OrangeSmile Tours Best destinations around the world - Travel Guide
Alpe d Huez

Culture of Alpe d Huez. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

Although Alpe d'Huez is famous primarily as a winter ski resort, the area is not deprived of interesting destinations suitable for sightseeing. The first town in this area was established yet during the Middle Ages. This happened after silver deposits had been discovered in the area. The town reached a peak in its development in the 11th century. Today, tourists can explore the well-preserved historic center. Some buildings in this part of Alpe d'Huez were built several centuries ago.
Travelers visit Alpe d'Huez to enjoy physical activities and not boutique shopping. Nevertheless, there are many attractive shops and shopping malls in the town and its neighborhoods. … Open
Some examples of modern architecture have already become popular attractions. The Eglise Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Church is an excellent example. This church was built in 1970. This is an interesting example of the futurist style. Eglise Notre-Dame-des-Neiges looks nothing like the religious landmarks that tourists can see in the nearby towns and villages. The inner décor of the church is just as unusual as its outer design. You can see one of the most creative pipe organs in the world in this church. It looks like a hand stretching to the sky. The church frequently hosts organ music concerts. Even tourists who are not interested in religious landmarks will find it interesting to visit Eglise Notre-Dame-des-Neiges.
Brandes is one of the most interesting areas in Alpe d'Huez from a historic point of view. Today, archaeological excavations take place here. There was a large mining village in this area in the 12th century. To protect silver mines from enemy attacks, it was decided to build a large castle approximately in the same period. When deposits of silver depleted, the village lost its importance and became abandoned. The fortress started deteriorating slowly. The village became completely deserted already in the first half of the 14th century. Many buildings turned into ruins. Copyright www.orangesmile.com
Tourists from all over the world find it interesting to visit Alpe d'Huez that is a unique place. This ski resort has an undisputable advantage – it is impossible to find another mountain … Open
Today, you can participate in an excursion to the historic region. You will have an opportunity to see fragments of medieval buildings and the remains of the former silver mines. An interesting museum is open here - Huez and Oisans Museum. It exhibits the most precious and important archaeological findings. You can see a model of an old village that precisely copies the original. A collection of old household items is also very interesting to observe. All of the artifacts were discovered in the region. A visit to this museum is a mandatory part of an excursion to the historic area.
If you want to learn more about the development of the region, visit Heritage House of Villard-de-Lans. The exhibitions of this museum are dedicated to the most important events in the history of the town. A large part of the collection illustrates different stages in the silver mining industry over the years. A new exhibition dedicated to the sporting past of the region opened here in 2017. Visitors can see models of arenas and other infrastructure that were built in the region in different years so that Alpe d'Huez could host large competitions.
Alpe d'Huez is suitable for active recreation all year round. In winter, fans of skiing visit this resort to enjoy mountain skiing and snowboarding. The resort has a range of ski runs for … Open
Old villages in the vicinity of the resort attract numerous fans of sightseeing. They are great for admiring picturesque old houses. Some settlements even have interesting cultural centers and museums. Do not miss an opportunity to visit Conservatoire des Industries Hydroélectriques, a well-known museum located in Vaujany. This museum is dedicated to the development of the hydroelectric industry in Rhone-Alpes. Exhibitions about different industries are often quite boring but this museum is an exception. Even tourists with school-age children will enjoy their visit to Conservatoire des Industries Hydroélectriques. By the way, the venue is situated in a picturesque area.
Musee des Mineraux Et de la Faune des Alpes can easily win the title of the most interesting museum in the region. You will find it in the suburban neighborhood of Le Bourg-d'Oisans. It takes approximately 15 minutes by car to get to the museum. Visit it to see an interesting collection of minerals. All of the stones exhibited in the museum can be found in the region. Speleologists discovered deposits of some very rare minerals in the nearby caves. You can admire fabulous crystals of quartz and see rare stones mined deep in the caves.
Travelers visit Alpe d'Huez to enjoy physical activities and not boutique shopping. Nevertheless, there are many attractive shops and shopping malls in the town and its neighborhoods. … Open
There is one more interesting fact about this museum. It is open in a garret of an old wooden church. The idea to establish a museum dedicated to minerals came to the mind of a local explorer. Over the years, the collection of Musee des Mineraux Et de la Faune des Alpes grew to one of the largest in the region. The venue frequently hosts temporary exhibitions, during which visitors can see various minerals and items with them. Some minerals are used in jewelry making. Each of the nearby settlements has old buildings that are worth seeing if you like architectural landmarks. Many houses in the area are completely made of wood, and this fact makes them even more precious. Summer is the best time to visit Alpe d'Huez if you want to dedicate your vacation to sightseeing.
In the section below, you can get one of our excursion, activities or city discovery tours over Alpe d Huez and surroundings. Our website offers 10-30% lower ticket prices, when compared to the offline purchase on the spot.

