Isere Travel Guide, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France

The department of Isère is a French department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region and taking its name from the Isère river, a tributary of the left bank of the Rhône. Isère benefits from a great geographical diversity: plain, mountain, lakes, mountain resorts and natural parks. The department is well structured economically, and has considerable assets. It has been able to take advantage of its natural heritage to make it an economic force. The use of the power of rivers to generate electricity has thus attracted, since the beginning of the century, the largest industries: metallurgy, chemistry and precision mechanics.

The current economy of Isère is concentrated around high technology (nano, micro, bio), IT services and tourism. To develop growth and diversify outlets, links to research and teaching were forged very early in the 1920s. The offer of higher education training is wide and diversified. Grenoble Alpes University is made up of three poles: Science, technology and health (formerly Joseph Fourrier University); Social and human sciences (formerly Pierre Mendès-France University); Languages, literatures and communication (formerly Stendhal University). The department also has business, engineering, architecture, graphic design schools, etc.

Transport in Isère is plentiful. 4 airports (Grenoble, Lyon, Geneva, Chambéry) are nearby, 2 of which are international airports. The rail network is dense and offers 40 TER stations in Isère. The TGV is also accessible by Grenoble, thus connecting the department of the capital in 3 hours. The department offers a vast network of buses and coaches connecting the territories of Isère between them.

Isère has a variety of cultural activities. More than 100 museums, 30 theaters, 35 performance halls are open to the public. Major festivals are nationally recognized such as J azz in Vienne or the Berlioz festival in Côte-Saint-André.

Each season, the department offers a wide range of leisure activities. From skiing, the snowshoes or dog sledding in the winter, hiking, trail running, swimming, or even kayak rides in the summer. Isère is a sports department with 3,000 indoor and outdoor sports clubs. Major events bring together the sportsmanship of the department with the Coupe Icare, the Course de la Résistance or the Foulée Blanche.

Geography
Isère, for biogeographical reasons in particular, has an exceptionally rich environmental heritage. Since the 1990s, the department has been a pioneer of a policy of restoration and protection of biological corridors (with eco – pipelines as part of a green and blue framework), which since 2001 has attracted the attention of the Alpine Convention., which justified a prize and a diploma awarded to the department by the Ministry of the Environment in 2011. The Ecrins national park is partly in Isère.

The Isère department is part of the region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. It borders the departments of the Rhône, the metropolis of Lyon, Ain, Savoie, Hautes-Alpes, Drôme, Ardèche and Loire. The main city of the department is Grenoble, prefecture, 158,346 inhabitants (2012). A river, the Rhône, flows in Isère.

The department of Isère is made up of the southern part of the former province of Dauphiné and the western part of the Alps. It is a territory that enjoys exceptional advantages, both geographic, economic and heritage. It is a mountainous department, famous in particular for the massifs of Vercors, Chartreuse and Belledonne. Around the regional metropolis, Grenoble (more than 600,000 inhabitants), which constitutes the 11th French agglomeration, there is a great diversity of territories:
Nord-Isère, around Bourgoin-Jallieu, is the heir to a long industrial tradition,
To the north-west, the Rhône valley (Vienne) benefits from the attractiveness of Lyon,
The Vercors massif, known for its natural and gastronomic heritage, is essentially rural,
The Grésivaudan valley, around Grenoble, is the cradle of hydroelectricity and walnuts,
Oisans, to the south-west, constitutes the entrance to the summits of the Alps,
To the south, Trièves is a preserved natural territory at the gateway to the Hautes-Provences Alps.
The climate is generally temperate of continental type: rather cold in winter and hot in summer, marked by low rainfall. The sunshine is high, close to that of the coastal towns in the south of France. It is more than cities like Bordeaux or Toulouse, thanks to more than 2000 hours of sunshine per year.

History
Part of the former province of Viennese Dauphiné became the department of Isère during the French Revolution, the March 4, 1790 in application of the law of December 22, 1789.

Prehistory
The history of the territory currently occupied by the department of Isère is rich and the first human traces date back to the Middle Paleolithic around 200,000 BC. BC where men settled in the Chartreuse and Vercors massifs despite the cold climate that could reign at that time. Several Isère sites confirm this presence in particular on the Bury cave which would have been occupied during a period ranging from 120,000 to 14,000 BC. AD. The geographical distribution of these first “isérois” depended a lot on meteorology, periods of glaciation, and the distribution of game. Around 5,000 BC. AD the first sedentary groups took place on the banks of the Chartreuse, Vercors, Trièves, in the Voreppe cluse and in the Bièvre-Valloire plain where a hot and humid climate reigned at the time reminiscent of that that could be found on the shores of the Mediterranean and favorable to the development of local agriculture.

