Oisans exceptional mountain roads

Oisans counts many tremendous mountain roads leading to typical villages and mountain passes. They are presented below.
If you want more details, please go to our "cycling routes guide" web page.

The Route de la Roche or Les balcons d’Auris

A magnificent drive on one of the most spectacular roads of Oisans (and that’s saying something!); an amazing technical feat lead to the Route de la Roche being opened in 1902. After the village of L’Armentier-Le-Haut, the road opens up to a vast horizon! If you’re scared of heights, turn back right now!

The road to the Col de Sarenne via the Ferrand valley

You reach the col by following a series of switchbacks that slowly draw you above the beautiful Ferrand valley, allowing you to admire the entire Emparis plateau. Did you know that the name “Ferrand” comes from the Latin “Ferus”, meaning wild? What a programme! Heavens, chamois are not as rare as people in this land completely given over to the mountain! This is an exceptional road, to be discovered without delay!

The road to La Bérarde

A legendary road! It was opened to vehicles in 1921, with the particularity of having set times for going up and for coming down. The vehicle going up had priority. The road widening scheme was completed in 2000, but the road has kept its original beauty. We recommend a stop in the hamlet of Les Etages to admire the Ecrins, the second highest French summit at 4102m.

The road to Oulles

Oulles has only been accessible to vehicles via this road cut into the rockface since 1963. Immense effort was required to claw back these 7 kilometres of switchbacks from the mountainside – a miracle to create a path out of this verticality. All this gives you an idea of this incredible road that leads to the little village of Oulles, intact and with unspoilt charm, looming out of the past… . Oulles, with its 9 inhabitants, is the smallest village in Isère!

The road to Villard Notre Dame

This is a challenge to verticality that leaves you somewhat speechless. It’s not quite the Bolivian “carretera de la muerte”, but you do need to drive with utmost care. The tunnels are simple galleries dug into the rock (be specially carreful inside the tunnels, they have no light!). The disturbing closeness of the rockface steadies your nerves! But these shudders are the price to be paid for reaching the peaceful village of Villard Notre Dame.

The road from Huez en Oisans to Villard Reculas

This superb road takes you from Huez en Oisans to Villard Reculas. The corbelled route overhangs the Bourg d’Oisans plain. The scenery is magnificent and passing other vehicles is not easy…