Villard Notre Dame and Villard Reymond

Villard-Notre-Dame has kept its old charm of authentic mountain village with its stone houses cladded with lime plaster, all with south facing balconies opening on the deep valley of La Gorge which descends steeply to the plain of Bourg d'Oisans.The road leading to Notre Dame shares all the features of this highly original alpine area in which the village nestles. The closeness of the village to the mountain is due to the untamed nature of the two small valleys above. Firstly, the Sources, featuring superb waterfalls, leading up to the top of the Rochail (3022 m), with its hanging glacier. The second, the Pisse, is dominated by the Grand Renaud (2776 m), looking like a majestic ship pulled from the depths of the oceans. Perched above the houses, the small church is of a sober architectural style. The untamed surrounding mountains ensures there is a wide variety of both plant and animal life. Sharp-eyed hikers will not be disappointed. For more information, if the 'Mairie' is closed, please contact the Bourg d'Oisans tourist office.

High above the houses, the small church displays its architectural elegance soberly. Nevertheless, it is a fine heritage building with foundations dating back to the Middle Ages.Next to a small cemetery, overlooking the village square and visible from far and wide, the church underwent considerable renovation a few years ago and is among the best preserved churches in Oisans. The porch, which has similar features to that of the south gateway of La Grave church and a small shield-shaped stained-glass window, dates back to the Middle Ages. Its originality can still be seen in the wooden ceiling made of elegant box sections, together with a 19th-century sculpted preaching chair. The bell tower, built of wood and originally covered with white iron, was rebuilt in stone between 1757 and 1776, as, according to Bishop Camus "it moved when we rang the bells".

It's quite amazing that this road was ever built and the mountainside is so steep. 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 out of the rock.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 magnificent, narrow, RD 219 is one of the most picturesque roads in Oisans. It was built between 1937 and 1939, under the impetus of local member of parliament, senator and minister, Joseph Paganon. Sculpted out of the vertical rock face and featuring picturesque tunnels, the road offers superb views over the Romanche and Vénéon valleys. After going through a forest and just before arriving in Villard-Notre-Dame, you can admire the high alpine scenery surrounding the village. One of the last bends offers a lovely view of the point where the lower Vénéon valley meets the untamed mountain stream gushing down from the Rochail glacier, with its superb waterfalls. Drive carefully as the road is narrow and winding, with tight passing places.