What to do in Bourg d'Oisans I The best summer activities in this lovelyvillage in the French Alps
Surrounded by high, folded rocks and green mountains in the heart of the Oisans, Bourg d'Oisans is a beautiful village in the middle of the French Alps. Glaciers that you find on top of the mountains of Bourg d'Oisans, provide unique, steep forest-covered mountain slopes, which give Bourg d'Oisans its unique appearance.
Where can you find Bourg d'Oisans ?
Bourg d'Oisans is located between Grenoble and Briançon in the department of Isère. The department of Isère is one of eight departments in the Rhône-Alpes region.Bourg d'Oisans is a village in the middle of the French Alps, at the foot of the Alpe d'Huez and on the border of the Ecrins National Park.
At about 45 minutes from Grenoble and two hours from Lyon, it is not far from some major French cities and yet Bourg d'Oisans feels like a whole other world surrounded by greenery.
Bourg d'Oisans I A cute village surrounded by the French Alps
Bourg d'Oisans is not that big, but it is a lovely little village. In the center of Bourg d'Oisans you will find some nice shops, ice cream parlors, terraces and good restaurants. It is a village that is loved by both tourists and locals. But to be fair, it's only one and a half streets long. Extensive shopping is therefore notsomething you can expect in Bourg d'Oisans. But there are a lot of bars and restaurants in Bourg d'Oisans, where you can chill on the terraces. Because with the people, cyclists and cars passing by, there is plenty to watch from the terrace in Bourg d'Oisans. Also in terms of restaurants, you are certainly in the right place in Bourg d'Oisans. Both French, Italian and even Thai cuisine are represented in this village in the French Alps.
What to do in Bourg d'Oisans I The most fun summer activities
As we wrote in the top of this article, the location of Bourg d'Oisans is ideal for an active holiday. With the Alpe d'Huez, the pretty village of la Grave and lively Les Deux Alpes all within a 30 minute drive, there really is plenty to do in the Bourg d'Oisans area. The beautiful mountain lakes, the endless walking and cycling routes through the mountains and the flowing rivers lend themselves to numerous activities.
Below we list some fun things to see and do in Bourg d'Oisans for you.
Mountain biking I Cycling is perhaps the most popular summer activity in Bourg d'Oisans
Mountain biking, cycling or just cycling is one of the best things to do in Bourg d'Oisans. And besides hiking, also one of the most popular activities in the region in the French Alps.
The Alpe d'Huez is a well-known cycling area and the climb to this area is defied by thousands of cyclists every year. But besides climbing, the Alpe d'Huez is also a popular area for downhill mountain bikers. There are several routes on the Alpe d'Huez with steep descents, bridges and narrow paths to make a descent exciting. When you drive to this area, you will certainly encounter dozens of cyclists in the summer months.
Hiken in Bourg d'Oisans I Infinite hiking trails in the Bourg d'Oisans area
When you go on holiday to the French Alps, a walk or challenging hike simply belongs in your holiday planning. There are numerous hiking trails around Bourg d'Oisans. Whether you are looking for a flat and easy walking route or a challenging walking route where you climb to beautiful views, there is a walking route for everyone in the area around Bourg d'Oisans.
An example of a fairly easy walk is the walk from Bourg d'Oisans towards Cascade de la Pisse, which takes you along the beautiful lake Lac du Buclet. The walk to Lac Lauvitel is also a fairly easy walk, to one of the most beautiful lakes in the Bourg d'Oisans area.
The area around Bourg d'Oisans is therefore an absolute paradise for hikers. Hiking is therefore one of the most popular things to do during the summer months in the Bourg d'Oisans area.
Lac du Buclet and le Lac Blue I Cooling off in the French Alps within walking distance of Bourg d'Oisans
Le Lac Blue is a popular lake, within walking distance of Bourg d'Oisans. It is a popular destination for both locals and tourists. Le Lac Blue is a blue-green lake with (ice) cold water, great for cooling off in the summer months. It is mainly the green construction around this lake that makes this a wonderful place to visit. You will therefore see many families with children here.
But when you follow the hiking trail further, past le Lac Blue, you end up at another lake, Lac du Buclet. Secretly, we found this lake much nicer than le Lac Blue. Where le Lac Blue is really built for tourists and visitors with picnic tables and green grass, Lac du Buclet is still unspoilt. You will certainly find several beaches along this lake, but they are not artificially constructed with green grass and picnic tables. There are several beaches around the lake, so you can quietly find your own spot. In addition, the water, in our opinion, is also a bit warmer. Are you traveling with dogs? Then Lac du Buclet is a lake where you can find a quiet spot and your dog can just play in the water.
