Cultural heritage de la Vallée du Grésivaudan

The Tour d’Avalon, overlooking the town of Pontcharra, is the symbol of a time when the noble Walloon knights and Romestang d’Avalon built strategic fortresses. Erected in honor of Saint-Hugues d’Avalon, this medieval tower, carefully restored by Carthusian monks in 1895, reveals the layers of history of a fortified village and the Wallon and Romestang family of lords.

Fort Barraux, built in the 16th century, remains one of the oldest bastioned forts in the Alps. Witness to its inaugural challenges in the face of the Protestants, its architectural evolution over time and its use during the two world wars, the fort offers an insight into military history. In 1988, it was decommissioned, opening its doors to visitors in 1990 and gaining Monument Historique status.

The Funiculaire du Touvet, built between 1920 and 1924, is a historic treasure of the Chartreuse Massif. Climbing from an altitude of 260m to 1000m, with a vertiginous gradient of 83%, it offers a spectacular scenic journey overlooking the Grésivaudan valley. Unfortunately temporarily closed in 2022 due to exceptional weather conditions, it remains a technical feat and an educational exploration of the past.

Museums in the Grésivaudan Valley, such as the Comba d’Autrafé, the Musée d’Allevard, the Musée des Forges et Moulins de Pinsot, and the Musée Bergès, reveal the many facets of the local heritage. Each presents a captivating immersion in the past, exploring ancestral trades, the industrial boom and technological evolution.

Built on the border between Savoie and Dauphiné, Château du Touvet, a listed historic monument, reveals its medieval origins and its 18th-century heyday. Witness to architectural evolution, it offers an immersion in aristocratic life, with gardens classified as “Remarkable Gardens”.