On the road

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region

Departments: Ain, Allier, Ardèche, Cantal, Drôme, Isère, Loire, Haute-Loire, Puy-de-Dôme, Rhône, Métropole de Lyon, Savoie, Haute-Savoie.

Population: 8.2 million inhabitants

Prefecture: Lyon

Area: 69,711 km²

Specialities: Beaujolais, Côtes du Rhône and Savoie wines, Lyon specialities (quenelles, cervelles de canut, saucisson, etc.), Auvergne potée, Savoyard specialities (raclette, fondue, tartiflettes, diots, crozets), cheeses (Beaufort, Reblochon, Cantal, Bleu d'Auvergne, Salers, Saint-Nectaire, etc.), green lentils from Le Puy, waters (Evian, Thonon, Volvic), verbena, Chartreuse.

Sports clubs: Olympique Lyonnais, AS Saint-Etienne, Clermont Foot 63, Grenoble Foot 38 (football). ASM Clermont, Lyon OU, FC Grenoble, Stade Aurillacois, US Oyonnax (rugby), ASVEL Villeurbanne (basketball), Chambéry (handball), Brûleurs de loup Grenoble, Pionniers de Chamonix (ice hockey)

Competitions: Women's Football World Cup, skiing competitions (Critérium de la Première Neige in Val d'Isère), Tour de France mountain passes, Critérium du Dauphiné.

Economy: (8th European region) cutting-edge industries, automotive (Berliet), metallurgy, rubber, plastics, chemicals, electronics, agri-food, textiles, digital, banking, universities, government, viticulture. Tyres (Michelin). Design. New technologies (Inovallée). Winter and summer tourism.

Festivals: Festival of Lights in Lyon, Nuits de Fourvière in Lyon, Quais du Polar in Lyon, Design Biennial in Saint-Etienne, La Chaise-Dieu Classical Music Festival

Tourist attractions: Old Lyon and Croix-Rousse, Puy-en-Velay Cathedral, Lake Annecy, Chambéry Castle, winter sports in Isère, Savoie and Haute-Savoie, Cantal, spa resorts, Auvergne volcanoes. Pont d'Arc Cave. Grignan Castle. Grenoble Bastille. Vulcania. Parc des Oiseaux.

Websites and social media: www.auvergnerhonealpes.fr

Aix-les-Bains (Pop. 32,400)

Renowned for its warm waters with recognised healing properties, Aix-les-Bains is France's second largest spa resort. The town has many attractions to satisfy both spa guests and visitors, including Roman ruins, museums, a lavish casino, pedestrian shopping streets, balneotherapy centres, Belle Époque hotels that bear witness to the spa town's prestigious past, as well as a sandy beach and an esplanade, a pleasant avenue lined with plane trees on the shores of Lake Bourget. According to a ranking by the website Europe's Best Destinations, it was considered the fifth most romantic city in Europe in 2016. In addition, numerous cultural events are organised, such as the region's largest pop-rock festival, Musilac, which welcomes tens of thousands of festival-goers every evening in July. Among the celebrities born in Aix-les-Bains are several sportsmen and women such as tennis player Thierry Tulasne, skier Victor Muffat-Jeandet, Olympic bronze medallist in the Alpine combined in 2018, Saudi Arabia football team coach Hervé Renard, as well as journalists Karl Zéro and Laurence Ferrari, whose father was mayor of the city. The Tour de France has stopped in Aix-les-Bains 14 times since 1948 but has not stopped in town since 2001. In 1998, the stage that was scheduled to end in Aix was cancelled due to a protest by riders involved in the Festina affair. However, the greatest riders have won in town: Gino Bartali in 1948, Hugo Koblet in 1951, Charly Gaul in 1958, Raymond Poulidor in 1962, Eddy Merckx in 1974 and Greg LeMond in 1989.

Casino Grand Cercle

Construction: 1850

History: it was inaugurated by King Victor Emmanuel II of Savoy in 1850 to enhance the recreational aspect of the spa town and attract high society to Savoy. The building was designed by Chambery architect Charles-Bernard Pellegrini. Thirty years later, the casino expanded and two side pavilions were added. In 1899, the building was equipped with a 900-seat theatre with wooden machinery.

