Novalaise on Lac d’Aiguebelette offers several distinct highlights to help you plan your trip: lake archaeology, museum exhibits and circular routes to specific destinations. The Gojat site lies entirely underwater off the shore of the commune, while the Musée Lac et Nature in Novalaise covers topics ranging from geology to fauna and flora. Three named routes start in Novalaise or lead from there to viewpoints and a paragliding launch site. This makes it possible to tailor your stay to your cultural, scenic or active interests.
Lakeshore and getting your bearings
Lac d’Aiguebelette is designated a Natura 2000 site and includes numerous protected areas. Novalaise is one of the five communes on the lakeshore. Novalaise-le-Lac is another point of reference: it lies on the western shore of the lake, six minutes from the town centre. This identifies both Novalaise’s place among the lakeside communes and a specific connection between the town centre and the lakeside settlement.
Lake archaeology and museum
The Gojat archaeological site lies entirely underwater in Lac d’Aiguebelette, off the shore of the commune of Novalaise. It dates to the Late Neolithic, in the 28th–27th centuries BC. By decree of 10 March 2015, the site was designated a historic monument. The dating indicates the period to which the site belongs; the decree, by contrast, records the year it was designated.
The Musée Lac et Nature in Novalaise covers geology, history and lake archaeology, as well as fauna and flora. It houses a 4,700-year-old pile from the foundations of a pile dwelling that is now completely submerged. The museum also displays a collection of more than 75 protected species. The pile is a single archaeological object; the collection of protected species adds a natural history focus to the museum’s range of subjects. Gojat and the pile thus offer different points of connection to lake archaeology: an underwater site and an object housed in the museum.
Circular routes and viewpoints
Circular Route 10, “La chasse de l’oreillard,” starts in Novalaise and leads to the Pierre des Millières. Its highest point offers a 180-degree panorama. Circular Route 11, “Le trail du lynx,” also starts in Novalaise and leads to the Croix du Signal. From the rocky outcrop there, the view takes in the Bauges, Belledonne and Chartreuse mountain ranges, as well as Lac d’Aiguebelette and Lac du Bourget.
The views described are clearly distinct: the Pierre des Millières offers a 180-degree panorama, while the view from the Croix du Signal encompasses several mountain ranges and two lakes. This comparison provides a practical guide if you want to choose destinations based on their views. Before setting out on Circular Route 11, check the trail conditions and route details again.
Circular Route 14, “La verticale du chamois,” climbs from Novalaise to a paragliding launch site. Before setting out, check the trail conditions and access to the launch site again. The three circular routes thus differ not only in their destinations, but also in the views or endpoints described for each one.
Discover more destinations: Challes-Les-Eaux, La Thuile, Sainte-Hélène-Sur-Isère, Saint-Martin-De-Belleville, Aiton, Plancherine, Les Avanchers Valmorel, La Table
For the broader travel overview: Savoie.
