Royal (with paint still fresh), that Napoleon III chose to stay in 1860. He wasn’t coming for a snow vacation, but was making a symbolic tour of the main towns in the former Sardinian territories that had just been annexed to the Kingdom of France. For the occasion, a road connecting Geneva, Sallanches, and Chamonix was built. TDon’t bother looking for the Hôtel de l’Union — it was demolished in 1932 to make way for the Hôtel des Postes that you see behind you, while the Hôtel Royal survived into the 21st century, housing the Chamonix Casino from the 1970s onward. If you want to experience the atmosphere of a casino in a historic setting, the Royal Chamonix is open every day from 11 AM to 2 AM. Access is restricted to adults not banned from gambling, upon presentation of valid ID.