Crolles: Nature, Heritage and Trails

Crolles is part of the Parc naturel Régional de Chartreuse. This connection gives you a clear link to the Chartreuse when choosing a destination; other highlights range from nature within the town to local history, a wetland and a swimming pool. If you’re looking for a hotel in Crolles, you can start by considering whether your trip will focus more on nature, heritage or a mix of both. The places and activities featured here offer different highlights and give you specific ideas for planning your own trip.

Nature in the town and at the Marais de Montfort

Parc Jean-Claude Paturel offers more than 13 hectares of nature within the town and is designated an LPO refuge. Cycle paths and footpaths lead to the park, so you can reach it on foot or by bike. Its location within the town and its designation as an LPO refuge give your nature itinerary a clearly defined focus. The park thus adds an urban natural setting to Crolles’ other highlights.

The Marais de Montfort is one of the last peat bogs in the Isère Valley. A dedicated educational trail leads through the landscape to three highly protected butterfly species: Cuivré des marais, Fadet des laiches and Azurée de la sanguisorbe. The trail connects the wetland landscape with a specific nature topic. The two nature spots therefore offer different highlights: Parc Jean-Claude Paturel represents nature in the town, while the Marais de Montfort is a peat bog home to the named butterfly species.

Heritage on walking tours and at events

Six downloadable, family-friendly walking tours invite you to explore the history and cultural heritage of the municipality. They offer a way to discover Crolles with a focus on local history. Local heritage is also celebrated every year through two event series: the Journées du patrimoine de pays et des moulins in June and the Journées européennes du Patrimoine in September. Both include tours and conferences. If you’d like to plan your trip around one of these series, check the specific event dates. Their regular scheduling in June and September can help with broad annual planning.

Walk to the Plateau des Petites Roches

The Sentier du Pal de Fer and the Sentier du facteur together provide access to the Plateau des Petites Roches, the entrance to the Parc naturel Régional de Chartreuse. The walk takes about two hours, and the plateau lies at an altitude of almost 900 metres. The walking time is an approximate guide to reaching it via the two trails. This makes the trip different from the six walking tours devoted to the municipality’s history: here, you’re planning access to a specific destination with an approximate walking time, while the tours explore local heritage. As you plan your trip, you can therefore weigh up a heritage-focused walk and this destination on the plateau.

Piscine Crolles

Piscine Crolles can also be part of your activity options. Both the building and the pools are accessible to people with reduced mobility. If this is an important consideration for you, you can take this information into account when planning a swimming pool visit.

Discover more destinations: Nivolas-Vermelle, Auberives-en-Royans, Grenay, Laffrey, Veurey-Voroize, Cordéac, Vienne, Domène.

For the broader travel overview: Isere.