Things to see and do Saint-Pierre-De-Chartreuse

In 1084, seven monks in search of a secluded place were led to a raised valley above the Guiers Mort, itself dominated by the Grand Som (2,026 m). The travellers settled in. One of the monks, Saint Bruno, created the Carthusian monastic order. The Grande Chartreuse Monastery was born and the isolated site became known as the "Chartreuse Desert". During the centuries that followed, many Carthusian monasteries were created throughout the world. The monastery cannot be visited.

The natural and cultural heritage of the Chartreuse is particularly rich. Shared between Isère and Savoie, the Chartreuse Regional Nature Park, created in 1995, offers fantastic landscapes that are easy to discover. From the limestone mountains with their magnificent perched synclines to the cradle of the Carthusian order founded by Saint Bruno in the ^11th century, it's hard not to be fascinated by this massif. The Chartreuse is all about the water that sings in the many basins in each of the small villages scattered across the mountain, or the water that gushes in cascades and then rumbles in the ravines of the Guiers Mort and Guiers Vif. There are also beautiful forests and the scent of wood cut in sawmills. In fact, Chartreuse wood, used in construction, has been awarded the AOC label. It is produced from fir and spruce trees grown in the Chartreuse mountains. The Chartreuse Regional Nature Park is also home to a few morels lurking on the banks of a shady stream, a sabot-de-vénus lurking at the bend in a path or a black grouse chuckling as it flees the hustle and bustle of hikers. Chartreuse is not for eating: it's for savoring.

Bordered to the south by the cluse de Grenoble and to the north by the cluse de Chambéry, the Chartreuse appears like another limestone fortress. It offers hikers a number of peaks that exceed 2,000 m in altitude, the highest being Chamechaude at 2,082 meters. It is recognizable by its molar-like appearance, and is sometimes nicknamed "Gargantua's tooth". The Chartreuse also boasts a number of caves and galleries, popular with speleologists. In one of these caves, La Balme à Collomb, a little-known historical treasure has been discovered: a natural cave bear cemetery, over 20,000 years old! To date, 10% of the site has been excavated, and 12,000 bones or bone fragments have been found. The remaining areas have been left open to researchers. Of course, it's not possible to visit the original cave, but a reconstruction of the site provides a fascinating insight into the subterranean world where cave bears reigned supreme. It's hardly surprising that, with such an exceptional environment in terms of flora and fauna, the whole massif has the status of Regional Nature Park. This exceptional biodiversity is due in no small part to the great diversity of natural environments found in the massif. Its mountain forests, made up mainly of beech and spruce, are home to deer, chamois, lynx and owls, while its mountain meadows are home to numerous insects such as butterflies and beetles that thrive on the grasslands.

The Chartreuse, which Stendhal dubbed "the Emerald of the Alps", is a necklace whose every pearl must be admired. At its heart, the cirque de Saint-Même is one of the highest points in the Entremonts. The Cirque de Saint-Même is wild and unspoilt, offering a unique experience of nature, crowned by sheer rock faces and the sound of the wind running through the tall trees. Several hiking possibilities on site. At the heart of the cirque, right on the cliffs, the waters of the Guiers Vif escape from the bowels of the Earth and tumble down in a succession of great waterfalls. The most impressive of the passages leading over the cliffs to the upper plateaus is the Pas de la Mort, with its evocative name and long, overhanging ledge. It's the ideal place to hear the heartbeat of the Chartreuse! Another gem is the Grottes de Saint-Christophe (or Grottes des Échelles). These two caves, reached via a natural route, are home to thousand-year-old limestone rocks sculpted by water over time. The visit lasts an hour and a half. For the full experience, you can also try your hand at caving (from age 6) or acrospeleology (from age 12) in this unique setting.

And if you're looking for a bit of height, the Chartreuse also offers some breathtaking lookouts, such as the Sangles lookout overlooking the Guiers Mort gorges and the Grande Chartreuse monastery. But the most impressive viewpoint is undoubtedly at the end of the Petites Roches plateau, on the eastern face of the massif. This is a veritable balcony-belvedere, overlooking the Isère valley upstream from Grenoble by 800 m, and itself dominated by the cliffs of the Dent de Crolles and its northern extensions by 1,000 m. Today, the Plateau des Petites Roches is a world-famous venue for hang-gliding enthusiasts. Every September, the Coupe Icare brings the sport's greatest champions to Saint-Hilaire. It's another way of seeing the Alps, as you glide gently over them on the wings of the wind, like one of those majestic birds above the Chartreuse. The Chartreuse Regional Nature Park offers a wide range of sporting activities. In summer, take advantage of the many signposted trails to discover the richness of the forests, cliffs and reliefs on foot. In winter, put on your snowshoes or skis and head for the ski resort of Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse.

Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse is a small village of 1,000 inhabitants located at an altitude of 900 meters in the heart of the Chartreuse massif. It is surrounded by emblematic peaks such as Chamechaude, Charmant Som and Grand Som. In winter, the village is transformed into a ski resort thanks to the gondolas that take you up to the slopes of the Coeur de Chartreuse ski area. This is the largest ski resort in the Chartreuse massif, offering magnificent scenery and a friendly atmosphere. For those who prefer ski touring, it's possible to take a course at the Ski de rando center in Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse. Finally, to relax after a day on the slopes, Oréade Balnéo's open-air Nordic baths are an experience not to be missed. The nearby village of Saint-Hugues boasts a church housing a museum of contemporary sacred art.