Discover La Chapelle-En-Vercors: Hiking, Culture and Nature

La Chapelle-En-Vercors combines hiking with natural history, regional products and places of remembrance. When planning your stay, you can choose from a variety of activities: hiking routes range from an easy walk with a stated duration of an hour and a half to a trail estimated to take about four and a half hours. The sights also offer distinct highlights—from a Romanesque bell tower to a cave with an extraordinary fossil pit.

Hiking: Different Time Frames and Destinations

Les Bruyères is an easy 4.9-kilometer circular hike. Its stated duration is one hour and 30 minutes. This makes it easy to compare the time required for this route with the hike to the Belvédère de Révoulat, which starts in the village of La Chapelle-En-Vercors and takes about 4.5 hours. This is an estimate and may vary depending on conditions. If you choose hiking routes based on the time they take, these two figures provide a concrete indication of a shorter or longer outing.

The destinations also differ. Le Tour des Scies runs around the Bois des Scies and leads to the banks of the Vernaison on foot or by bicycle. The La Roche du Mas hike offers panoramic views of the Hauts Plateaux and the eastern edge of the Vercors Massif. So, in addition to duration, the type of route and its destination are also key considerations.

Rando Vercors specializes in hikes with bivouacs on the Hauts Plateaux. If this option fits your travel plans, check that it is available for your dates before booking.

Culture and Remembrance

The Romanesque bell tower of the Église Notre-Dame dates from the 13th century and is protected as a historic monument. It offers a tangible connection to the architectural history of the village. Another historical site is the Cour des fusillés: this memorial commemorates the execution of sixteen young hostages during the destruction of La Chapelle-En-Vercors in July 1944.

The Cour des fusillés includes a museum area in the restored barn next to the courtyard. The memorial and museum area thus represent two aspects of the same historical site: remembrance of the events and their interpretation in a space on the grounds.

Cave and Seasonal Market

The Grotte de la Draye Blanche combines extraordinary fossil finds with a chamber of impressive dimensions: it is 100 meters long and 30 meters wide. The cave contains a fossil pit with more than 15,000 bones from 45 species.

From June to September, the summer market in La Chapelle-En-Vercors showcases products and producers from Royans-Vercors. These include cheese, honey, fruit and other regional specialties. The market is a seasonal tradition; the specific dates may vary from year to year. So if you are planning a visit, check the dates for your travel period.

Getting There and Planning

Bus route 05 between Valence and Vassieux-en-Vercors passes through La Chapelle-En-Vercors. If you plan to use this service to get there, check that it is running before you travel, as public transport services can change.

For your travel planning, you can organize activities by time required and interest: an easy circular hike, a longer trail to the Belvédère, a route to the Vernaison or a panorama across parts of the Vercors Massif. Culture, the memorial, the cave and the summer market offer additional options, each with its own focus. This way, you can decide what matters most for your stay in La Chapelle-En-Vercors.

Discover more destinations: La Bâtie-Rolland, Montréal-Les-Sources, Autichamp, Mérindol-Les-Oliviers, Charpey, Recoubeau-Jansac, Léoncel, Mirmande

For the broader travel overview: Drôme.