La plaine de Bourg d'Oisans, par la Voie romaine – Randonnée
Beautiful walk around the Bourg d'Oisans plain to do with the family. At Rochetaillée, the remains of a Roman road dug into the rock above remind us that a lake, the Saint-Laurent, covered this plain 800 years ago.
From the tourist office, head towards the Maison du Parc National des Ecrins. At the end of Rue Gambetta turn right towards Rue St Antoine, always straight ahead until the ford crossing which crosses the Torrent des Alberts.
After the stream go down to the right at the Bike Park, then take the path on the left onto La Morlière. The hamlet of La Morlière, built away from the wetlands of the Bourg d'Oisans plain, was home to a snail canning business.
Continue straight on the path in the undergrowth behind the craft zone before crossing La Lignarre and joining La Paute
Cross La Paute towards the cliff to join a pretty track; an oratory marks the exit from the hamlet. You follow the “old road” already used in the Middle Ages, and perhaps since Roman times, to connect Oisans to Grenoble. Its slightly elevated position made it possible to follow Lake St Laurent which covered the Bourg d'Oisans plain. Discover, before arriving at Rochetaillée, on the left the remains of the old Roman road cut into the rock.
Several sections are still visible over nearly 300m. The rock, deeply dug, forms an arch 2,2m wide. The grooves, spaced regularly, must have corresponded to an assembly of beams intended to support a wooden deck which made it possible to widen the track. This extensive work bears witness to the strategic importance of the Oisans route during the Roman era because it was a crossing point between Gaul and Italy.
! On the last few meters, a fairly steep climb and descent, tricky with children and not passable with a stroller, allow you to reach Rochetaillée. Possibility of avoiding them by stopping at the end of Chemin du Boccard, or by joining the Voie Verte direction “Pont Rouge”
Possible return via the Green Way along La Romanche and the bocage plain of Bourg d'Oisans.
TECHNICAL INFORMATIONS :
Departure: from the Tourist Office (possibility of parking at the Vénéon car park)
Elevation: 0 meters
Return time: approximately 5 hours
Round trip distance: approximately 17 km (if returning by the same route) – approximately 15 km (return by the green road)
Level: easy (except for a tricky passage which goes up to Rochetaillée on the Roman road but which can be avoided)
Area with a lot of mosquitoes in the summer season: remember to bring repellent!
After the stream go down to the right at the Bike Park, then take the path on the left onto La Morlière. The hamlet of La Morlière, built away from the wetlands of the Bourg d'Oisans plain, was home to a snail canning business.
Continue straight on the path in the undergrowth behind the craft zone before crossing La Lignarre and joining La Paute
Cross La Paute towards the cliff to join a pretty track; an oratory marks the exit from the hamlet. You follow the “old road” already used in the Middle Ages, and perhaps since Roman times, to connect Oisans to Grenoble. Its slightly elevated position made it possible to follow Lake St Laurent which covered the Bourg d'Oisans plain. Discover, before arriving at Rochetaillée, on the left the remains of the old Roman road cut into the rock.
Several sections are still visible over nearly 300m. The rock, deeply dug, forms an arch 2,2m wide. The grooves, spaced regularly, must have corresponded to an assembly of beams intended to support a wooden deck which made it possible to widen the track. This extensive work bears witness to the strategic importance of the Oisans route during the Roman era because it was a crossing point between Gaul and Italy.
! On the last few meters, a fairly steep climb and descent, tricky with children and not passable with a stroller, allow you to reach Rochetaillée. Possibility of avoiding them by stopping at the end of Chemin du Boccard, or by joining the Voie Verte direction “Pont Rouge”
Possible return via the Green Way along La Romanche and the bocage plain of Bourg d'Oisans.
TECHNICAL INFORMATIONS :
Departure: from the Tourist Office (possibility of parking at the Vénéon car park)
Elevation: 0 meters
Return time: approximately 5 hours
Round trip distance: approximately 17 km (if returning by the same route) – approximately 15 km (return by the green road)
Level: easy (except for a tricky passage which goes up to Rochetaillée on the Roman road but which can be avoided)
Area with a lot of mosquitoes in the summer season: remember to bring repellent!