The end of Prehistory in the department saw the birth of a remarkable Neolithic site on the south shore of Lake Paladru, where it settled around 2,700 BC. AD a village made up of five wooden family houses, equivalent to a population of about 50 inhabitants. This site today under the waters of the lake is the subject of excavations. Protohistory and the Bronze Age followed this period, with the appearance of the first Alpine metallurgists between 1300 and 1100 BC. AD, certainly in order to meet a demand from local users. The discovery of many bronze objects (axes, knives, bracelets, etc.) in the towns of Goncelin and Allevardshows the importance of the metallurgy practiced by the native bronzers. The Iron Age followed and the appearance of the first Gallic tribes in the Alps…

Roman period
Before the arrival of the Romans, there were mainly four Gallic peoples in the region, the most important of them were the Allobroges whose territory extended from Geneva to Cularo (Gratianopolis then Grenoble) then to Vienne which was the Capital. Between 125 and 118 BC. AD, the Gallic peoples of the South-East that were the Allobroges, the Arvernes and the Voconces, experienced a certain number of defeats against Rome, and the latter was able to dominate a vast region ranging from the Alps to the Pyrenees giving birth to the province of transalpine Gaul. Vienne became a prosperous Roman city and was at that time the main economic, political and cultural center of the territory occupied today by Isère. Many monuments from this period are still visible in this city, in particular the temple of Augustus and Livia, the ancient theater…

Middle Ages
During the Middle Ages, Isère and Grenoble experienced a period of development. Rome gave way to the Burgundian kingdom from 443 to 524 (date of the battle of Vézeronce) which itself was followed by the Frankish kingdoms. Alongside this royal authority were the bishops who enjoyed an increasing administrative and legal role in their dioceses, thus becoming figures of authority among the principal ones. In Isère, as everywhere in Europe, the construction of many castles marks the period from the Middle Ages to the late Middle Ages (from 750 to 1500). The fortifications are undergoing strong changes, passing from the castle motte with wooden fortifications, as shown by the research carried out on the site of the motte du Châtelard in Chirens, stone castles intended to protect the lord and symbolize his authority within the fiefdom.

Around the year 1000 arrives a wave of construction of castles in Isère: five fortifications are counted in 980, and there are 120 castles in 1120. It was at this time that the Dauphiné and dolphins Vienna, with Guigues I Albon, recognized as the first of dolphins. This ambitious man has, at the end of the X century, a castle, a village and a church in Vizille but also land to Roussillon in the south of Vienna. He then won several titles and expanded his estate thanks to his family ties with the bishops of Grenoble and Valence and thanks to a fine marriage strategy. Thus was born the Dauphiné, which became an independent state of the Holy Roman Empire. The Dauphiné was an independent state over a period of more than two centuries during which many conflicts took place with the county of Savoy. And this is theMarch 29, 1349by the treaty of Romans that Humbert II ceded the Dauphiné to the king of France Philippe VI of Valois.

Modern era
The modern era saw the proliferation of strongholds during the XVI century in the department including around Grenoble, in order to defend themselves from attacks of Savoy whose rulers are often found among the kings of the enemies from the ranks of France. The XVII century is deeply marked by the work of François de Bonne, lieutenant general of Dauphiné, who’s mission is to maintain peace and restore the economic road in the province. The XVIII century, while a period of prosperity for Isérois, was limited by the Protestant exodus from the late XVII century, like all the rest of France. However, a famous peasant who became a smuggler, Louis Mandrin, undermined authority, notably by attacking the unpopular farmer general. He thus quickly received the support of the population.

This period of calm and prosperity thus allowed the development of an intellectual life which turned out to be very lively, notably in Grenoble where the public library was founded, which included among its members Henri Gagnon, grandfather of Stendhal. Several “big names” from Isère are to be noted in this Age of Enlightenment, such as Dolomieu, one of the first French geologists and litho-logist; Vaucanson, inventor and mechanic who contributed among other things to the automation of the looms; Mably, philosopher and brother of Condillac, also a follower of philosophy; Barnave politician… The latter with Jean-Joseph Mounier was at the origin of the Tiles Day, a riot which took place on June 7, 1788in Grenoble, during which the population of the city faced the royal troops with tiles. It is the notable riot of the beginning of the French Revolution.

