Published on July 8th, 2016 – Author : Coline Mionnet

Things to do this summer in Grenoble and around

If you planned to come or to stay in Grenoble or around this summer, this article is made for you ! Innov Mountains shows you a full panel although not exhautive of activities, mainly outdoor, to (re)discover in this beautiful region. Some of these activities are also practicable in autumn, even all year-round.

Exert yourselves : Nature Sports

Isere Outdoor : more than 30 nature sports and 250 sites

First of all, start by visiting THE website to download nearly 250 topographic guidebooks correponding to thirty different kind of sports : Carto.Isère.fr. This official website is managed by the Sports department of Isere County Council. Thus, no need of the sector map to go hiking, via ferrata or to know where to swim in Isere, print the topo or better, download it on your phone, and let’s go !

More mountain biking or electric bike ?

You want to try downhill mountain biking ?
In this case, go to mountain bike areas of Saint Pierre de Chartreuse, Chamrousse, Villard-de-Lans, Les 7 Laux, Le Collet d’Allevard, Oz and Auris en Oisans, Vaujany, Les Deux Alpes, Alpe d’Huez and Col de l’Arzelier. You can use the lifts with your bike thanks to a hanging system and hurtle down slopes, classified by difficulty and acccessible to beginners. Green, blue, red or black, like skiing, you choose your level.

Chamrousse also offers a new feature this summer, a Rolling Park in Domaine de l’Arselle. The ski lift Totem and the moving carpet will be opened to practice Draisienne (from 2 years old), Deval’kart (from 8 y.o.), mountainboarding (from 6 y.o.> adults) and electric quad (5 to 12 y.o.)

strong>Cycling, yes, but without too much effort?
Then choose to buy or to rent an electric bike. Here is a selection of shops offering you to buy or rent one : Velo Dayak, Vivra Velo, Cyclable and Energy Bikes in Grenoble or around Paladru lake in Charavines with Natura Velo, as well as in most of the above quoted mountain resorts.
Like AirBnB, know that there is also a platform for electric bikes rental, elo.earth, which certainly deserves the contribution of stakeholders.

INFO : From July 2 to August 28, 2016, enjoy the “Electric Escape” event, organized by the Isere County Council and allowing everyone to test the electric bike in several sites in the area. Check the schedule for more information : agenda échappée électrique.

More adrenaline ?

Canyoning, via ferrata, speleology, paragliding …

There are a hundred canyons in Isere, the most famous: The Ecouges (Vercors), the Infernet (Chartreuse), the Furon (Vercors), the Versoud (Vercors), or The Pissarde (Vercors), from Claix, ideal for beginners in canyoning near Grenoble. In general, the required minimum age is 7 to 10 years old according to instructors advice.

A series of providers in Grenoble and around will accompany you in this activity which must be supervised by a qualified instructor if you are beginners or insiders, just as for paragliding, climbing, via ferrata, via corda, or speleology.
Here are some professionals offering to discover or upgrade these sensations sports : Vertic’O, Vertical Aventures, Canyon 38, Canyon Isere, without forgetting the Guides Offices of Grenoble, Dauphiné, Chartreuse Grésivaudan, Autrans, Meaudre, Diois and Vercors Mont Aiguille, to name a few.

There a dozen via ferratas in Isere. Via ferrata routes have bars embedded in the rock walls and a continuous life cable facilitating their ascent. To start in the region of Grenoble, the via ferrata of Saint Vincent de Mercuze near Le Touvet, has been listed “quite difficult” to “little difficult”. It is accessible with children measuring minimum 1m30 (meter) and sporty enough because it takes about a 45 minutes walk to reach the startinf point by the waterfalls trail.

If you want to level up, both via ferrata routes of La Bastille in Grenoble are classified “quite difficult” and “very difficult”, ditto for the two of Crolles / Saint-Hilaire du Touvet. In Chamrousse, two quite difficult routes are opened from May to September, as it is the case for most of the via ferrata. Saint-Pierre d’Entremont in Chartreuse, Mizoën, l’Alpe du Grand-Serre, Vaujany, Saint Christophe en Oisans, Alpe d’Huez, Les Deux Alpes and Corps, in Oisans, also have via ferrata routes with breathtaking views.

Innov Mountains editorial board has tested some of these via ferrata and one canyon (Le Versoud), feel free to ask us questions via the Forum :
– La Bastille in Grenoble (QD and D +), Crolles Saint Hilaire du Touvet (QD), St. Vincent de Mercuze (LD), Alpe du Grand-Serre (LD, La Cascade) and Chamrousse (2 QD : 3 Fontaines and Lacs Robert).

