Now that the snow is here and, unlike last year, the ski lifts are open, it's time to start planning your winter sports trip. At this time of the year,Isère is a must. Let's zoom in on a few unmissable spots in a department that smells like white gold and three very different ski resorts.

In Grenoble, capital of the Alps

Grenoble, capital of the Alps and entry point of the department, is not lacking in relief. To admire the surrounding landscape, nature has done a good job of placing a vertiginous slope on the outskirts of the city, allowing man to gain height against the elements: the Bastille. An emblematic site of Grenoble and Isère, to which we cannot fail to link the famous bubbles of the first urban cable car inaugurated in 1934, the Bastille is peacefully visited by half a million people every year, which makes it one of the first tourist sites in Isère. Beware, if the Bastille offers an incomparable view on the city and the mountainous chains that surround it from all sides, its nature and its built heritage are much richer than it seems from below. Classified as a natural area of ecological and faunistic interest, these slopes are home to an astonishing southern and alpine colony with over 200 species present. An unmissable visit to start your road-trip in the Isère

The Vercors, white citadel

Divided between Isère and Drôme, the Vercors is this famous white citadel crowned by an ocean of forests. Plunging its limestone roots into the depths of an ancient sea, tearing the plain apart with its luminous cliffs, the Vercors rises in majesty. On these porous grounds shaped by water, a generous nature shelters a fauna and a flora of a remarkable richness at the confluence of the alpine and Mediterranean climates. Rich of its living environment, but also rich of its isolation, natural barrier against the enemies, the Vercors always attracted the man. Hunting ground for prehistoric men, a source of natural resources, this mountainous massif still owes its notoriety to one of the most tragic and glorious pages of our recent history, the Vercors maquis. If the contemporary era has seen the development of leisure activities, including Nordic skiing or hiking on the slopes and mountain pastures of the Vercors, this territory has preserved its wild character and the development of tourism, necessary to the local economy, is done in perfect harmony with respect for the environment. In any season, the Vercors plunges its guests into a world where collective admiration for the courage of the men who live in this natural fortress and solitary wonderment in front of an intact nature are mixed.

Alpe d'Huez, one of the largest ski areas in France

But Isère is obviously about ski resorts. And one of the stars is Alpe d'Huez! In the middle of a sea of mountains to walk, an ocean of snow to slide down, all flooded by an exceptional sunshine, here is a real island in the sun, a dream destination in all seasons. The resort, built on the mountain pastures, ideally located on the south face of the Grandes Rousses massif, developed from 1936 when Jean Pomagalski installed the first pole lift. In other words, in Alpe d'Huez - a large ski area - skiing is part of the resort's heritage! Today, Alpe d'Huez offers one of the largest ski areas in France with 250 km of slopes with an impressive vertical drop of 2,223 m, for 10,000 ha of large, large spaces! A prestigious area where all skiers can enjoy themselves. Beginners with two adapted, wide and secure areas at the foot of the slopes. Experienced skiers with five itineraries of nearly 10,000 m of vertical drop, 70 off-piste itineraries, mythical slopes such as the Tunnel which crosses the mountain and the Sarenne with 16 km of descent. Finally, Alpe d'Huez is an area linked to the village resort, for a smooth return to other sporting and cultural activities and excellent addresses at dinner time. Everything is possible in Alpe d'Huez and everyone, according to their desires and level, can enjoy this island in the sun where all temptations are good to take.

Les Deux Alpes, snowboard and free-ride paradise

It all started on the spot, on a flat and almost virgin pass site, almost at the request of students from Grenoble, who were looking for a site that was both sporty and not too expensive. The local elected officials were able to create the Deux Alpes, a new white association of the two communes of Venosc and Mont-de-Lans. The facilities were able to climb to a summit glacier - with a funicular, for example - which culminates at an altitude of 3,600 m (and which allows skiing in all seasons) and the services multiplied, for a clientele that has gradually become very diversified, Italian and international. You can go up by cable car, in 8 minutes, from the base village and founder of Vénosc-Vénéon. For a long time, Les Deux Alpes has been able to play the role of European pilots for new snow sports: the local snowpark is now of high quality, constantly evolving, and run by professionals: the glacier allows the opening of a pre-season at the end of October, beginning of November, for the successive tests and shows of the world snowboard and ski events. In short, a must-see spot for all riders!

Villard-de-Lans and Corrençon-en-Vercors, snowshoeing and Nordic skiing

Finally, the Nordic ski lovers will take the direction of Villard-de-Lans and Corrençon-en-Vercors. Located in Vercors, at the entrance of the imposing gorges of the Bourne, and at the vertical of the Grande Moucherolle which from the top of its 2 284 m of altitude dominates the surrounding slopes and limestone plateaus, the landscape is enchanting. In winter, before or after the inevitable visit to the Maison du Patrimoine, the resort offers one of the largest alpine/nordic ski areas in Europe. There is something for everyone: 125 km of alpine runs, two biathlon stadiums and Nordic skiing at the gateway to the Hauts Plateaux nature reserve at an altitude of over 1050 m, countless paths for snowshoeing... All this in an exceptional setting that is regularly compared to the Canadian Great North! Finally, it is very practical to take advantage of the two entry points (Villard and Corrençon) for the Nordic area, which makes it a must for lovers of skating or alternative walking.

Smart info

When is it open? All year round, but it is obviously in winter that you will enjoy the alpine pleasures. The Villard-de-Lans and Corrençon-en-Vercors ski areas open their slopes this winter from December 11, 2021 to April 7, 2022; Alpe d'Huez from Saturday, December 4, 2021 to Sunday, April 24, 2022 and, finally, Les Deux Alpes from Saturday, November 27, 2021 to Sunday, April 24, 2022 and from mid-June to the end of August for summer skiing on the glacier.

How to get there. By train or by car (576 km between Paris and Grenoble on the A6).

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