Villard-De-Lans offers a range of reasons to visit: the Maison du Patrimoine focuses on rural daily life and the history of the canton, while Bois Barbu provides access to trails for Nordic cross-country skiing. There are also municipal aquatic and leisure facilities, public skating sessions and a place of remembrance dedicated to the Resistance. Which of these aspects interests you most can help shape your stay.
Cultural history in Villard-De-Lans
The Maison du Patrimoine museum showcases the daily life of farming communities on the Vercors plateau in the early 20th century. Documents and photographs, along with craftsmen’s tools and farming equipment, also illustrate everyday life, agriculture and crafts in the late 19th century. These time references offer museum visitors a view of different periods of life and work, rather than assigning everything to a single era.
Other themes explored at the museum range from the Resistance and climatism to the 1968 Olympic Games, road construction, and the beginnings of tourism and transport in the canton. The focus is therefore not only on rural life, but also on developments that have shaped the canton.
Valchevrière is a forest hamlet and a place of remembrance dedicated to the Resistance in the Vercors. The hamlet served as a camp for the Maquisards before becoming the scene of fierce fighting on July 22 and 23, 1944. These specific dates give this memorial site a different historical focus from the museum’s broader themes. At the edge of the forest, on the descent toward the car park, you will also find a work of art by Jacques Guichard.
Water, ice and leisure
The Centre aqualudique Marcel Bonnard has indoor and outdoor areas with several pools. These include a wave pool, slides and paddling pools. The centre welcomes locals and holidaymakers throughout the year and organizes aquatic, sports and recreational activities. The different types of pools and activity areas make clear that the facilities offer more than just one way to enjoy the water.
The Patinoire André Ravix has an ice surface of 1,800 square metres. Public skating sessions for individuals and groups are held several times a week; frequency and access details may vary by season. Check the current skating schedule before your visit. The Luge Park de la Colline des Bains is also among the activities offered by Villard-De-Lans’s municipal leisure centre.
Cross-country skiing and outdoor trails
The Bois Barbu gateway provides access to 122 kilometres of groomed trails for skating and classic cross-country skiing in the Haut Vercors Nordic area. Trail length and grooming may vary seasonally. Bois Barbu can be reached by shuttle from the centre of Villard-De-Lans; the shuttle operates seasonally, so it is worth checking its service before travelling.
The ViaVercors route from Villard-De-Lans to Corrençon offers a different kind of journey. It passes through forests and fields and runs near the former bobsleigh track used for the 1968 Olympic Games. Check trail conditions before setting out. The information highlights different aspects: Bois Barbu focuses on the extent of the trail network and cross-country skiing techniques, while ViaVercors focuses on the route toward Corrençon and its surroundings. This makes it possible to choose an outing based on your preferred activity, while keeping seasonal trail conditions and the state of the route in mind.
Discover more destinations: Chapareillan, Nivolas-Vermelle, Saint-Pancrasse, Frontonas, Bresson, Grenoble, Vénérieu, Saint-Barthélemy-de-Séchilienne.
For the broader travel overview: Isere.
