The Iseran pass

At 2,770 m, it marks the boundary between Haute Maurienne Vanoise and Tarentaise, two high-altitude valleys in Savoie. In the Northern Alps, the road over the Col de l'Iseran is the only road crossing within the Vanoise National Park, and the highest point on the Route des Grandes Alpes. Open from June to September, it's a must for your vacation at Bonneval sur Arc.

The Col de l'Iseran, a must-see for Bonneval sur Arc

The Iseran, this giant

The word "inescapable" is not too strong to describe this high mountain pass, the majority of whose ascent takes place above 2000 metres altitude.

Its opening, usually at the beginning of June, is conditioned by the height of the snow cover and its closing, often at the end of September, by the arrival of new snowfalls.

Which biker, cyclist or motorist has not stopped at the top of the Iseran pass to take a picture? Prestigious and unavoidable stage of the Route des Grandes Alpesthe Iseran pass remains THE obligatory passage before reaching the Mediterranean shores.

A visit to the chapel of Notre-Dame de la Toute Prudence built in 1939, two years after the opening of the road inaugurated on July 10, 1937 by the President of the Republic Albert Lebrun, is a must.

The highest road pass in the Alps

Ski and bike

- From an altitude of 2,700 m to 3,200 m, and with sunshine all day long, the Pissaillas glacier, in the commune of Bonneval sur Arc, welcomes summer skiing enthusiasts from mid-June to mid-July (depending on snow conditions). With two runs and a slalom stadium, it's a very pleasant place to ski, with very few people and no waiting at the two lifts!

- A legendary stage in the Tour de France cycling race, the ascent of the Col de l'Iseran - the highest road pass in the Alps - remains engraved in the calves of thousands of amateur and professional cyclists.

Col de l'Iseran à Vélo by Bonneval sur Arc