Uriage
Thermal baths in the evening, Chamrousse trails, and Grenoble as the day trip
A spa town in the Belledonne foothills south-east of Grenoble, in the commune of Vaulnaveys-le-Haut. I use it as a base for the Chamrousse hikes and the thermal baths rather than for the town itself, and that is the honest framing: come for what is around it.
The thermal baths
Les Thermes d’Uriage is the main reason to come. Take the evening session: around 25 to 30 euros for two hours, the same sauna, hammam and pools as during the day, and far fewer people in them. Very chill, and the best value in town by some distance.
I have never stayed at the attached hotel, so I have no opinion on it.
Restaurants
- Café Aribert: great value and great taste, and the best food in Uriage. The only complaint is that the menu does not change often enough.
- Casino: great service and food, and very nice combined with the spa. Good, though not as good as Café Aribert, which is a short walk away.
- Le Diable au Cœur: a high-altitude restaurant at Les 2 Alpes with great food. Take the télésiège du Diable to reach it.
Bars
Nothing in Uriage is worth listing on its own. For a drink, go to the bar at the Grand Hôtel and Les Thermes, or to Café Aribert if you want to eat as well. The rest are not worth your evening.
Hikes
Chamrousse is the hub, and there are a huge number of trails from it.
- Lac Achard: easy, and the right one to start with.
- Lacs Robert: two trails from the Chamrousse lift station up to the lakes, a loop around them, and back down. A chill day out and very beautiful. Busy in summer.
- Dent de Crolles: much more technical and much harder, but the view from the top over the whole valley is spectacular, with a 300 to 400 metre cliff face. This one is in the Chartreuse massif rather than Belledonne.
Standard mountain caution applies: check the weather before you go, and open fires are banned if you camp.
Les 2 Alpes
A nice place, but not the first thing to do from Uriage, because it is far. Skiing there is not worth it, it is very expensive. It is good for mountain biking in summer, and otherwise behaves like any other ski resort.
Grenoble
Worth a day trip, though the city centre is not that interesting.
- La Bastille is the highlight. Take the bubble lift up and walk back down on foot.
- Musée de l’Ancien Évêché, in the city centre: old Catholic and Roman ruins, and small.
- Musée de la Résistance, out in the Vercors: a great museum, and the Vercors itself is a great place to be. You need a car and it is a long drive.
Beyond those, there is not much to see museum-wise.
Getting there and around
- The bus from Gières train station is now regular and cheap, and it is the option I would recommend.
- Taxis work if you have luggage or you are in a hurry, but they are very expensive.
Tips
- Any season works. It is a mountain town, the nature is good year round, and each season simply has different strengths.
- Markets: in the park on Monday mornings, in front of the Vaulnaveys church on Fridays from 16:00 to 20:00, and in Saint-Martin on Wednesdays and Sundays.
