Forêt de l'Ours via the Combe du Bras

The history of Allemond has been marked by the mining industry and Alpine agriculture. Vieux Allemond, around the church and along the road leading to the Mairie, still has the traditional characteristics of Oisans villages.Allemond was known for its mining under Louis XIII and XIV, housing royal foundries (behind the tourist office), in which minerals mined around the village, mainly silver, lead and copper, were melted. For many years, the Hotel des Tilleuls (now closed) occupied some of the buildings of the former royal foundry. This hotel, featuring a superb walnut staircase, was bought in the 1920s by a former mayor of the village. His two daughters, Raymonde and Margarete, were well-known local characters who ran the hotel for many years. It was even rumoured that Napoleon III stayed there. Until the 1960s and 1970s, people lived very simple lives, nearly all as farmers. Then at the end of the 1970s, the Grand-Maison dam project was launched, providing a huge economic boost for the village and the region as a whole. The project lasted 10 years and brought many thousands of workers to the area. These days, the village lives mainly from tourism, both in summer and winter.

Villard-Reculas is in a location that is both difficult and ideal for a village. It is situated in a balcony above the valley, with fine pastureland and a south-facing exposure that is ideal for agriculture, but has always been difficult to access.There are several explanations of the origin of the name. "Reculas" from the French "reculé" meaning remote, or else "recula" as the village had to "retreat" following a major avalanche. In any case, once you're there it feels great, but you still have to get there! Oisans features a number of hard-to-reach places, but since 1980, access to Villard-Reculas has been along a good, well-maintained road. The village has undergone something of a revival following several years of rural exodus and, thanks to the welcoming inhabitants, tourism is flourishing. It has kept its traditional character with no large buildings being constructed and no concrete, but instead a farm, goats, chamois and a pretty little church with an interesting history. Indeed, the church was moved to make it easier to access in winter. As is often the case in Oisans, it was originally located just outside the village next to the cemetery, but was completely rebuilt in its current position and extended on the same occasion. The expression "village resort" takes on its full meaning here. Tin roofs, old farms made of slate (thanks to the nearby quarries), old-fashioned pastureland and an atmosphere that is unique to Oisans. Here's an interesting fact - this little village owes its water supply to a system...built by the Sarrazins in the sixth century! The "Canal des Sarrazins", which solved the crucial problem of supplying water to the village, is still working today and is THE monument in Villard-Reculas. Don't expect an aqueduct as the construction is modest but efficient, and has proved to be extremely resistant over time.

The "Route de la Confession" was the first road to Villard-Reculas and was an exceptional achievement on account of its construction (a challenge for its time), its exposed position between two cliffs, its legend and the breathtaking views it still offers.On the road between Huez and Villard-Reculas, clinging to the edge of the cliff, a mysterious sign announces the "Pas de la Confession", because it was indeed better to approach this terrible passage, at such a steep angle, with a clear conscience! According to the legend of the road, only pure souls could venture along this narrow road, exposed to rock falls (chamois like the slopes above your head) and intimidating if you suffer from vertigo. The villagers therefore claimed to be people of good virtue... An oratory at the start of the road, on the Huez side, was an obligatory stop for confessions before going any further. But at the time it was above all a real life changer for the villagers since previously only the "Vieille Morte" (hamlet in the Romanche valley) path lead into the valley. This was impassable in winter, so it was then necessary to pass above the village to reach the mountain pastures of Huez (hence the Alpe d'Huez) and the village of Huez, from where an easier path started. Until 1980 (yes, really!) this was the only road to Villard Reculas. The village was then awarded subsidies to finally build the modern road (linking it to Allemond). The scenery is beautiful, but take care both in the car and on foot, as the road is narrow and winding, making it difficult to pass oncoming traffic.

Here you are in Bourg-d'Oisans at an altitude of 700m: all around you are mountains and underfoot is the plain. This landscape has been shaped over thousands of years at the same time as the Alps were being created.The mountains you see, and the plain you walk on, are the consequences of shifting continents, the major ice ages and the subsequent warming. Humans have also helped shape this landscape over the last few centuries, adapting to and taking advantage of natural and geological constraints. The dammed rivers and the network of drainage canals, for example, have allowed the habitat to expand and agriculture to develop in the plain, creating a mountain "bocage" with fields and hedges. However, these actions have never eradicated certain natural hazards, such as avalanches and rockfalls. Half-wild and half-tamed, this landscape and its features are home to a multitude of animal and plant species, some of which are protected. Lake St Laurent: when the Vénéon-Romanche glacier retreated, it stagnated in the lower valley and a lake of more than 5,000 hectares then occupied the entire valley from Bourg-d'Oisans to Allemond. The alluvium deposited by the Romanche and the Vénéon gradually plugged up the lake and filled in the plain to a depth of 500m. In fact, if it weren't for the lake, which gradually filled in, the village would only be at an altitude of 200m! Bourg-d'Oisans is now a delightful little town of international renown where mountain lovers come, both in summer and winter, to stay and enjoy the many activities on offer!