Cols et panoramas de Chartreuse
Then pass Le Burlet and continue on the D28 to Miribel-les-Échelles.
You continue on the D49, pass Les Échelles, Saint-Christophe-sur-Guiers then follow the Gorges du Guiers Vif to reach Saint-Pierre-d'Entremont.
Then turn right to take the direction of Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse via the Planolet.
Turn right to go to Saint-Laurent-du-Pont (D520B) then follow Villette and Basbolin.
Join the D49 and turn left towards Saint-Roche and return to the starting point via Ture.
This foray into the land of the Carthusian monks offers the spectacle of monumental and preserved nature, with emerald green forests, bounding torrents and steep cliffs.
The Guiers Vif gorges: they are called the Frou gorges below the Pas du Frou (from the local dialect word "frou," meaning awful). Perched 150 meters high, the Pas du Frou overlooks the Guiers Vif river, the natural departmental border between Isère and Savoie. The road, clinging to the cliffside, connects Saint-Pierre d'Entremont to Saint-Christophe-sur-Guiers.
The ruins of Montbel Castle, overlooking the Frou gorges (a 2 km round trip option), occupy a promontory offering a wide view of the Chartreuse mountains. It was the second fief of the lords of Entremont, then became the property of the Carthusian monks, who were expelled during the Revolution, and finally state property before being abandoned.
The Cirque de Saint-Même (an 8 km round-trip option) is one of the most visited sites in the Chartreuse Mountains. This impressive amphitheater of 500-meter-high limestone cliffs is crisscrossed by four large, roaring waterfalls, fed by underground springs of the Guiers Vif river. The hour-and-a-half hike along the waterfall trail is a must, requiring good walking shoes. Another essential visit in the Chartreuse Mountains is the church of Saint-Hugues-de-Chartreuse, known as
Museum of Contemporary Sacred Art: Another must-see in Chartreuse is the Church of Saint-Hugues-de-Chartreuse. This church is entirely decorated by the painter Arcabas, with superb frescoes in vibrant colors created over a period of more than 30 years. A major work of contemporary sacred art.
The Grande Chartreuse Museum: located in Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse, near the monastery, it offers visitors insights into the Carthusian order through a new exhibition design incorporating films, audio guides, and personal accounts. An invitation to silence and contemplation.
Chartreuse liqueur… and its variations: even though it isn't made at the Grande Chartreuse monastery, but in Voiron, Chartreuse liqueur is inextricably linked to the mountain range and the monks. It has been made by the Carthusian monks since the 18th century according to a secret recipe that includes approximately 130 mountain plants and flowers. Several varieties of the liqueur are now available: yellow, green (sweeter, less alcoholic), and the herbal elixir. This liqueur can be used in various products, including chocolates. Those made with Chartreuse by the Petit chocolatier in Saint-Laurent-du-Pont are particularly renowned. Isabelle and Emmanuel Petit welcome visitors to their premises, workshop, and shop for tastings of chocolates and confectionery. They explain the chocolate-making process, from the cocoa bean to the subtle blend of chocolate and Chartreuse.
www.chartreuse.fr
www.chocolatier-petit.com