Treffort: Suspension Bridges, Water Sports and Culture at Lac de Monteynard
Accommodation in Treffort
Treffort offers several ways to experience Lac de Monteynard-Avignonet: water sports, a narrated cruise and a hike across two Himalayan suspension bridges. When planning your trip, it is worth distinguishing between these experiences: a boat trip on the lake is different from a hike across the bridges. The activities are complemented by two information centers with different focuses.
Lac de Monteynard: Water Sports and Cruises
Lac de Monteynard-Avignonet lies at an altitude of 500 meters and stretches for 20 kilometers. Windsurfing, kitesurfing, fishing, sailing and wakeboarding are all available on the lake. This offers a variety of ways to enjoy the water. If a particular activity is important to your trip, check that specific offering’s availability: operators and seasonal options may change.
Bateau La Mira offers narrated cruises on the lake. The route passes through the Ebron Gorge, along hidden areas of the lake and as far as the Monteynard Dam; it also goes beneath the Himalayan suspension bridges. Sailing conditions may affect the route. The cruise therefore connects several notable points on the water, while the suspension bridges are also part of a hiking route.
On Foot Across the Himalayan Suspension Bridges
The hike along the Passerelles du lac de Monteynard-Avignonet crosses two Himalayan suspension bridges: they span the Drac and the Ebron. At the start of the hike to the Passerelle de l’Ebron, there is an unobstructed view of the lake. Both the crossings and the view at the beginning of the route are useful points of reference when planning your hike.
Boat transfers between the docks at Treffort and Mayres-Savel enable hikers and mountain bikers to take the route to the suspension bridges. These transfers may operate seasonally, so check the service if you plan to include them in your route. They are distinct from the narrated cruise: the transfers help hikers travel between the lakeshores, while the cruise is described as a narrated trip on the lake. If you are considering both, you can plan for each separately according to its purpose.
Information and Exhibitions in Treffort
Le MĂ´le de Treffort provides information about tourist and sporting activities at Lac de Monteynard-Avignonet. Opening periods may vary. If you plan to make a visit a fixed part of your itinerary, check the current opening times in advance.
The Espace info EDF in Treffort offers a different focus: its 60-square-meter exhibition covers EDF’s activities in the Drac Valley. Films, information panels and photographs present the exhibition’s topics. While Le Môle brings together information about tourist and sporting activities on the lake, the Espace info EDF focuses on EDF’s work in the valley. Public access to the exhibition may be seasonal; take this into account when planning your visit.
Planning Your Visit and Getting There
The Trail des Passerelles du Monteynard has been held every July since 2011. The specific event dates and formats may change. If you want to plan your stay around the trail, check the dates for the period in question.
From Grenoble, you can reach the Treffort water sports center via the A51 toward Sisteron, taking the Sinard exit and then following the road to Treffort. Road conditions and signage may change, so check your route before setting off. Water sports, a bridge hike, an exhibition and an event each offer a different reason to plan a trip. Which of these matters most to you can help you decide whether Treffort is the right destination for your stay.
Discover more destinations: Vaujany, Flachères, Chapareillan, Pont-En-Royans, Bouvesse-Quirieu, Vizille, Beaucroissant, Bresson.
See the regional travel guide: Isere.
