Camping Neige et Nature

Got some boots made for walking? They’ll see some action around here. Some fave trails include the hour-long hike to Pissou waterfall, a potter along Pinsot’s Iron Path (also an hour away, and charting the area’s industrial past across the ages) and hitching a lift on the Saint-Hilaire du Touvet funicular for hikes at a higher elevation. But if you really want that bird’s eye view, it’s got to be a paragliding trip: a couple of schools in Allevard can teach the basics and then take you out to fly over that fab scenery. If you’d rather stay closer to terra firma, local firms arrange active days of canyoning, rafting and horse riding, or you can pick your way along several via ferrata climbing routes within a half-hour drive. Time to take it easy? Plan a wander around the pretty gardens of Chateau du Touvet (half an hour’s drive, and with some frankly stunning mountain views) or take any activity -induced bumps and bruises along to be soothed in the thermal waters of Allevard’s spas (15 minutes away).