The Saint-Ours chapel and the Echaillon viewpoint

Of the 12 communes nestled at the foot of the Vercors, Veurey-Voroize is the most northerly. The walk proposed here leads to the Saint-Ours chapel, next to the Echaillon viewpoint.

The departure can be done either from Veurey, or directly from the Petit Port, 2 km after the village of Veurey. In both cases, on the paths, follow the direction of Saint Ours. Above the Petit Port, quickly, the soles tread the shiny slabs of a Roman road, some sections of which are quite well preserved. After 15 to 20 minutes of rather steep ascent, at 355 m, turn left in the direction of the chapel and the belvedere. The characteristic vegetation of the limestone hillsides of the hillside accompanies the hiker: essentially the fragon, the boxwood, the holly, the pubescent oak. 30 mn later, at 480 m of altitude, the path is next to the arrival station of an old cable car, commonly called the cable. It was used from the beginning of the 20th century until the 1980s to transport wood at first and then to supply the Saint Ours farm. After another 30 minutes of ascent, the landscape opens up by joining the crest, and there: change of scenery! Perched on the northern extremity of the Vercors massif, at 620 m of altitude, the hiker overhangs the exit of the Cluse de Voreppe, thus discovering new horizons on the valley of the Isère, the Voironnais country and the South Grésivaudan. It is difficult today to think that the Roman road still visible below represented an obligatory passage of the Valence-Grenoble road: indeed the great cyclic floods of the Isère made the valley impassable. For the descent, count 45 mn. At the cable car, turn left to vary the route. Join the path going up to Les Combes, at 355 m to reach the Petit Port in a few minutes.

SEE AND KNOW: It is from Petit Port that the famous Echaillon stone was shipped. It can be found, for example, in the natural history museum (colonnades overlooking the plant garden as well as elements of the façade). From Roman times to the 17th century, limestone extracted from Echaillon was transported by river. In the 18th century, violent floods washed away the access road and the quarry only resumed regular activity in 1848. The quarries then closed permanently in 1939.