5 good reasons to visit Chamrousse summit in summer!

Presentation

Presentation

Panoramic Park in the spotlight!

It's time to discover or rediscover the mountains, and in particular the peaks, in a different way, here in the form of an accessible summer walk.
Are mountains only for big hikers? False. Completely false.

Do you love nature? Do you love the mountains, but can't make too much physical effort? Then you'll love discovering the summit of Chamrousse!
And what if this summer was actually an opportunity for you? An opportunity to climb the peaks in a different way, an opportunity to push back your limits, but also perhaps to rediscover yourself?
Here are the top 5 reasons to visit the Croix de Chamrousse summit!

1) Easy gondola ride to the summit

Go to Chamrousse 1650 - Recoin, and take the Croix de Chamrousse gondola up to the top of the resort and its Panoramic Park. Your knees, back, breath, heart rate and even your children/teens/grandchildren will thank you for avoiding the 2-hour climb on foot.
Sit back, relax and admire the scenery as the resort centre gradually disappears, giving way to the mountains and a magnificent view of Grenoble and its valley. If you're lucky, you might even see a giant zip-line adventurer go by.
The lifts administration offers several summer passes for taking the gondola, depending on your wishes and needs.

The Croix gondola:

Departure from Chamrousse 1650 - Recoin / Arrival at Chamrousse 2250 - Croix de Chamrousse (Panoramic Park)
Ascent time: approx. 10 minutes
Open in summer (and winter) to pedestrians and mountain bikers: every day from 9.15am to 5pm in July and August + the last 2 weekends in June and the weekends in September (subject to weather conditions).
Pay lift - summer pedestrian pass: "one way" pass (if you wish to go down on foot), "return" pass (if you wish to go up on foot and go down by gondola) or "return" pass (to go up and down by ski lift).
Online sales at ski.chamrousse.com and on-site sales

✔ Good deal: the "tribu" pack gives you a 10% discount for 4 or more paying guests in a single payment (only available at the ticket office).
❤ Little extra: babies are only allowed from the age of 18 months and dogs are allowed on a lead in the gondola!

2) Stroll with panoramic views of the town, mountains and lake

The summit of the resort, the Croix de Chamrousse, with its monumental cross as its name suggests, rises to an altitude of over 2250 metres at the southern tip of the Belledonne massif. In 2022-2023, it was converted into a "Panoramic Park", with low-level paths inviting you to enjoy an easy stroll, punctuated by exceptional views of the mountains, the town of Grenoble and even the lakes.
A walk to the top of the resort offering a 360° view of the mountains and the city of Grenoble: lookouts with views of the 4 surrounding massifs (Chartreuse, Vercors, Oisans and Belledonne), as well as panoramic orientation tables and geological panels.

"Panoramic Park" loop walking trail:

Duration: 1h30 (return) / Distance: 2.9 km / Level: blue - easy
Departure point: arrival of the Croix de Chamrousse cable car
Itinerary: gondola > map and picnic area, monumental cross > Grenoble rooftop, with panoramic mountain and town views > Oisans belvedere, with panoramic orientation table and geological panels > Himalayan footbridge > Belledonne belvedere, with views of Robert lakes > return vertiginous footbridge and path to the Croix gondola.
Free access

✔ Good to know: "Chamrousse Explor Games" free smartphone game to motivate your child/teenager, with a classic fun trail and an educational geology trail
❤ New: explanatory panels with a detailed panorama of the mountains and a viewfinder on La Meije summit

3) Chamrousse's new Himalayan footbridge

Discover a pedestrian suspension bridge at the gateway to the high mountains, towards Casserousse and above the famous "Couloir de Casserousse" ski slope. A vertiginous experience with, at the end, access to the Belledonne belvedere: its magnificent view over the Robert lakes and its panoramic orientation panels over the Belledonne range.
Access is free from the top of the Croix de Chamrousse (easy charged gondola access from Chamrousse 1650 - Recoin): with the gondola at your back, follow the path for around 200m, taking the left-hand turn from the arrival point of the Lacs Robert chairlift.
Casserousse Himalayan footbridge in figures: 130 metres long and 0.9m wide at a height of 25 metres, with a maximum gradient of 9.5%.

