The Guiers Mort Gorges, at the heart of the Grande Chartreuse mountains
Astride Savoie and Isère, right at the heart of the Chartreuse mountains, this is your chance to explore the Guiers Mort Gorges, following in the footsteps of the Carthusian monks. An original visit combining nature and an immersion in local history.
The "blue fish walk"
During your stay at our holiday residence between Isère and Savoie, visit the Guiers Mort Gorges, covering an area of several square miles between Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse and Saint-Laurent-du-Pont. From Saint-Bruno Bridge to Pic de l'Oeillette, you can follow a footpath through this unique natural site in Isère, along the River Guiers Mort. It is called the "blue fish walk". You follow the blue fish to find your way along the footpath. Most of the path runs through woodlands, winding its way through lush vegetation and alternating medieval bridges and rustic stone footbridges. The path stops below the Pic de l'Oeillette, an impressive rocky monolith standing 45 metres high.
Despite a few tricky passages above the cliff (especially near the Mollard rock), the path is not particularly difficult. But be careful in wet weather, when some parts of the path are very slippery.
Starts from Pont Saint-Bruno car park, duration: 2 hrs 30 mins (there & back), distance: 3 km, climb: 150 m, level of difficulty: easy
Download the hiking program
Guiers Mort, "across bridges and through valleys"
Between Saint-Laurent-du-Pont and Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse, there are several stone bridges across the River Guiers, enabling visitors to cross from one bank to the other. There are almost 20 bridges! The oldest were built in the 16th century, and a large number of them are officially listed as Historic Monuments. They include the Peirant Bridge on the Grande-Chartreuse road; the Petite Vache Bridge; the Tannerie Bridge; the Martinet Bridge beside a disused forge and the Dame Bridge downstream from Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse. Worth noting: between the Grand Logis Bridge and Saint-Bruno Bridge, a long fishing trail is a chance to try your hand at drift fishing or fly fishing.
In the footsteps of the Carthusian monks
If you are on holiday in the Guiers Mort Gorges, don't miss a quick detour to the Grande Chartreuse monastery. The head monastery of the Carthusian order was founded in the 11th century by Saint Bruno. It is not open to visitors, but at the museum in La Correrie you can find out more about the site's history and the life of these very discreet monks, who produce a famous green liqueur using a secret recipe, based on 130 different plants. A little further on, you can also visit the Fourvoirie forges, built by the monks in 1650, as well as the Voiron railway terminus in Saint-Béro. The line was once used to transport the Carthusians' liqueurs and the metals mined in the nearby mountains.
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