Both Lac du Buclet and le Lac Blue are nice places to visit in Bourg d'Oisans, especially if you are just looking to cool off for a day.
Nationaal Park Écrins I A spectacular nature reserve in the French Alps on the edge of Bourg d'Oisans
Despite the size of France, it only has ten national parks in total. Ecrins National Park is one of these ten national parks, which borders Bourg d'Oisans. The park is no less than 17,000 hectares and offers no less than 740 kilometers of hiking trails. The altitude of Écrins National Park varies from 800 meters to 4102 meters high and thus offers a wide variety of hiking trails. For example, experienced hikers can even do multi-day hikes in this national park, but it is also easy to do a hike for the less experienced hiker of a few hours.
One of the highlights of Ecrins National Park is Lac du Lauvitel, a clear blue lake between the mountains, which you can easily walk to.
Alpe d'Huez I A collection of activities in the mountains around Bourg d'Oisans
The Alpe d'Huez is a well-known area in the French Alps. In winter it is a popular destination for winter sports enthusiasts. In the summer it is a popular destination for hikers, cyclists and tourists who simply want to enjoy the activities and views of the Alpe d'Huez.
In winter, the Alpe d'Huez is a popular winter sports area and you can find everything here that you can expect from a winter sports area. But there is also plenty to do here in the summer. Of course you can walk and cycle on the Alpe d'Huez. But also activities such as horse riding, golf, sledding on a rail and canoeing are a small selection of all the fun things you can do on this mountain near Bourg d'Oisans.
There is plenty to do on the Alpe d'Huez, especially for families with children.
And of course, don't miss a cable car ride to the top of Alpe d'Huez, Pic Blanc. From this white mountain top you have a panoramic view of the French Alps and you can even see Mont Blanc. On a good day you can even see 1/5 of the territory of France.
Allemond I A nice destination for water recreation in the Bourg d'Oisans area
Allemond is a small, picturesque village about a 20-minute drive from Bourg d'Oisans. With a small village, we really mean a small village. You do not have to drive to this village for the center of Allemond.
The reason Allemond is on our list of fun things to do in Bourg d'Oisans is its location on Lac du Verney. A large lake bordering a dam. This lake is a wonderful place for just a day of rest, where you can cool off in the cold water of Lac du Verney.
Don't feel like lying on a towel all day? No worries, because there are plenty of activities to do on this lake. You can go supping, pedal boating and canoeing.
Restaurant La Guinguette is also definitely worth a visit.
But there is more to do in Allemond. You can enjoy a lovely walk through the Parc des Tilleuls, which borders the lake. Next to this park you will find a skate park, a tennis court, swimming pool and climbing wall.
In short, there are plenty of fun things to do in Allemond. Definitely a nice destination to go with children when you are on holiday in Bourg d'Oisans.
Les Deux Alpes I A lively winter sports area, which is also nice to visit in the summer
Les Deux Alpes is about a 25 minute drive from Bourg d'Oisans. It is perhaps the most lively holiday destination in the region. Thousands of tourists travel to this popular area in the French Alps in both winter and summer. There are also all kinds of fun activities to do in Les Deux Alpes in the summer. Hiking, a round on the E-bike, cooling off in the lakes, ice caves, you definitely don't have to be bored in Les Deux Alpes during the summer months.
The center of Les Deux Alpes is very nice to visit. Nice clothes shops, souvenir shops, shoe shops, beer shops; you can really shop extensively in Les Deux Alpes. And then we haven't even mentioned all the terraces and restaurants in this town in the French Alps.
Les Deux Alpes is certainly one of the liveliest and most atmospheric villages in the Bourg d'Oisans area and is a must-visit when on holiday in this region of the French Alps.
The pretty villages around Bourg d'Oisans
Bourg d'Oisans is certainly a nice village in the French Alps. But in the vicinity of this town you will find many more beautiful villages. It is about a 40 minute drive to La Grave. La Grave has been voted one of the most beautiful villages in France and is really a village you want to see during a visit to the French Alps. The picturesque village at the foot of the La Meije glacier is a spectacular sight. The village of Besse is also definitely worth a visit. The location is perhaps less spectacular than la Grave. Besse is located between the green hills of the Alps and has a green view full of Alpine flowers. The village itself is perhaps even more beautiful than la Grave, with only picturesque, authentic houses and cobbled streets. A drive along these beautiful villages in the Alps is definitely one of the fun things to do in Bourg d'Oisans.
Hotels in Bourg d'Oisans
You will find countless accommodations in Bourg d'Oisans and the region around this village in the French Alps. Campsites, hotels, apartments, holiday homes, something for everyone. Below you will find three suggestions of beautiful accommodations in the French Alps near Bourg d'Oisans.
