Valbonnais: Trails, Water and History

Valbonnais brings together several themes to consider when planning a trip: the Plan d'eau, routes with different distances and elevation gains, historic sites and a cultural festival. This gives you the chance to decide whether to focus your stay on trails, activities on the water or history. If you’re looking for hotels in Valbonnais, you’ll find pointers here to help organize your travel plans.

Plan d'eau: water activities and a walking loop

The Plan d'eau de Valbonnais is a leisure and recreation center just below the village. It is set in a natural environment near the La Bonne river and away from major roads. The Plan d'eau is open year-round; activities available there include swimming, stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking.

Walking around the Plan d'eau takes about 30 minutes. The trail passes through a section of forest to the Pont des Verneys, then follows the campsite back to the lake. This makes it easy to combine a short loop with a stretch through the forest.

Every summer, the Association Sport Bien-Etre et Loisirs (ASBEL) rents out stand-up paddleboards, kayaks and canoes at the Plan d'eau. The organization also leads outings for children, teenagers and adults. Before your visit, check which rentals and guided outings are available.

Compare routes by time, distance and elevation gain

The local routes vary considerably in length and time required. The Tour du Village is described as 1.4 kilometers long, with a stated duration of 40 minutes and 45 meters of elevation gain; it is rated “no difficulty.” The Chemin du Béalier is also rated no difficulty: it is 3.64 kilometers long, takes 1 hour and 30 minutes, and has 70 meters of elevation gain.

The Chemin du Béalier also has a historical connection: from the Supérette parking lot, the route follows the Canal des Moines, which dates from the 14th century. The Parcours VTT du Triathlon Famille starts at the Plan d'eau. It runs through the forest on the left bank of the Bonne to the Pont des Fayettes, then returns along the opposite bank. This route is listed as 8.5 kilometers long, taking 1 hour and 45 minutes, with 70 meters of elevation gain; it is rated no difficulty.

Other routes offer different combinations of distance and elevation gain. “Des Angelas à La Roche par le canal” is 3 kilometers long, takes 1 hour and 30 minutes, and has 200 meters of elevation gain; it is rated somewhat difficult. The Tour du Rocher Rond is shorter, at 2.5 kilometers, and also takes 1 hour and 30 minutes. It has 100 meters of elevation gain and is rated difficult due to steep sections. The Boucle des Verneys covers 10 kilometers, takes 3 hours and 45 minutes, and has 250 meters of elevation gain; it is rated somewhat difficult. These details can help you compare the time required and elevation gain for each route.

For a longer hike, the “De Rif-Bruyant à Entraigues” stage passes through the wild Rif Bruyant valley and the quiet Roizonne valley to the center of Valbonnais, then to the Plan d'eau and on to Entraigues via the Canal des Moines. As trail conditions can change, check the latest conditions before setting out.

Historic sites and culture

The Château Freynet, also known as Château d'en bas, dates from 1608. A manor house called Champollion in the Sauzet district is considered to be the former seat of the junior branch of the Alleman family. The Champollion house and its outbuildings were sold in 1752 to Jean Baptiste Bernard, a royal notary in Valbonnais. At the beginning of the 18th century, Chabrand was also among the outlying hamlets with a chapel.

The Les Montagn'Arts festival features theater, songs, readings, poetry, circus and creative workshops. The individual offerings vary from one edition to the next. Along with the historic sites, this provides another focus to consider when planning your trip, alongside the trails and the Plan d'eau.

Discover more destinations: Saint-Martin-Dʼhères, Brangues, Domarin, Chanas, Gresse-En-Vercors, Vénosc, Uriage-Les-Bains, Seyssins

For the broader travel overview: Isere.