The following centuries were marked by the industrial revolution and the rise of mountain tourism. To develop, all industries need natural resources, and Isère offers many, some from the wealth brought by the mountains (forests, water from torrents, subsoils). These resources have enabled the development of processing activities such as stationery, the textiles, the metallurgy or mining (mine of iron, of lead, of money…) that are certain to put in place since the Middle Ages, as evidenced by the presence of the medieval mining agglomeration ofBrandes.

The department also has hydraulic forces considerable and it is at the end of the XIX century one of the most industrialized country departments, as witnessed by the international exhibition of hydroelectric power and tourism that took place in Grenoble on 21 May 25 October 1925. Various industries benefited more strong progress of industry in the late XIX and early XX century. Thus Paul Héroult installed in 1886 the first electric furnace of the metallurgical industry and began the first aluminum casting byelectrolytic in France in the town of Froges. This factory of aluminum which still exists but is no longer in business is a fine example of industrial architecture of the early XX century.

Second World War
During the Second World War, the department was occupied by fascist Italy from November 1942 to September 1943. However, many resistance fighters went up in the surrounding massifs in particular in the maquis of Vercors which was an important base of the French Resistance. The Charterhouse also hosted a lesser extent, troops of fighters resistant the 3 Battalion and a company of the 4 Battalion snipers and French partisans of FFI, from March 1943 toAugust 1944.

21th century
At 1 January 2016 the Rhône-Alpes region, to which the department belonged, merges with the Auvergne region to become the new Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes administrative region.

Economy
Isère is a very urbanized department, with diverse economic activities. In the past, these activities have benefited in particular from the existence of an available and renewable energy resource: white coal, which has made it possible to develop numerous industrial activities. Economic activities were also developed from the exploitation of forest resources such as agricultural resources, and exploitation of coal bed La Mure from the First Empire and even more at the turn of the XIX century and the XX century. But the quality of communication networks, the high level of qualification of employees, the reality of long-standing and significant labor immigration, particularly from Italy, are all other elements that have led to the development of the activity and to its most recent changes.

In fact, the large Isère companies are present in many fields: paper industry, metallurgy, electronic components, capital goods, chemicals, agrifood, etc. Few sectors of activity are missing. Several nuclear sites are located in Isère, including the Saint-Alban nuclear power plant, the Creys-Malville nuclear site and the former Veurey-Voroize fuel plant. Grenoble, an important administrative and university center, has developed many jobs linked to trade and services, with a particular impact on the gray matter economy, around IT, engineering and consulting activities which constitute real sectors of activity. Tourism contributes in a relatively important way to the economy of the department, with more than twenty alpine ski areas and several renowned Nordic ski areas. The turnover of the Isère resorts is above 110 million euros, i.e. the third largest in France, after the departments of Savoie (over 550 million euros) and Haute-Savoie (over 310 million euros), close to that of the Hautes-Alpes department.

Agriculture
The Departmental Council of Isère leads an agricultural policy acting at several levels.

Gastronomy
Isère, rich in its strong agricultural identity, has developed authentic gastronomy, faithful to its terroir. Its emblem: the gratin dauphinois. Other Isère products are famous. Starting with the Noix de Grenoble, Saint-Marcellin or even Chartreuse. Isère has many local products which are the specificity of Dauphinoise cuisine. The department includes areas of appellations awarded by the INAO: AOC – AOP that the municipality of Grenoble, French capital of the Alps, lists in its gastronomic heritage.

So many products put in the spotlight by the master restaurateurs of Isère but also various brotherhoods, like the Confrérie du Gratin Dauphinois created in 2019. To support products from the region, the Departmental Council of Isère is launching in partnership with Grenoble-Alpes Métropole, the Pays voironnais, Grésivaudan, Entre Bièvre et Rhône, the consular chambers, and with agricultural, processing and of distribution, the Agri-food Pole of Isère.

Tourism
The Isère is a southeastern department of France in the region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. It is bordered by Savoie and Ain to the north, the Rhône and Loire to the west, the Drôme to the south and the Hautes-Alpes to the south-east.

