History & Civilization
The name Evian comes from an old French word – eveux - meaning humid, which in this case designates a moist field. The expression refers to the presence of water sources, which the town is most famous for.
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The town was notably one of the residences of the Dukes of Savoy. The city developed between the 11th and 14th centuries before returning to sleep and experienced a new golden age in the 19th and 20th centuries, through the development of cures.
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The few sources that surfaced in Evian were still very little known at the time of the French Revolution.
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Analyzed in 1807 and 1808, Evian water demonstrated qualities for the treatment of urinary tract.
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Access to Evian is facilitated by the establishment of its port and the passage of the National Highway 5 linking Paris to Milan (1809).
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A man from Geneva, Mr. Fauconnet, founded the Society of Evian Mineral Waters in 1823. He acquired the two sources, including the best known, the source called Cachat, named after the family who sold it. Mr. Fauconnet’s company, having gone bankrupt, was bought and transformed into the Hotel des Bains.
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An international tourist population frequented Evian between the two wars. Many crowned heads, writers and worldly people were seen in the city. Aga Khan III, the Maharadja of Kapurthala and Albert Lebrun were some of them.