Discover Izeron: manor house, church and trails

Historic buildings and trails reveal different sides of Izeron. The village’s history includes the Ancienne maison Robert, now the town hall, and the parish church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste. For outdoor activities, there is a hiking route starting in the village and a mountain biking route; the wider tourism area also includes an extensive network of signposted trails and hiking loops. These different scales help you choose activities for your stay: a single route is not the same as the regional offering as a whole.

Manor house and parish church

The Ancienne maison Robert is a 19th-century manor house and now serves as Izeron’s town hall. The orangery, tack room, stable and coach house are grouped around a courtyard, which forms the centre of a complex comprising several buildings. The salon features a naturalistic mural depicting local places and buildings. The Ancienne maison Robert also holds the “Patrimoine en Isère” designation. It can be visited every day throughout the year; check local access arrangements before your visit.

The parish church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste is considered an example of Romanesque religious architecture; it was first mentioned in a Pouillé in 1115. The church is used as a venue for concerts and other community events. If a concert is a reason for your trip, check the dates of the specific events before planning your days in Izeron.

Cultural sites and events

Karma Migyur Ling is a place to study and practise Buddhism. The centre is located on the foothills of the Vercors massif, at an altitude of 800 metres. It organises around sixty courses or retreats each year; the annual programme may change. A guided tour of the temple takes place at 4:30 p.m. Check the current programme and visiting schedule before travelling, so you can fit these scheduled activities into your travel plans.

Hiking and mountain biking

The tourism area has nearly 800 kilometres of developed, signposted trails. The local tourist office and the inter-municipal authority have also selected 35 hiking loops of varying distances and difficulty levels. The two figures describe different things: the kilometre count refers to the developed trail network across the tourism area, while the 35 loops are a selection organised by distance and difficulty. If you are planning a specific outing, choose an individual hiking loop based on your preferred distance and difficulty level.

One specific route is the Montchardon route. It starts in the village of Izeron at an altitude of 240 metres and passes the ruins of Château-Pillard, which are designated as a point of interest. A local legend is associated with the ruins: according to the story, the inhabitants of Château-Pillard plundered the farms of neighbouring localities and villages in order to survive.

A mountain biking route in Izeron is rated easy and is open every day throughout the year. By comparison, the hiking loops in the tourism area vary in distance and difficulty. So the choice is not only whether you would rather hike or mountain bike, but also which of the stated difficulty levels suits your plans.

Discover more destinations: Cras, Pellafol, Montalieu-Vercieu, Mont-De-Lans, La Ferrière, Clavans-en-Haut-Oisans, Moirans, Morette

For the broader travel overview: Isere.