Visitors choosing La Motte-en-Bauges for a stay combining culture and nature will find plenty to explore in the village’s history, along trails by the Chéran and through its regional cheeses. The Église Saint-Victor, historic buildings, the Promenade Picot and the Plaine d’inondation du Chéran geosite each represent a different aspect of the area. Cheese-making also connects a visitor experience with a historic local tradition.
Village History and Architectural Heritage
The main village of La Motte-en-Bauges is considered one of the oldest settlements in the Bauges. It lies on a molasse outcrop north of the Mollard hill, on which the church stands. The Église Saint-Victor was built in 1862 as a neo-Gothic building to plans by the architect Duverney. An older landmark is the medieval Maison forte de la Frénière, which dates back to before the 15th century. The Château des Cerises, a manor house restored in the 19th century, was built on the former site of the castle of the de Cerise family. A Gallo-Roman site with buildings and a necropolis was also discovered in La Motte-en-Bauges in the 19th century. The area’s history therefore spans the Gallo-Roman site and medieval Maison forte through to the 19th-century neo-Gothic church.
Landscape and the Chéran
The commune’s territory, which covers almost 1,000 ha, stretches from the Chéran “island” at 615 m to the wooded summit of Mont-Chabert at 1,475 m. These two points represent different elevations and landscapes within the commune. The location of the main village and church can also be identified by two specific landmarks: the village lies on the molasse outcrop north of Mollard, and the church stands on the hill. The Plaine d’inondation du Chéran geosite can be reached from the hamlet of Le Rocher. Within the geosite, a flat path leads past the Plan d’eau de La Motte-en-Bauges to the right bank of the Chéran.
Trails and Walks
The Promenade Picot is a 4.4 km circular trail with 52 m of elevation gain. It leads to the suspended Passerelle Picot, which offers a view of the Chéran. The route has only very gentle slopes and is considered accessible to everyone. At the geosite, by contrast, the focus is on the flat path to the right bank of the river: the two descriptions therefore differ, with one detailing a measured loop and the other a flat riverside route. La Motte-en-Bauges is also named as a starting point for hikes in the Bauges massif.
Fishing and Cheese
The fishing pond in La Motte-en-Bauges is a private, enclosed body of water for first-category fishing, stocked with brown trout. Fishing is permitted only with the special fishing permit for this pond.
Visitors can learn about and taste cheese at Ferme La Marmotte en Bauges. The cheeses on sale include Tome des Bauges AOP, fromage blanc battu, faisselle and Raclette de Savoie. The local history of cheese-making also has a community aspect: farmers in La Motte-en-Bauges began setting up communal dairies to make cheese.
Discover more destinations: La Table, Brides-Les-Bains, Chindrieux, Saint-Christophe, Champagny-En-Vanoise, Queige, Belmont-Tramonet, Ugine.
For the main travel overview: Savoie.