Cities

Grenoble
The prefecture, Olympic Winter Games in 1968. Rue Jean-Jacques-Rousseau. Museum of the Old Bishop’s Palace. Grenoble Museum. Museum of the Resistance and Deportation of Isère. The shop. Grenoble-Saint-Laurent Archaeological Museum. House of the Mountain. Beach. Urban via ferrata. Panorama of Fort de la Bastille. Parks and gardens. Markets. Les Détours de Babel, outdoor short film festival, Cabaret Frappé, Vintage, international circus festival of Grenoble-Isère, Meeting of young European theater, Rocktambule festival, Gospel jazz festival, Meetings of Italian cinema, Cursed Films festival, Puppet festival, Quartiers Libres festival.

L’Alpe d’Huez
Famous international winter and summer sports resort, as well as a stage of the Tour de France cycling race. Museum of Huez and Oisans. International Comedy Film Festival. Comic book festival.

Les Deux-Alpes
International winter and summer sports resort. “Junior Foliz”.

Bourgoin-Jallieu
Country of rugby with the CSBJ team. Bourgoin-Jallieu Museum (Textiles and Fine Arts).

Crémieu
Medieval city in the north of the department. Halle slate of xiv th siècle.Porte of the Act. House of Colombier. Large antiques fair, craft festival, Les Médiévales.

La Côte-Saint-André
Hector Berlioz’s birthplace. Berlioz Museum. Halls. Chocolate Paradise. Old City. Berlioz Festival.

Saint-Antoine-l’Abbaye
One of the most beautiful villages in FranceAbbey. Abbey Church. Museum. Fair of rare flowers and plants, sacred music festival, second-hand fairs, contemporary theater festival “Textes en l’air”, medieval festival, organic fair, old-fashioned fair.

Saint-Quentin-Fallavier
A historical and natural heritage to discover.

Related Post

Vienna
Known for its Roman monuments (temple of Augustus and Livia, ancient theater, Pyramid) and its jazz festival. Old City. Saint-Maurice Cathedral. Museum of Drapery. Comedy Festival, Vienna Fair, “Sang d’Encre” thriller festival, Vienna Theater.

Villard-Bonnot
Cradle of the Houille Blanche. White Coal Museum.

La Mure
Matheysin Museum. La Mure railway.

Voiron
Caves de la Chartreuse. Jazz festival, La Photo makes its cinema, street theater “Street emotions”, festival of world cultures.

Échirolles (South of Grenoble)
It is positioned with Saint-Martin-d’Hères as one of the two main towns in the suburbs of Grenoble. It is a city with a strong urban character, a center of which was not developed until the end of the twentieth century.

