Tour de La Plaine

Park in the ‘Sirand’ car park in front of the retirement home (FLPA) in the centre of Voreppe. Follow the yellow-marked signposts numbered 11.

(S/E) From the car park, walk down Avenue Honoré de Balzac (D 520A). At number 301, turn left into Rue Igor Stravinski, alongside the media library of the same name.

(1) At the junction, head left up Rue de Gachetière. Turn right onto this street and walk through the hamlet of the same name. Pass Rue du Château Vieux on your left, then Allée de la Fontaine aux Merles.

At the end of the tarmac road, continue along a path that runs like a balcony above Bourg Vieux. Carry on along Chemin des Rayettes, which leads to the old cement works.

(2) Walk alongside the cement works to the hamlet of Sautaret. Turn right then left to follow Chemin des Ciments along the heights of Chevalon.

(3) You’ll come out onto Rue Hector Berlioz; follow it downhill to the left.

(4) After a right-hand bend and at the corner of a townhouse, take the path on the left. This is the Chemin Vieux, an ancient Roman road that linked Vienne to Grenoble. Pass in front of the Château de Saint-Vincent-du Plâtre (15th century) and ignore the road on the right. Reach the hamlet of Logis Neuf.

(5) Take the path on the right. At the D 1075, cross with care, take the Chemin de Cottelendière and, at the junction, turn right onto the Chemin de Chamoussière.

(6) At the end of this, follow the Chemin de Chamoussière to the right; this turns into the Chemin du Pigeonnier at a left-hand bend. Cross the railway line and then the Canal du Palluel. Ignore a turn-off on the left and you will soon reach another junction.

(7) Turn right onto Chemin de Cailletière. Continue straight ahead, heading north-west then north, ignoring all side roads.

(8) Cross the D 3C with care and continue along Chemin de Beauplan, passing in front of Château de Beauplan. Cross the Canal du Palluel again and then pass under the railway line.

(9) Immediately turn left onto Chemin des Seites. Continue straight on, passing the Vicat bagging plant,

(10) Walk past the station. Continue straight on, crossing the Route du Palluel to the blockhouse.

(11) Turn immediately right and cross the pedestrian crossing. Walk alongside the stream along the Promenade Roize. At the end, turn right onto Rue Jean Achard, then follow Avenue Honoré de Balzac back to the starting point (S/E).

Visit the Corepha association’s website to learn more about the history and heritage of the commune of Voreppe.

(1) In the hamlet of Gachetière, there used to be a molasse quarry, now occupied by a mushroom farm.
The hamlet of Chevalon and its church, which was very lively during the quarrying period from 1874 to 1986.

(5) The farming hamlets of Cottelandière, Chamoussière, Mativières and Rivalières form part of the Voreppe plain, where vines were planted on raised terraces in the Middle Ages to protect them from flooding. Today, the vines have been replaced by maize cultivation.

(8) Beauplan Castle, residence of the d’Agoult family, lords of Voreppe from 1650 until the Revolution.

The Palluel Canal helps to drain theIsère plain, which was once marshy.
The hamlet of Brandegaudières, home to the boatmen of Voreppe until the 19th century.

An added bonus following this walk: this route can be complemented by a historical and heritage walk through the old village of Voreppe