Fun fact: actor Raimu worked as a croupier for the casino in the early 1900s.

Listed as: historic monument in 2013.

Château de la Roche du Roi

Construction: 19th century.

Style: Baroque

History: construction of the château began in 1897 and was completed in 1900 by the town architect Jules Pin (senior) and the Léon Grosse company. From the 1980s onwards, it was the subject of a long legal battle. A potential buyer planned to dismantle it in 1982 and rebuild it in his own country, which led to it being listed for protection. The owner who bought it in 1986 left it abandoned, refused to carry out any work on it, and the château was squatted in. The Aix-les-Bains town hall finally acquired it in 2015 before reselling it to a Savoyard industrialist who began its restoration in 2019.

Characteristics: the château was built in an architectural style that blends oriental palaces and Renaissance châteaux. It is constructed of soft Lens limestone on a terrace supported by semi-circular vaulted foundations. It is Baroque in style, although the various influences, strongly marked by Art Nouveau, particularly in its boulevard-side gate, allow us to identify an original "Aix style", making this château unique. The Château de la Roche du Roi has a central keep topped by a polygonal spire.

Listed as: historic monument in 1986.

Faure Museum

Opening: 1949

History: founded in 1949, the museum initially housed works from the private collection of Dr Jean Faure (1862-1942), an art lover who bequeathed 220 Impressionist and 19th-century works to the town of Aix-les-Bains. The museum has the second largest collection of works by Auguste Rodin in France and the second largest collection of Impressionist paintings in France. The museum is closed for restoration in partnership with the Heritage Foundation and will reopen in early 2028 under the new name La Villa-Collection d'art.

HAUTE-SAVOIE (74)

Population: 861,158

Prefecture: Annecy

Sub-prefectures: Bonneville, Saint-Julien-en-Genevois, Thonon-les-Bains.

Number of municipalities: 279

Area: 4,388 km²

Specialities: AOC/AOP cheeses: Reblochon, Abondance, Tomme, Tome des Bauges, Beaufort, Chevrotin, Emmental de Savoie, Raclette. Savoie AOC wines, Ayze, Royal Seyssel, Roussette de Savoie. Other labels: Berthoud (STG), Savoie apples and pears (IGP). Specialities and traditional dishes: Génépi, Crozets, Tartiflette, perch fillets (lake fish), diots, blueberry tart, Savoyard fondue, potato fritters, honey, bidoyon (artisan cider), gentian.

Sports clubs: headquarters of the French Ski Federation. Annecy Football Club, GFA Rumilly Vallières (football). Thonon Evian Grand Genève Football Club. FCS Rumilly (rugby). US Annecy Rugby. Black Panthers de Thonon-les-Bains (American football). Annecy CSAV Handball. Annemasse Basket Club. Chamonix Elite Hockey Club "Les Pionniers". Hockey Club Pays du Mont Blanc. Haute-Savoie Nordic Team

Major competitions and events: Kandahar Alpine Ski World Cup (Chamonix Mont Blanc Les Houches). Greenweez Maxi-Race (Annecy). Alps Bike Festival (La Clusaz). Mountain Bike World Cup (Les Gets). Climbing World Cup (Chamonix Mont Blanc). Megève International Show Jumping. Evian Championship (golf). Ultra Trail du Mont-Blanc (Chamonix). Biathlon World Cup (Le Grand Bornand). Telemark World Cup (Samoëns and Saint-Gervais-les-Bains). High'Five Festival (Annecy). Rock the Pistes (Portes du Soleil). Critérium du Dauphiné. Ski Mountaineering World Cup (Flaine). Grande Odysée Savoie-Mont-Blanc. Tour de l'Avenir. Tour des Pays de Savoie Heritage: Lake Geneva, Mont Blanc and Aiguille du Midi, Lake Annecy. Château des Sires de Bonneville. Château de Clermont. Plateau des Glières (national necropolis). Montenvers Train (Mer de Glace) and Mont Blanc Tramway. Château de Ripaille. Col des Aravis. Village des Flottins. Pont des Amours (Annecy). Le Hameau du Père Noël. Château d'Annecy. Pont de la Caille. Basilique de la Visitation. La Tournette. Col de la Forclaz. Abbey of Abondance. Buvette Cachat des Eaux d'Evian. Château des Allinges. Baroque chapels of St-Gervais. Abbey of Aulps. Thermal baths of St-Gervais Interpretation Centre for Mountain Smuggling