City tours, excursions and tickets in Alpe d Huez and surroundings

Alpe d Huez - guide chapters 1 2 3 4
Reference information
Map of all palaces
Public palaces near Alpe d Huez
♥   Palace 'Château des ducs de Savoie' , 52.2 km from the center. On the map   Photo
Map of all churches
Cathedrals and basilicas near Alpe d Huez
♥   Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-la-Salette, Antsirabé, 28.6 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste, Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, 28.6 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Basilique Sacré-Cœur, Grenoble, 29.4 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Basilique-Cathédrale Saint-François-de-Sales, Chambéry, 52.2 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Basilique Notre-Dame de l’Osier, Notre-Dame-de-l’Osier, 53.9 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Cathédrale Notre-Dame-et-Saint-Arnoux, Gap, 61 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Basilique Notre-Dame du Laus, Saint-Étienne-le-Laus, 65.5 km from the center. On the map   Photo
Car rental on OrangeSmile.com Rentals in Alpe d Huez

Saudi Arabia to Open 38 Hotels in Diriyah

Diriyah is one of the first mega projects in Saudi Arabia. Hotels and other infrastructure will start opening next year, and all works are expected to end in 2026. The first 18 restaurants in Bujairi Terrace will start operating already in early 2022. Read this

29.03.2024

Photogallery of cultural heritage of Alpe d Huez

Landmarks of culture on Alpe d Huez map: art-galleries, monuments, palaces, etc

Address/Sight name City/Region Country Within radius, km
 Types of touristic objects to search for
Hotels & Car rental
Carhire locations
0 star
1 star
2 stars
3 stars
4 stars
5 stars
Touristic places
Art galleries
Churches/Temples
Museums
Castles/Palaces
Monuments
Touristic areas
Sightseeings
Attractions
Attraction parks
Casino
Theaters/Cinema
Disco/Clubs
Parks
Zoo
Aqua parks
Transport
Airports
Train stations
Bus stations
Metro
Parkings
Fuel stations
Ports/Ferries
Open the list of object types
Health/Sport
Open the list of object types
Food/Money
Open the list of object types
Shopping
Open the list of object types
Beauty/Medicine
Open the list of object types
City services
Open the list of object types
Useful services

Excursions over cultural sights of neighbours of Alpe d Huez

Culture guide to Alpe d Huez. Which fascinating sights to visit once you are in Alpe d Huez: temples, churches, museums, theaters and castles. Recommendations (with addresses, phone numbers and links) on the places 'must visit' in Alpe d Huez. Plan your own city excursion by using this page info!
OrangeSmile.com - online travel reservation expert providing reliable car rental and hotel booking services. We feature more than 25.000 destinations with 12.000 rental offices and 200.000 hotels worldwide.
Secure Server
Head office
Weegschaalstraat 3, Eindhoven
5632 CW, The Netherlands
+31 40 40 150 44


Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | About us
Copyright © 2002 - OrangeSmile Tours B.V. | OrangeSmile.com | Under the direction and management of IVRA Holding B.V. - Registered at Kamer van Koophandel (KvK), The Netherlands No. 17237018