L-Alpe D-Huez: Holiday Apartments and Holiday Homes

From the panoramic terrace of Pic Blanc, a 360° view at an altitude of 3,330 metres opens up over Mont Blanc, La Meije, the Écrins and the Aiguilles d’Arves. From the Saint-Nicolas rock to the Dauphin fortress at the Brandes archaeological site, a 360° view extends across the Brandes plateau, the village of Huez and the Sarenne gorges.

Anyone wishing to rent a holiday apartment in L’Alpe d’Huez will want to get to know the destination better in advance.

Mountain Landscape and Trails

From L’Alpe d’Huez, visitors have access to 850 km of marked trails. The Boucle de Poutran is a 10 km long, groomed and gently undulating cross-country ski trail. It begins at Grandes Rousses and leads to the Plateau de Poutran, from where there is a panoramic view of the surrounding peaks.

Culture and History

The Musée d’histoire et d’archéologie de l’Alpe d’Huez has been classified as a “Musée de France” since 2003 and covers the history of the village of Huez and its mountain pasture from the Middle Ages to the present day. Four richly illustrated chronological kiosks cover the periods 1923–1939, 1945–1973, 1974–1989 and 1990–2022. The museum’s new scenography highlights important archaeological discoveries from the excavations at Brandes.

The medieval archaeological site of Brandes has been protected as a Monument historique since 1993 and was a silver-mining village from the 11th to the 14th century. The site is freely accessible and equipped with explanatory information panels.

Another architectural landmark is the Notre-Dame des Neiges church. It was built in the late 1960s and is an example of contemporary architecture in the style of Le Corbusier. It is known for its tent-shaped architecture and the stained-glass windows designed by Arcabas.

Sporting Highlights

The Alpe d’Huez cycling climb comprises 21 numbered hairpin bends, is 13.8 km long and has an average gradient of 8.1%. For mountain bikes, the Alpe d’Huez Bike Park has 36 signposted trails dedicated to mountain biking.

At the Megavalanche, thousands of riders have started from Pic Blanc every year since 1995. The mass start takes place on the Sarenne Glacier at an altitude of 3,330 metres. The guides of Alpe d’Huez offer ski touring as day trips or multi-day tours with overnight stays in mountain refuges.

In winter, the access road with its 21 hairpin bends is regularly cleared of snow on the way to L’Alpe d’Huez, but it remains a mountain road. Transaltitude offers a direct express connection from Grenoble to Alpe d’Huez exclusively in winter.

For the higher-level travel overview: Huez.