Festivals: International Animation Film Festival (Annecy). Montjoux Festival. Guitare en Scène (Annecy). Nomade Reggae Festival. Rock'n'Poche. Megève International Jazz Festival. Pleins Feux Festival. Village des Flottins. Morzine Harley Days. Musilac Mont-Blanc. Radio Meuh Circus Festival. Mont-Blanc Humour. Paradisio Annecy. Les Grandes Médiévales d'Andilly

Main tourist attractions: Lake Annecy, Annecy Castle, Mont Blanc and Mer de Glace, Aravis, winter sports resorts in Chamonix, Saint-Gervais, Megève, Les Gets, Morzine and Avoriaz.

Economy: watchmaking (Cluses), bar turning, mechanics (Dassault, Alcatel), agriculture and agri-food (Reblochon and Tome cheese production, Evian water), mountain tourism, sports industry (Dynastar, Salomon, Mavic). Outdoor Sport Valley cluster, for the economic development of the outdoor sector. Major facilities (Rochexpo, etc.)

Websites, etc.: https:/ / www.hautesavoie.fr/ / www.haute-savoie-tourisme.org/ / https://fr-fr.facebook.com/hautesavoieledepartement / https:/ / www.instagram.com/hautesavoieledepartement / https://twitter.com/dep_74 / tiktok.com/@hautesavoiedepartement

Alleves (Pop: 400)

The Saint-Jacques towers, or fairy chimneys, are majestic monolithic towers that dominate the village. The place name comes from the name of the chapel of a former priory, whose former name was "aiguilles de Racheroche" (Racheroche needles), referring to these limestone monoliths located on the southern foothills of the Semnoz. Legend has it that an eagle took a lamb from the village to devour it, but as it was too heavy, the eagle finally placed it on one of the towers. Several years later, a mountaineer found a ram in a green setting.

Aillon-le-Jeune (Pop. 450)

The commune of Aillon-le-Jeune was created in 1863 when the southern half of the former commune of Aillon was separated. It was on its territory, in the Combe de Lourdens, that the Chartreuse d'Aillon monastery was founded in 1178. This important monastery, which owned many forests, mountain pastures, meadows and vineyards throughout the massif and also near Lyon, also developed a significant metallurgical industry from the 17th century onwards. Sold as national property during the French Revolution, the monastery was used as a stone quarry before being converted into a farm. All that remains today is the guest building, which now houses the Maison du Patrimoine du Massif des Bauges (Bauges Massif Heritage Centre) and architectural elements scattered among the buildings of the commune, in particular the entrance gate to the parish church. The Aillons-Margeriaz resort is one of four winter sports resorts in the Massif des Bauges.

Charterhouse of Aillon

Construction: 13th and 16th centuries.

History: the monastic establishment was founded in the Bauges in the second half of the 12th century by Count Humbert III, known as Humbert of Savoy, who endowed the monks who were probably already settled there. Since 2008, the only remaining building has housed the Maison du Patrimoine du Parc Naturel Régional du Massif des Bauges (Bauges Regional Nature Park Heritage Centre).

Listed as: historic monument in 1994.

Saint-Jean-d’Arvey (Pop. 1,400)

The commune has several châteaux, all privately owned, including Château de Chaffardon, which has an interesting arboretum, Tour de Biron and the fortified house of Salins (12th and 13th centuries), which faces Château de la Bâtie d'Arvey, located in the commune of Barby, and which has been listed as a historic monument since 1972.

Chaffardon Castle

Construction:

History: the Chaffardon family appeared at the beginning of the 13th century and built a fortified house which was later converted into a castle. In 1633, the seigneury passed to the d'Oncieu family through Janus d'Oncieu, president of the Senate of Savoy, in whose favour it was elevated to a marquisate in 1682. In 1876, Joseph d'Oncieu married the daughter of a wealthy industrialist , from the Saarland (Villeroy & Boch), who had the château rebuilt on the old foundations, giving it its current appearance.

Special feature: within the castle grounds, an arboretum allows visitors to discover common trees and other rare species.

