Visit Isere

In Isère: the «Pilgrim’s route», heritage and spirituality in Isère.

Located in the Rhône Alpes region at the heart of the Dauphiné, Isère offers a wealth of history, culture and scenery. From the banks of the River Rhône to the summits of the Alps, the «Pilgrim routes» which cross the department allow visitors to discover all its treasures: Vienne «the beautiful» and its hidden gems, Saint Antoine l’Abbaye, Grenoble, capital of the Alps with its archaeological museum and crypt of Saint-Laurent, the Musée de l’ancien Evêché and its baptistery, the Museum of Contemporary Religious Art in Saint-Hugues-deChartreuse, the museums and cellars of the Grande Chartreuse, the Priory of Chirens, the Abbaye de Saint Chef, the shrine of Notre Dame de la Salette and more. These unmissable sites recreate the history of Isère and its great spiritual traditions.

Getting there

Air:

  • Grenoble-Isère Airport in Saint-Etienne-de-Saint-Geoirs (30 mins from Grenoble)
  • Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport(50 mins from Grenoble)

Train:

  • Grenoble, Saint-Marcel-les-Valence (50 mins to from Grenoble)
  • Lyon St-Exupéry (50 mins from Grenoble) TGV stations

By car:

  • Grenoble – Lyon: 105 km
  • Grenoble – Paris: 570 km
  • Grenoble – Turin: 236 km
  • Grenoble – Geneva: 158 km
  • Grenoble – Marseille: 274 km

Visiting

  • Saint-Antoine Abbey
    Built between the 12th and 15th centuries, the abbey was founded by the Hospital Brothers of St. Anthony, an order of monks that specialised in treating the sick. It is one of the most remarkable examples of Gothic architecture in the Dauphiné region.
    www.saintantoinelabbaye.fr (External link)

  • Saint-Laurent Archaeological Museum, Grenoble
    This museum is housed in the former parish church of Saint Laurent. Its Merovingian crypt is a unique illustration of the art and architecture in the early Middle Ages.
    www.musee-archeologique-grenoble.fr (External link)

  • Old Bishops’ Palace Museum
    At the centre of Grenoble’s historical quarter, the museum offers a journey under the Place Notre-Dame to the remains of the old town walls. Visitors continue to the former Bishops’ palace to learn about the history of Isère from the prehistoric period to the present day.
    www.ancien-eveche-isere.fr (External link)

  • Museum of Contemporary Religious Art - St-Hugues Church
    The museum, in Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse, has 111 works on display by the painter Arcabas. A collection of paintings, sculptures and stained-glass windows are placed amongst the most accomplished designs of contemporary religious art.
    www.saint-hugues-arcabas.fr (External link)

  • Grande Chartreuse Museum
    Visiting the Museum allows you to better understand the mystery surrounding the Carthusian Order and their 900-year history. The new spaces also allow visitors to discover one of the order’s treasures: the collection of «Cartes de Chartreuse» paintings.
    www.musee-grande-chartreuse.fr (External link)

  • Les caves de la Chartreuse
    The Voiron distillery is the birthplace of the monks’ expertise. A combination of 130 plants kept secret to this day in the largest liqueur cellar in the world.
    www.chartreuse.fr (External link)

  • Saint Chef Abbey
    The church has one of the largest collections of Romanesque frescos (12th century) in France. The local village has preserved the Canons’ houses and the buildings that made up the former abbey.
    www.saint-chef.fr (External link)

To visit as well:

Literature: Brochures can be downloaded from the websitewww.isere-tourisme.com (External link)

Isere