Other destinations
Massif de Belledonne (Belledonne chain) – Chartreuse de Saint-Hugon. Devil’s Bridge. Grand Pic and Lake Belledonne. Col du Barioz (ski). Col and Lac de la Croix. Col des Mouilles. Col and lakes of Sept-Laux. Lac and pas de la Coche.
Massif de la Chartreuse – Regional nature park. Col de Porte. Charming Som. The Grand Som. Great Sure. Belvédère des Sangles. La Scia. Gate of the Enclosure. La Correrie. Saint-Bruno Bridge. Fourvoirie. Grand Crossey parade. Belvedere of the Pont Saint-Martin. No Frou. Circus of Saint-Even. Museum of the Cave Bear in the Chartreuse at Entremont-le-Vieux. Government Castle. Caves of the site of Saint-Christophe-la-Grotte. Gorges of Guiers-Vif. Gorges of Guiers-Mort. Church and Museum of Contemporary Sacred Art in Saint-Hugues-de-Chartreuse. Fort of Saint-Eynard. Col and Mont du Granier. Col de la Cluse. Col du Cucheron. Col de Marcieu. Col de la Placette. Col de Couz. Nordic center of La Ruchère. Nordic Ski. Snowshoes. Peach. Summer Nights Festival.
Massif des Grandes-Rousses (Grandes Rousses) – Lac Besson.
Massif du Vercors – Regional nature park. Hauts-PLateaux nature reserve. Coulmes plateau. Gorges of the Bourne. Bournillon cave. The Black Ghoul. Parade of Petits Goulets. Col du Romeyère (ski). Waterfall and bridge over the Drevenne. Nan gorges. Col de Rousset. Cave of the Draye Blanche. Gorges du Méaudret. Gorges d’Engins. Grand Veymont. Col du Tourniol. Pass of the Allimas. Col de la Bataille. Noisy Gorges. Gorges du Brudour. Combe Laval. Lente Forest. Col de l’Arzelier (ski). Belvédère de la Portette. Necropolis of the Resistance. Saint-Antoine-le-Grand Monastery. Route des Ecouges. Chalimort breach. Prélentrey. Tower Without Venom. Abbey Church of Léoncel. Moulin-Marquis waterfall.
Massif de l’Oisans – Romanche Museum in Rioupéroux. Col d’Ornon. Confolens waterfall. Gorges of Lignarre. Prégentil summit-belvedere. Panorama of the Traverse-d’Allemont route.
Le Collet-d’Allevard – Small family winter sports resort.
Les Sept-Laux – Winter Sports Resort.
Chamrousse – International winter and summer sports resort. Cross of Chamrousse. Balcony of Saint-Martin d’Uriage. Luitel Lake Nature Reserve. Wood festival.
Le Sappey-en-Chartreuse – Family ski resort. Church. Marais des Sagnes.
Saint-Laurent-du-Pont – Herretang peat bog. Small museum of Mariette.
Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse – “Small capital” of the massif. Winter and summer sports resort. Rencontres Brel, feast of Crafts and local products.
Saint-Geoire-en-Valdaine – Church. Longpra Castle.
Autrans – Winter and summer sports resort. The White Stride. International “Mountain and Adventure” film festival. European Cup of sled dogs.
Méaudre – Winter and summer sports resort. “The blowing hole”.
Lans-en-Vercors – Green resort for winter and summer sports. The Magic of Automatons. Route de la Molière. A summer festival. Children’s film festival.
Saint-Nizier-du-Moucherotte – Panorama. Winter and summer sports resort.
Sassenage – Castle. The tanks.
Corrençon-en-Vercors – Winter Sports Resort. Golf. Cooler.
Vassieux-en-Vercors – Church. Museum of the Resistance in Vercors. Museum of Prehistory of Vercors. Memorial of the Vercors Resistance at the Lachau pass. Small world of santons of Provence. Forest Festival.
Villars-de-Lans – International winter and summer sports resort with casino. Tourist capital of the massif. Heritage House. Coast 2000. Festiv’Air. Festival of humor and creation. Children of the Woods Festival.
Gresse-en-Vercors – Winter Sports Resort. Festival of Transhumance. Raid Souloise.
Pont-en-Royans – Panorama of the Trois-Châteaux. Water Museum.
Saint-Nazaire-en-Royans – Prehistoric cave of Thaïs. Aqueduct-The Arches of History. Wheeled boat “Royans-Vercors”.
Saint-Jean-en-Royans – Church. Hill of Toura. Pioneer Route.
La Matheysine – Plateau de la Matheysine. Laffrey Lakes. The Sappey. Col de la Morte. Col de Malissol. Champ-du-Drac. Monteynard-Avignonet lake-dam. The Mine-Image at La Motte-d’Aveillans. Corniche du Drac.
The Trièves and the Beaumont – Monestier-de-Clermont. Pont de Brion, Tréminis. Espace Giono in Lalley-en-Trièves. Clelles. Col Accarias. Col de la Croix-Haute. Pellafol Heritage House. Treffort nautical base. Sautet lake-dam.
Mens – Capital of Triéves. Museum of Trièves. Living Earth.
Corps – Capital of Beaumont. Fair for old books and postcards. Napoleonic days. Festival A village in music. Lake Sautet festival.
Chichilianne – Church. Not from the Needle. House of Mont-Aiguille-Vercors-Trièves.
Saint-Christophe-en-Oisans – Summer sports resort, including mountaineering. House of the Mountain. Memories of mountaineering. La Bérarde.
Bourg d’Oisans – Capital of Oisans. Alps Minerals and Fauna Museum. Sarennes waterfall. House of the Ecrins national park. Classical music concerts.
Auris-en-Oisans – Winter Sports Resort. Rural museum.
Oz-en-Oisans – Winter Sports Resort.
Villard-Reculas – Winter Sports Resort.
Vaujany – Winter Sports Resort. Heritage area. Cascade de la Fare. House of the Faun.
Allemont – winter sports resort.
L’Alpe du Grand-Serre – Winter Sports Resort.
Besse-en-Oisans – Plateau d’Emparis. House of the Alpine pastures.
Le Valbonnais – House of the Ecrins national park in Entraigues. High Bridge. Valbonnais lake. Route de Valsenestre. Gorges du Béranger. Upper valley of the Bonne. Cirque du Fond-Turbat. The Desert-en-Valjouffrey.
Plateau de Chambaran – The lake and beach of Roybon. The Chambaran natural park. The castle and the museum of Bressieux. The church and the summers of Saint-Pierre-de-Marnans. The church and the carillon festival in Châtenay. The Beaucroissant fair.
La Porte des Alpes – La Tour-du-Pin. At La Bâtie-Montgascon, the Musée du Tisserand Dauphinois. The Gallo-Roman Museum in Aosta. In Saint-Chef, the chapel and the abbey church and the Heritage House-Museum.
Isle Crémieu and the Land of Colors – Brangues: Claudel-Stendhal exhibition space. Montalieu-Vercieu: “La Vallée Bleue” leisure center, Walibi amusement park in Avenières-Veyrins-Thuellin, House of stone and cement. Hières-sur-Amby: Heritage House-Museum, Larina archaeological site, Limestone Country trail, Balme Caves.
Morestel – Old town. House of the Land of Colors. Ravier House. Potters market. Antique Fair. Illuminations.
Surroundings of Grenoble – Saint-Martin-le-Vinoux: La Casamaures.

