Camping Le Château de Rochetaillée

Oisans is the land of the eagle, chamois and ibex, as well as legendary peaks like Meije (40 minutes’ drive) and the Massif des Écrins (55 minutes), so adventures here are all about animal spotting and mountain climbing. The area has six valleys to venture towards – Le Vénéon, Sarenne, Lignarre and the Eau d’Olle among them – in search of rushing rivers, traditional villages and steep peaks too. Travelling around with a bike? Speed off on one of the ‘balcony roads’ in the high passes or challenge yourself to taking on the 21 notorious hairpin bends leading towards Alpe d’Huez (an hour’s ride) on a winding road that’s been included in some especially tricky stages of the Tour de France. If you reckon you’d rather stick close to home, head to Lac du Verney (just over five minutes’ drive) for wanders beside the gloriously green water and to try out some aquatic sports at the activity centre.