Bungee jumping

To safely try the leap into emptiness in Isere, go to the Bridge of Ponsonnas (103 meters), near La Mure, or to the Sautet Bridge (72 m), near Corps. First Center in Europe for bungee jumping, Vertical Aventures manages both sites since 1988.

With family or friends : treetop zipline parks

Most of these treetop parks are opened from April to October including to 2 to 4 years old children depending on the parks, with 100% safety thanks to a continuous lifeline system.
As for skiing and mountain biking, trails are classified by difficulty, except that minimum height is 1,10 m.

In Grenoble metropolis, the AcroBastille is ideally located, as the name suggests it, in the Fort of la Bastille in Grenoble. This adventure park regularly opens from March to November and organizes evening events for an out of the ordinary experience.
About 30 minutes from Grenoble, there are five other treetop parks : Indian Forest in Le Sappey en Chartreuse, Saint Nizier du Moucherotte, Ludi Park in Villard-de-Lans, Air Park in Laffrey, which also offers paintball and France Aventures Chamrousse, in Chamrousse.

Too hot ? Take the plunge !

Kayaking, rafting, sailing, water skiing, etc.

Many kayak clubs in the metropolitan area accept everyone wishing to learn about this practice. For example, the Club L’Aviron Grenoblois offers 4 kayak courses on the Isere river, accessible from 10 years old to discover Grenoble by a new way, from July to October. Culture, discovery, adventure or evening, chose your style !

Completely beginner ? First, test on the lakes of Domene, Paladru, Laffrey, Monteynard or Aiguebelette.
The undeniable advantage of Paladru, Laffrey and Monteynard lakes is the diversification of activities available on site. They are known for the practice of sailing, catamaran, kite surfing, paddle or kayaking.
In Laffrey Lake for example, the Nautical Club of Cholonge is opened from May to September every day and porpose lessons and equipment rental : sailing dinghies, catamarans, windsurfing boards and paddles.

The pace is rougher on the Veneon river in Oisans. A choice of activities: kayaking, tubing (rubber rings), rafting, hydrospeed (water luge), hot dog (small canoe) with Veneon Eaux Vives or Integral Rafting. They are both located in Venosc and opened from May to September every day.
For water skiing, you can go to the Bois Français in Domene, where you will be pulled by a motor boat. If you prefer a less energy-guzzler version, the water ski lift of Tencin, on Martelles Lake in the Gresivaudan valley, is opened from April to October, from 7 to 77 years old. In Chartreuse near Voiron, Addict Wake Park, the sport and leisure park in Moirans, is also equipped with a water ski lift for wakeboarding, wakeskating, tubing and water skiing.

Some cultural outings

Many museums are present in Grenoble metropolis and around, the full list is available HERE. Examples include the Museum of Sacred Contemporary Art, the Grenoble Museum of Medical Sciences, the Museum of the Old Bishopric, the Museum of Industrial Innovation, the Museum of Grenoble, the Museum of Natural History, the Museum of the Grande Chartreuse, the Revolution Museum and the Museum of Resistance and Deportation.

But this territory also hides some interesting castles. The castles of Vizille, Sassenage, Le Touvet, the Forts of La Bastille, Barraux, Saint-Eynard and the Medieval Castle of Bon Repos, in Jarrie, all date from the Middle Ages to the Revolution.
In the impressive Domaine de Vizille, a permanent orienteering course was set up in 2014 to discover the history of the castle in a recreational way, while exerting oneself.

Events, concerts, plays, films, exhibitions, find out everything here : isere-culture.fr

Need to relax?

Between hammam, jacuzzi and massage, some spas where to RELAX in Grenoble and near, all year round :

• Spa of Château de la Commanderie, in Eybens, close to Grenoble
• Neroli Hammam, Hammam Café, D’Air et d’Eau and Les Jardins d’Amakrys in Grenoble
• Millesime Spa in Saint-Ismier
• Oréade Balnéo, open air spa in Saint-Pierre de Chartreuse
• Les Thermes du Sultan, in Rives
• Espace Aquazen, in Coublevie.

Some swimming pools with spa areas near Grenoble :

• Flotibulle in Pont-de-Claix
• Village Club du Soleil in Oz-en-Oisans
• Espace Loisirs in Vaujany
• Aquacenter in Villard-de-Lans./li>

Two thermal baths :

• Thermae of Saint-Martin d’Uriage, 15 minutes from Grenoble
• Thermae of d’Allevard, in Allevard-les-Bains, between Grenoble and Chambéry.

Have a nice summer ! and many thanks for your visit

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