Main Attractions

Le Jardin Ferroviaire
A landscaped garden animated by around thirty trains
The large dryer 705 Route Grenoble 38470 Vinay, +33 476 36 36 10, Fax: +33 476 36 86 47 – to 40 km towards Valencia, located in the heart of walnut grove Isère, in an old dryer nuts rehabilitated, the Grand Séchoir is a cultural space devoted to the history of the men who have made walnuts famous.

Antésite Museum
The museum offers a guided tour allowing you to discover both the progression of the brand and the manufacturing and production methods of the liquid concentrate created in 1898 by Noël Perrot-Berton, apothecary in Voiron.

Base recreation Bois French
It is the most important site nature discovery in the Grenoble region. Made up of 4 small lakes forming before the 18th century a meander of the Isère. A lake is dedicated to nautical activities, another to swimming, another to fishing, another to a nature reserve sheltering a multitude of animal species. Swans, ducks, coots, gray herons, purple herons, kingfishers, beavers, nutria, dragonflies

Domaine de Vizille (Museum of the French Revolution)
Regional heritage site, the museum and its park which make up the Domaine de Vizille bear witness to two thousand years of history. After having been a place of power under the Ancien Régime with the Dukes of Lesdiguières, the Château de Vizille became the “cradle of the Revolution”, when the Assembly of the three orders of the Dauphiné met in the Salle du Jeu de Paume on July 21, 1788 to demand the convocation of the States General. Historical monument, former home of the Duke of Lesdiguières (17th century), the Perier family (1782-1895), and the Presidents of the Republic (1925-1960), the castle now houses the Museum of the French Revolution. Created in 1983, the museum presents a collection of works of art in constant evolution and enriched over time. The landscaped park labeled “Remarkable Garden” offers a multitude of atmospheres, with original floral creations. The country park is a meeting place with nature and wildlife (deer animal reserve). The “Revolutionary Feasts” take place at the end of July for 5 days.

Saint Hilaire du Touvet
The funicular is nibbling, over 90 years old, 750m from drop along the slopes of Chartreuse.

La Grotte de Choranche
Between Pont-en-Royans and Villard de Lans, in the heart of the Gorges de la Bourne, enter in a magical world and discover an underground world with emerald and crystalline reflections, where the galleries light up to the rhythm of your steps.

The caves of La Balme
Visited since 1807, the Caves of La Balme are a natural space including small basins (gours), draperies, stalactites and stalagmites, labyrinths, underground lake…

Sanctuary of Our Lady of La Salette
Place of the second great pilgrimage in France after Lourdes, this basilica remains a landmark of religious architecture in Isère. Beyond the gatherings of August 15 and September 19, the site, perched over 1,800 meters, is worth a detour.

Cultural heritage

Museums

Museum of the Revolution
Created in 1983 in the perspective of the bicentenary of 1989, by the Department of Isère, the Museum of the French Revolution offers a new perspective on a pivotal period in the history of France from the artistic production it has aroused at the time and since. Installed on the site of the Domaine de Vizille where the French Revolution has been celebrated for two centuries, the museum offers a critical awakening of the gaze and a perspective view of the arts and history. By linking events to their context and their representations, he invites his visitors to lift the veil of appearances.

Bergès House
In the heart of the Alps, at the foot of the Belledonne massif in Villard-Bonnot, the museum evokes the birth of hydroelectricity and pays tribute to the men who took part in this adventure, the source of major technological and economic development. Installed in the residence marked by the Art Nouveau of the innovative engineer Aristide Bergès, this exceptional place of memory subtly combines arts, sciences and techniques.