Saint-Christophe-la-Grotte (Pop. 550)

Caves of Saint-Christophe

The caves are famous because they are adjacent to the Via Sarde and close to the border between France and the Duchy of Savoy, then the Kingdom of Sardinia, where they long served as a border post on the road from Paris to Turin. The Sardinian Road is a natural pass that was converted into a road and provides access to the caves. Its name comes from the fact that the Dukes of Savoy, future kings of Sardinia, adapted this passage (already built by the Romans) into a royal road for stagecoaches during the 17th century. In 1649, further work was undertaken by the regent Christine of France to consolidate the wall of the canal that ran alongside this road, then her son, Duke Charles Emmanuel II of Savoy, had a ramp built in cut stone between 1667 and 1670 to facilitate passage and complete this road to the Guiers valley. A monument dedicated to Charles Emmanuel II of Savoy was erected on this road in 1674, just before the entrance to the caves. It was listed as a historic monument in 1952. According to some sources, one of the many cavities located in the site known as the Échelles caves sheltered the famous French smuggler Louis Mandrin, who hid his treasure there.

Saint-Béron (Pop. 1,720)

Château de Vaux-Saint-Cyr

Construction: 1867.

History: the château was built in 1867 by Count Septime de Garnier des Garets, and through marriage, in 1910 it passed to the Vaux-Saint-Cyr family. It was built on the site of an older château, owned by the lords of Clermont du Dauphiné and then by the Dizimieu family, who kept it until the early 19th century. It was razed to the ground by Geneva soldiers in 1603. It is private property, and only the exterior is accessible.

Characteristics: built in Gard stone and covered with slate, it was constructed in the "eclectic" style that was very fashionable in the mid-19th century, inspired mainly by the French Renaissance and the decorations of the châteaux of the Loire Valley.

Listed as: historic monument since 1987.

ISÈRE (38)

Region: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

Population: 1.3 million inhabitants (16 pc of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes)

Prefecture: Grenoble

Sub-prefectures: Vienne, La Tour du Pin

Number of municipalities: 521

Area: 7,431 km² (11% of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes)

Specialities: Grenoble walnuts (AOC), St Marcellin cheese (PGI), Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage cheese (PDO), ravioles, Chartreuse liqueur, Bonnat chocolates, antesite (drink). Wines: Coteaux du Grésivaudan, Balmes Dauphinoises, Collines Rhodaniennes (IGP wines), Vitis Vienna (Vienne wines). Vercors trout, alpine meats (beef, lamb), gratin dauphinois, Bourgoin brioche, murçon (charcuterie), etc.

Major sports clubs: FC Grenoble (rugby), Brûleurs de loups (ice hockey), GF38 (football), CSBJ (rugby), Ours de Villard (hockey), Rugby Sassenage Isère (women's rugby).

Major competitions: Foulée Blanche in Autrans, UT4M (Ultra Tour des 4 Massifs), Passerelles du Monteynard Trail, Echappée Belle (Ultra Traversée de Belledonne), EuroNordicWalk Vercors, Grand Duc-Trail de Chartreuse, La Marmotte in Alpe d'Huez (gran fondo)

Festivals: Coupe Icare in St Hilaire du Touvet, Alpe d’Huez Film Festival (comedy film festival in Isère), Berlioz Festival in La Côte Saint-André, Jazz in Vienne Festival, Autrans mountain film festival, Vélo Vert Festival in Villard de Lans, Tomorrowland in Alpe d'Huez.

Economy: Industry, electronics, digital technology, micro and nanoelectronics, IT, research, health, hydroelectricity, chemistry and the environment, energy, thermal spas, tourism

Main tourist attractions: Domaine de Vizille, Grande Chartreuse monastery, Saint-Antoine l'Abbaye, Choroanche caves, Grenoble cable car, Grenoble Museum, Chartreuse cellars, Dauphinois Museum, St Hilaire du Touvet funicular railway, Crémieu, Vienne, Walibi Rhône-Alpes theme park, Europe's largest skiable glacier at Les Deux-Alpes

Websites and social media: www.alpesishere.com / www.cyclo-alpes.com / www.isere.fr

Le Pont-de-Beauvoisin (Pop. 3,580)

This is the birthplace of Léo Bergère, world champion in short-distance triathlon in 2022 and bronze medallist at the Paris Olympic Games in 2024. It was also in Pont-de-Beauvoisin that the young Maëlys de Araujo was abducted and murdered, a crime for which serial killer Nordahl Lelandais was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Saint-Geoire-en-Valdaine (Pop. 2,390)

The commune has no fewer than seven châteaux, one of which, Domaine de Longpra, is listed as a historic monument. A native of Saint-Geoire, Guillaume Dode de la Brunerie, Marshal of the Empire, was also the founder of the National Gendarmerie.

