Valdaine or Val d'Ainan - Pays Voironnais tourist office

In Valdaine, the territory stretches between plains and hills. Outdoor activities such as hiking or mountain biking are prevailing! But the sector conceals many other treasures around its history and its heritage. Manufacturing secrets and artisanal tastings, villages and castles… the trip promises a complete change of scenery!

Did you know?

"La Valdaine" is a contraction of Val d'Ainan. " Val is an alteration of "valley" and the Ainan is the stream that runs through the valley. It takes its source in the marshes of Chirens and merges with the Guiers a few kilometers north of the town of Voissant.

Take a walk from the multi-hike station

There's nothing like strolling through the heart of large natural spaces and breathing deeply to feel good! You will find in Valdaine the ideal starting point, in Saint-Geoire-en-Valdaine, for walks, horseback, trail and mountain bike trails. A true multi-hike resort, various facilities dedicated to sports have been set up here: fitness and outdoor stretching/warming up areas, pump-track, picnic tables, games for children... Everything is there to fully enjoy the surrounding outdoor activities!

Treat your taste buds

This rural valley also welcomes producers and <i>savoir-faires</i> not to be missed for a well-deserved gourmet break! Treat yourself and take home some local products!

History and heritage

If the industrial past of the valley has left few traces, its history is still very visible!

The village of Saint-Geoire-en-Valdaine, a town of 2 souls which has been classified by the Ministry of Culture “remarkable heritage site” in December 2022, houses among its treasures, a 1907th century church (Saint-Georges church, listed as a historic monument since XNUMX) and seven castles, three of which can be visited.

The oldest is that of Saint-Geoire; built around 1030 by Sibaud 1st, one of the first members of the line of Clermont, a family of French nobility originally from Chirens. It was completely rebuilt in the XNUMXth century in the neo-renaissance style. Its park offers a breathtaking view of the plain and the forests. A few meters away is the Château de Longpra, typical of XNUMXth century Dauphinois architecture and considered the most beautiful in the valley. The third key element is the town hall: a former royal abbey of the Benedictines built in the XNUMXth century by the Clermont family which would have been a commandery of the Order of the Templars.
Other areas: the castles of Cabarot, a former XNUMXth century monastery, of Lambertière, of Rochette and of Etergne are private properties.
An orientation course allows you to admire them from a distance.