Museum of the Old Bishops
Located in the heart of the historic center of Grenoble, in the immediate vicinity of the cathedral, the Musée de l’Ancien Évêché is housed in the former bishops’ palace, a building protected as a Historic Monument. The site presents in its basement archaeological remains of first importance, witnesses of the religious history of the city: the baptistery dating from the first Christian times. The floors of the palace, which has become a museum, house the exhibition L’Isère en histoire, inviting a chronological journey to discover a territory, its history and its people. Each year, the museum presents two temporary exhibitions on themes of interest to the heritage of Isère.

Arcabas en Chartreuse Museum
Located in an exceptional setting, in the heart of the Chartreuse Regional Natural Park, the Arcabas en Chartreuse museum offers visitors a unique experience. Wanted, thought out, produced by a single artist, Arcabas, over more than thirty years, this set comprising 111 works is among the most successful achievements of sacred art of the twentieth century.

Saint-Laurent Archaeological Museum
A major archaeological site (excavated from 1978 to 1995) located in one of the oldest districts of Grenoble, the Saint-Laurent archaeological museum offers you a journey through nearly two thousand years of history. From the 4th century necropolis to the 19th century church, Saint-Laurent has stood the test of time preserving, as in a large open book, the added traces of history from the origins of Christianity. The visitor plunges into the heart of a funeral and religious site famous for its monument from the 6th-7th centuries: the Saint-Oyand crypt. The memory of this place and of those who lived there is brought to life thanks to digital means which reinforce the power of evocation of vestiges, witnesses of the evolution of funeral practices, beliefs and mentalities.

Champollion Museum
The Department of Isère is preparing for the the Champollion Museum to the Origins of Egyptology in Vif. Acquired by the Department from the descendants of Jacques-Joseph Champollion-Figeac, elder brother of the Egyptologist, the family property of Vif is the subject of an ambitious renovation project. It is based on the valuation of a largely unpublished fund, with strong heritage consistency. In the family house, the descendants have preserved interior decorations, personal objects of the Champollion brothers, working notes, in particular stampings of Rosetta stone, an important library and an abundant correspondence.

Museum Dauphinois
The Dauphinois Museum, located on the slopes of the Bastille in Grenoble in the Sainte-Marie d’en-Haut convent, its action in the close relationship it maintains with the original and adopted inhabitants of the Dauphinoise Alps. as with their passing guests. A place of investigation of all periods of Alpine history, it is also a space for reflection on our time. Each year two to three exhibitions, always enriched with publications, conferences and debates, explore in turn the fields of archeology, regional, rural or industrial heritage.

Hébert Museum
The Hébert museum in La Tronche is a somewhat different museum: sheltered by its walls, this two-and-a-half hectare estate has been able to protect itself from time. The artist’s house has retained the spirit of the place and the intimate character of a family home. The garden, between shade and light, is still imbued with the artist’s Italian memories. Since its opening in 1979, the museum has displayed a dual orientation: promoting a better knowledge of 19th century art through the collections of the painter Ernest Hébert (1817-1908) and promoting the presentation of contemporary artists, young or confirmed.

Hector-Berlioz Museum
Installed in the birthplace of the great romantic musician in La Côte Saint-André, the Hector-Berlioz museum evokes his life and his work. Born December 11, 1803, Hector Berlioz received from his father an education marked by the ideas of an enlightened doctor of the 18th century. In these walls, he discovered music and composed his first romances at a very young age. At the age of 18 he left his native land, to which he will always remain attached, to live in Paris and devote himself fully to his musical vocation. Period furniture, original scores, correspondence and musical instruments that belonged to Hector Berlioz, paintings and engravings decorate the rooms of the house which have retained their original decor. Regular temporary exhibitions enrich the cultural program while the auditorium offers listening to the works of the composer.

Isère Resistance and Deportation Museum
Initiated more than fifty years ago by former resistance fighters, deportees and teachers, designed in a spirit of education and transmission, the Museum of Resistance and Deportation of Isère is a museum of history and society. In 1994, he became departmental and moved to 14, rue Hébert in Grenoble. It sheds light on the history of the Second World War based on local facts and experiences and recounts the causes and consequences of the conflict in their chronology. It also allows us to understand how and from which individual choices the Resistance was born and underlines the extent of the sufferings and sacrifices of those who are committed to allow the return of the Republic.