Longpra Castle

Construction: 14th century.

Style: medieval.

History: built in the 12th century, the castle was originally a fortified house, like many others found throughout the Dauphiné region. The 378-metre-long moat and the remains of the old drawbridge date back to this period; the current bridge dates from the 17th century. In the 18th century, Pierre-Antoine de Longpra, advisor to the Dauphiné parliament, demolished the old fortified house and rebuilt it in the style of the century, creating a pleasant residence. It is in this form that we can see the Château de Longpra today. Since 1536, the château has belonged to the Franclieu family, and today Count and Countess Albert de Franclieu manage the estate's hospitality and tours.

Characteristics: typical of 18th-century Dauphiné architecture and noble residences with symmetrical classical-style façades, which predominated after the end of the Wars of Religion.

Lsited as: historic monument in 1997.

Saint-Georges Church

Construction: 11th to 19th centuries.

Style: Gothic.

History: church built in the 14th and 15th centuries on the site of an older church, as evidenced by the base of the bell tower. In the 19th century, the western façade was moved by one bay and the upper part of the bell tower was rebuilt.

Special feature: inside, the building has more pillars on the right than on the left. It seems that this apparent anomaly is due to the fact that the original chapel had its entrance where the bell tower now stands. The orientation had to be adapted when the church was enlarged in the 14th century.

Listed as: historic monument in 1907.

Charavines (Pop. 1,930)

Located on the shores of Lake Paladru, Charavines is home to a museum dedicated to archaeological discoveries made at the bottom and around the lake.

Lake Paladru Museum

The museum displays the discoveries made during archaeological excavations carried out in the lake since 1972. Two submerged sites have been studied: the village of Les Baigneurs, dating from the late Neolithic period (2,700 BC), and the medieval settlement of Colletière, home to knights and peasants from the year 1000 (1006-1038). The most beautiful objects found by archaeologists are on display in the museum and, with the help of models and an audiovisual presentation, give an insight into daily life in these two periods.

Louisias Barn

Built in 1805, this remarkable adobe and thatched complex is one of the most beautiful examples of traditional architecture in the Voiron Country. The barn can be visited by appointment with a guide.

Colombe (Pop. 1,850)

This is the birthplace of discus thrower Mélina Robert-Michon, flag bearer for the French delegation at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Mélina Robert-Michon

Born on 18 July 1979 in Voiron (Isère), Mélina Robert-Michon grew up in the village of Colombe and is a French discus thrower. Runner-up at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio and the 2013 World Championships in Moscow, she also won bronze at the 2017 World Championships in London and was runner-up at the 2014 European Championships in Zurich. She also won 24 French discus throw titles between 2000 and 2025. She has held the French record in this event since June 2000 (from 62.08 m to 66.73 m in August 2016). Selected seven times for the Olympic Games, she was the flag bearer for the French team alongside Florent Manaudou at the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Games.

Rives (Pop. 6,250)

The town's history is marked by metallurgy, with the first activities dating back to the 12th century, and by the paper industry, which has been present in Rives since the 16th century. The swords and watermarked paper manufactured in Rives made this small town in the Lower Dauphiné region famous from the Middle Ages until the mid-20th century. Rives is the birthplace of Raphaël Poirée, eight-time world champion and four-time winner of the Biathlon World Cup.

Saint-Jean-de-Moirans (Pop. 3,620)

Saint-Jean-de-Moirans is home to the headquarters of ski manufacturer Rossignol. The brand was founded in 1907 by Abel Rossignol, a carpenter with a passion for skiing, and grew thanks to the success of skiers equipped by the French brand, which also ventured into cycling for a time by buying the manufacturers Time and Felt before selling them on to refocus on its core business. However, Rossignol remains very active in mountain biking.