Plateau dʼAssy offers spectacular views of Mont Blanc. It also features modern sacred art, a sculpture trail, gardens and outdoor activities. You can therefore choose different focuses for your stay: culture, a self-guided garden tour or outdoor activities on hiking and climbing routes. The time required and conditions also vary between activities.
Art and Culture in Plateau dʼAssy
The Église Notre-Dame-de-Toute-Grâce, built in 1950, is considered a landmark in the renewal of sacred art in the 20th century. It houses works of modern art by artists including Marc Chagall, Fernand Léger, Henri Matisse and Germaine Richier. The building and its works of art give the church a distinct cultural focus.
The Route de la Sculpture Contemporaine offers a different perspective: it features 19 sculptures integrated into their surroundings and forms part of Plateau dʼAssy's modern cultural heritage. Praz-Coutant bears the French heritage label “Patrimoine du XXe siècle.” Martel de Janville is listed as a Monument historique. Together with the church and sculpture trail, these offer several different points of interest for a culture-focused trip.
Music can also shape your stay: Les Musicales d’Assy is a recurring festival featuring classical music and jazz in the heights of Plateau dʼAssy. If the festival is important to your trip, check the dates for the upcoming edition separately.
Gardens and Panorama
The Jardin des Cimes in the village of Plateau dʼAssy features gardens from around the world, kitchen gardens, alpine landscapes and artistic installations, with views of the Mont Blanc massif. The self-guided tour takes you through around twenty garden and themed areas and lasts about an hour. The garden is accessible to everyone; the seasonal program may vary.
This gives you a clear idea of how much time to allow for a garden visit without having to plan the entire stay around it. You can treat it as a standalone activity and shape the rest of the day around your interests. Those more interested in art can focus on the church and sculpture trail; those keen to get outdoors can consider a hike or via ferrata.
Hiking, Footbridge and Via Ferrata
The Passerelle du Nant Bordon crosses the Nant Bordon 20 metres above the stream. It is on the former road from Plateau dʼAssy to Lac Vert and can only be crossed on foot or by bicycle. The hike from Plateau dʼAssy to Lac Vert via the footbridge starts at Place Tobé. For the return journey, you can take the bus from Plaine Joux to Plateau dʼAssy. Check the timetable and trail conditions before setting out.
The Via ferrata de Curalla is 400 metres long, graded AD+, and takes about one hour and 30 minutes. From Plateau dʼAssy, the approach takes about 20 minutes on foot along Chemin de Curalla. The via ferrata is open seasonally; check conditions before setting out. When comparing the time required with the approximately one-hour tour at Jardin des Cimes, bear in mind that these are different activities, each with its own conditions.
Getting There and Choosing a Hotel
Plateau dʼAssy can be reached from Sallanches and from Saint-Gervais-les-Bains or Le Fayet on bus route Y 85. Routes and fares may change; check the current bus service before travelling. For the hike to Lac Vert, you should also consider the return journey from Plaine Joux and plan separately around its timetable.
When looking for a hotel, you can first decide what you want to focus your stay on: sacred art and sculptures, the garden tour, the hike to Lac Vert or the via ferrata. If you want to include the music festival in your trip, take its dates into account too.
Discover More Destinations
Discover more destinations: Thénésol, Cran-Gévrier, Saint-Eustache, Onnion, Saint-Ferréol, Saint-Gervais-Les-Bains, Le Biot, Cusy.
Back to the main travel overview: Haute-Savoie.