Saint-Antoine
Located in the heart of the village of Saint-Antoine-l’Abbaye, classified as one of the most beautiful villages in France, the departmental museum constitutes a remarkable ensemble closely linked to the history of the abbey site. Located in five locations, the museum allows visitors to discover the history of the Abbey and the order of the Hospitallers of Saint-Antoine in a lively and interactive way. The When Perfume Wore Remedy exhibition seduces young and old alike with the original and sensitive discovery of the role of perfumes throughout history. Temporary exhibitions are also offered each year. Finally, the medieval garden and the shop are there for everyone to keep a fragrant, fun or more serious memory… of their visit to the museum.

Festivals
The department hosts world-renowned festivals such as the Coupe Icare, a free flight festival, including paragliders, parachutists, etc., with in particular a whole day dedicated to jumps in more or less eccentric disguises.

In Vienne, the jazz festival Jazz à Vienne has been held every year in summer since 1981, with the biggest names in world jazz; in March-April the Festival of humor; mid-November, the “Sang d’Encre” thriller festival.
The Berlioz Festival takes place every year on the Côte Saint-André.
In Allemond and its surroundings, the “water magic festival” takes place at Olle.
On the Alpe-d’Huez are held every year the International Festival of comedy film Alpe d’Huez and the Festival of Comics.
In Chamrousse takes place the Chamrousse Adventure Festival in July.
In Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse, the Rencontres Brel, in July.
In Uriage-les-Bains, the World Music Festival “Uriage en Voices”, in September.
In Grenoble, the Festival des Maudits Films, in January, the Puppet Festival, in February, the Film Festival on the Resistance, in March, the Détours de Babel and Grenoble Gospel Jazz Festival, in April, the Festival Quartiers Libres, in June, the Meetings of young European theater, the Cabaret Frappé music festival, the outdoor short film festival, in July, the Rocktambule Festival in October, the 38èmes Rugissants Festival, the International Circus Festival and the Rencontre du Italian cinema in November.
The Montseveroux Folk Festival (ORCIV), last week of July and first of August.
The Musiques en Vercors Festival in August.
The Festival of the solo voice of Méaudre in September.
The Villars-de-Lans Comedy and Creation Festival in October.
The children’s film festival in Lans-en-Vercors during the Christmas holidays.
The Autrans International Mountain and Adventure Film Festival, in December.
In Corps, the “Les Nuits Musicales” Festival, from late July to mid-August.
In Voiron, the Voiron Jazz Festival, at the beginning of April, the Festival of World Cultures, at the beginning of July.
In Mens, the “Mens So” Festival, from late July to early August.
In Saint-Antoine-l’Abbaye, the Sacred Music Festival from the end of June to the end of September and the contemporary theater festival “Textes en l’air” in July.
The Ferrand musical hiking festival which takes place every year in the last week of July and the first of August.
At Alpe-d’Huez takes place the great Tomorrowland festival in this winter version: Tomorrowland Winter

Activities

Sensitive natural spaces
Explore the Sensitive Natural Areas (ENS): Dry lawns, wetlands or mountains, do not hesitate to stroll in these nearby areas, with rich and preserved biodiversity. A team of ENS guides is at your disposal from May to October to accompany you and help you get to know this unspoiled nature better. An outing in their presence will allow you to better understand the formation of these landscapes, the fauna and flora that compose them as well as the role of Man in their constitution.

Sports Activities
The Department of Isère offers you the opportunity to discover outdoor sports for free during activities in a natural environment supervised by state graduates. Varied activities, open to all and more particularly to beginners will be offered throughout the year. Most of these activities can be done with the family. Hiking, climbing, orienteering, canyoning, caving, rowing… So many sports and much more that you could discover for free by participating in the Escapades.

Walks and Hikes
Take the marked trails of the Vercors, the Chartreuse and the Ecrins or the gentler paths of the plains and hills, discover the fauna and flora, breathe deeply… these are all great promises. On foot, on horseback or by mountain bike, with the family, alone or with an accompanying guide, at their own pace. Plan beautiful days 100% nature.

Winter sports resorts
With a turnover in lifts of 115 079 025 € for the 2013/2014 season, Isère stands at 3 among French departments for mountain tourism. Two resorts in the department are among the 10 main French resorts in terms of attendance and size: L’Alpe d’Huez and Les 2 Alpes.

Share
Tags: France