Discover Chorges: coves, cycling routes and cultural heritage

Chorges offers several distinct highlights to consider when planning your trip: waterfront areas and coves, excursions through the countryside, historic buildings, and regional baking and brewing traditions. When looking for a hotel, you can first decide which of these experiences you want to shape your stay.

Coves and waterfront facilities

At Baie Saint-Michel, Plage des Pommiers has a grassy area, a paved access to the water, a shaded picnic area, a beach volleyball court, a floating leisure platform and restroom facilities. This makes it easy to choose facilities based on your planned activities: picnicking, volleyball or spending time by the water. Swimming conditions can vary by season.

Plage des Trémouilles in Chanteloube has grass and gravel. It also has a shaded picnic area, fire pits or barbecue facilities, beach volleyball and pétanque courts, and restroom facilities. Baie de Chanteloube has a shaded beach at the tip of the bay, a small harbor, a snack bar and special watersports opportunities in a natural setting; from there, you can see the Viaduc de Chanteloube. Individual facilities may change, so check what is currently available before your visit.

Cycling and hiking routes

For a cycling trip, Les balcons de Chorges starts in Chorges: this moderately difficult circular route is 32.4 kilometers long and includes 834 meters of elevation gain. It follows small roads on both sides of the Avance Valley, from the plain to the mountain passes, through varied landscapes. The final climb offers panoramic views over Lac de Serre-Ponçon. The distance, elevation gain and circular route provide useful details for planning your trip; check local conditions before setting out.

A hiking trail near Chorges passes through landscapes featuring a lake, black-earth ravines, a forest of Scots pines, agricultural plateaus and wilder areas. At Belvédère des Curattes, there is a viewpoint overlooking the bay and Chapelle Saint-Michel. Visibility there depends on the weather.

Nature activities and stargazing

The family-friendly nature walk “Sur la piste du Loup” combines an educational workshop covering topics such as the wolf’s ecology, life, history and presence, as well as the tracks of other animals. In winter, it is offered as a snowshoe hike.

“La montagne étoilée” is for all ages: optical equipment is used to explain the cosmos, constellations and their legends. The listing gives Wednesday evenings throughout the year; from spring to autumn, the meeting point is in Chorges. Information about both activities was last updated in June 2023. Check current availability and meeting-point details in advance.

Fountain, viaduct and marble

At Place Lesdiguières stands a fountain made of marble from the Chabrières and Guillestre quarries. It dates from the second quarter of the 16th century, bears the date 1548 and is protected as a historic monument.

The Viaduc de Chanteloube, also known as the Viaduc des Moulettes, is an unfinished railway structure from a project to connect Grenoble and Barcelonnette. Construction began in 1910 and was halted in 1934 in favor of the Veynes–Briançon line. The pink marble quarries of Salados were already being used in ancient times by the Romans living in the region. The marble was used mostly locally; the largest construction project it supplied was Gap Cathedral in the late 19th century.

Baking and brewing traditions

Histoire de biscuits is a mountain bakery in the historic center of Chorges, where visitors can take part in a friendly cookie-making workshop. Only organic, locally sourced ingredients are used: flour, eggs, honey and plants come from the Hautes-Alpes, and some even come from a neighboring village. The recipes, shaped by the mountain region, are developed in Chorges. Check workshop and product details before visiting.

A brewery in Chorges can be visited to learn about the production of beer brewed with spring water from the Moulettes. Various seasonal beers are served on site at the neighboring Apex Brew Pub. Before traveling, check whether tours and beer service are available on your chosen date.

Information in the town center

The Bureau d’Information Touristique de Chorges – Serre-Ponçon offers in-person advice in the town center, as well as information about activities, hikes, accommodation, events and local specialties. You can also book activities there. Since opening hours vary by season, check them before your visit.

Discover more destinations: Lagrand, Arvieux, Savournon, Le Glaizil, Mont-Dauphin, L'argentière-La-Bessée, La Motte-En-Champsaur, Saint-Julien-En-Beauchêne.

For the broader travel guide: Hautes-Alpes.