Optevoz: Nature Trails and Cultural Heritage

Optevoz combines natural areas with local cultural sites. The Val d’Amby Sensitive Natural Area focuses on heathland, dry grassland and rocky slopes along the Amby River; at Étang de Lemps, wetlands and wildlife take centre stage. A marked trail, two discovery walks and educational stations offer different experiences. There is also an artists’ route, a permanent exhibition and historic buildings. When planning your stay, you can decide whether to focus more on the landscape and nature or on art and local history.

Nature between Val d’Amby and Étang de Lemps

The Val d’Amby Sensitive Natural Area includes heathland, dry grassland and rocky slopes bordering the Amby River. A marked trail leads through these landscape features along the Amby. If you choose nature trails based on their landscapes, the combination of heathland, dry grassland and rocks offers a specific point of reference.

The ENS de l’étang de Lemps is a Sensitive Natural Area in Optevoz that is representative of the wetlands of northern Isère. Its wildlife includes the endangered European pond turtle. This gives you two distinct natural settings to choose from: the heathland, dry grassland and rocks of Val d’Amby, or the wetlands and wildlife of Étang de Lemps.

Trails and getting your bearings

The two discovery walks through the Sensitive Natural Areas of the municipality of Optevoz start at the car park of the Auberge des Peintres in the town centre. This gives you a specific starting point for these walks. In Val d’Amby, a marked trail also leads through heathland, dry grassland and rocky slopes along the river.

There are different trail features to discover at Étang de Lemps. The Parcours d’orientation de l’étang de Lemps is 3.6 km long, has eight stations and introduces visitors to the flora and fauna of the Sensitive Natural Area. The educational trail at Étang de Lemps has nine educational stations and leads through a preserved wetland.

For your planning, you can compare the length and number of stations on the course with the features of the educational trail: the course is listed as 3.6 km long with eight stations, while the educational trail has nine educational stations and runs through the wetland. Check the local conditions for the educational trail before travelling.

Art and local history

Optevoz is Stop 5 on the Route des Peintres, a road route connecting places associated with around 100 artists. This means that the artistic theme is not limited to a single exhibition: Optevoz is a specific stop on a route featuring places associated with numerous artists.

The Auberge des Peintres houses a permanent exhibition tracing Optevoz’s flourishing artistic period. The Auberge is a restaurant with an exhibition. If you wish to visit the exhibition, check access separately.

The Church of Saint-Symphorien dates from the 19th century and is listed in the General Inventory of French Cultural Heritage. Together with the Optevoz washhouse, built in 1873, it is one of the 19th-century landmarks mentioned here.

In addition to its construction date, the washhouse has another specific feature: a large roof frame supports its stone-slab roof. This describes the building not only by its period, but also by its construction.

The Moulin des Gobilles, also known as the Moulin d’Ollier, dates from the first half of the 17th century. This date extends the historical perspective beyond the 19th-century buildings. Both names help identify the historic mill clearly.

Discover more destinations: Cholonge, Meyrieu-Les-Étangs, Tullins, Bouvesse-Quirieu, Quet-en-Beaumont, Pressins, Vaulnaveys-Le-Bas, La Frette

For the broader travel overview: Isere.