✔ Good to know: for people with vertigo, it is possible to take a slightly lower path to the lookout point, avoiding the footbridge over the void, which moves when there is passage.
❤ Little bonus: an easy return for the Robert lakes via ferrata

4) Gourmet break at the summit

Hiking is great, but taking a break is even better! When you need a break, Panoramic Park has everything you need: a picnic area and, of course, the unmissable Croix de Chamrousse mountain restaurant.
Whether it's for lunch or a snack, there's something to suit all tastes and budgets:
- If you've got your own snack, then the picnic area is made for you: deckchairs, tables, benches, free-access plancha, rubbish bins (and ski rack for the winter), with a view of the cross and the mountains...
- If you want to enjoy a meal in a typical mountain bistro, then the La Croix restaurant is for you: salad, hot dish with cheese, hot dish with ravioles (local pasta), dessert tart with seasonal fruit such as blueberries... to be enjoyed indoors in a warm mountain decor or on the terrace with the panoramic view of the resort and surrounding mountains.

✔ Tip: a free public toilet is available in the building just before the restaurant.
❤ Extra: an experience included in Chamrousse's multi-activity pass.

5) Aerial ride on a giant zipline

Chamrousse's new not-to-be-missed summer (and winter) experience! Accessible from the age of 9, solo or in pairs, the world's largest pylon zip line is yours for the taking!
Departing from Chamrousse 1650 - Recoin, board the La Croix gondola for a sensational adventure, taking off from the summit all the way down to the bottom of the resort.
Wear comfortable, warm sportswear and the safety equipment provided at the summit (harness, helmet, protective mask). You'll accelerate a little after the first pylon and decelerate again at the second pylon, so you can admire a unique view of the resort from a great height. What's more, you can buy your souvenir photo on arrival.

✔ Tip: take the gondola up to the summit early to enjoy the Panoramic Park (walk, belvedere, footbridge, etc.) before coming back down on the giant zip line.
❤ Good to know: online booking of your zip-line slot in advance strongly recommended (gondola ascent included)

Conclusion

Come and enjoy the Panoramic Park and its exceptional panorama in a mountain climate, a breath of fresh air to be savoured without moderation.
Discover the summit of the Croix de Chamrousse as a family, couple or group of friends, with activities to suit everyone: a gondola ride up followed by an easy, fun walk for parents and/or grandparents (or a hike up on foot for keen walkers), a telephone game for children and teenagers to play along with you, and adventures like the zip line and footbridge for thrill-seekers.
Drop in to the Chamrousse 1650 - Recoin tourist office to pick up the hiking map or the practical guide with the Panoramic Park map, and ask any questions you may have.
Be careful, even if you are accessible, the summit of Chamrousse is still in a mountain environment, you are evolving at the gates of the high mountains, so there are some basic rules and good manners to respect, so that the mountains remain a pleasure... be vigilant!

Good mountain habits:
♥ Anticipate your outing by checking the weather, warn those around you and choose an activity or route suited to your level.
♥ Protect your children from the sun (and yourself): sun cream, sunglasses, hat, covering clothes...
♥ Take a first-aid kit and snacks with you, and remember to hydrate regularly.
♥ Make sure you wear the right clothing for your chosen activity, and don't forget that mountain bikers are strongly advised to wear helmets.
♥ Nature is precious, take care of it, pick up your rubbish and cigarette butts.

Panoramic Park summer video bonus:

Buy your pedestrian pass online to take the gondola up to the summit or book your slot on Chamrousse's giant zip line now: :

Buy or book online on ski.chamrousse.com