La Terrasse / Grenoble

This stage of La Belle Via cycle route leads you across the Marais de Montfort, wetlands where dragonflies, butterflies and wild orchids thrive in a lively bucolic corner. Leaving the marshlands, enjoy the stunning views of the Belledonne, Chartreuse and Vercors Ranges. Next, focus on your arrival in Grenoble by bike. The city is dominated by the Fort de la Bastille, with a cable car straddling the Isère River taking visitors up to its heights. Well-known for having hosted the 1968 Winter Olympics, most of Grenoble in fact lies on the flat, so the place proves eminently suitable for cyclists, especially given the impressive network of cycle paths around town, making it a great place to explore at gentle pace.

The Route

ou ride along the west bank of the Isère River from Le Touvet to St Ismier, along a road shared with motorized vehicles, but traffic is generally light. This stage doesn’t involve many slopes, so it really makes for pretty easy riding. 
From St Ismier, you get onto a greenway taking you through Grenoble. There are no real difficulties, the cycle route flat and segregated. You can also make the most of the extensive cycle network laid out across the Grenoble urban area.  

Don't miss

• Lumbin: château du Carre
• Crolles: the château; the Espace Naturel Sensible (protected natural area) of the Marais de Montfort
• Bernin: the Maison Forte de la Veyrie, accredited as patrimoine en isère (part of Isère’s special heritage)
• Villard Bonnot: Maison Bergés, a museum dedicated to the region’s white gold – water
• Le Versoud: Espace Naturel Sensible du Bois de la Bâtie, a protected natural area; the Base de loisirs du Bois Français, an outdoor leisure centre
• Grenoble: for its many activities and possibilities (the cable car taking you to Fort de la Bastille; the city’s many museums;  the medieval Saint Laurent Quarter sandwiched between Isère River and cliffs; the tourist train; Parc Mistral, one of the main city parks; and much more)