Nature
The hiking area of Laval-en-Belledonne extends from the lower slopes to the highest peaks of the Belledonne range. Hiking is possible here all year round and at all levels of difficulty. At Habert d’Aiguebelle, Laval-en-Belledonne is also a gateway to the Haute Traversée de Belledonne, the GR® 738.
The hike from Pont de la Betta to Lac de Crop passes Torrent du Muret and Cascade des Avoux before reaching Lac de Crop. Lac de Crop is a glacial mountain lake with views of the Chartreuse, Dent de Crolles, Granier and the 7 Laux massif.
Activities
Special facilities and markings have been created for mountain biking in Laval-en-Belledonne. The Bike’Arc Trail Center is located in the Pré de l’Arc area and can be reached via Route du Pré de l’Arc. Above Torrent du Muret, there is also the Site d’escalade de la Betta climbing area, with 15 climbing routes on gneiss. The routes are between 20 and 30 metres high; the climbing area is open every day all year round.
In winter, the Domaine Nordique de Beldina offers around 20 kilometres of cross-country ski trails and around 10 kilometres of marked snowshoe trails. Most of its trails are located in the Pré-de-l’Arc sector of Laval-en-Belledonne. At the reception chalet of the Domaine Nordique de Beldina, ski passes are issued, equipment is rented and light meals are served.
A permanent orienteering course in the lower part of the municipality provides an introduction to the sport of orienteering while connecting it with the discovery of the local cultural heritage. Maps are available at the town hall or at the Épicerie.
Anyone considering Laval as a travel destination may be planning to rent a holiday apartment.
Culture
The Tour de Montfallet has been protected as a historic monument since 19 May 1937. The Église Saint-Étienne has also been protected since 2 June 2009. In its burial chapel of the Alleman family, there is a wall-mounted oil painting measuring 7.45 metres wide and 4.75 metres high. It depicts the Virgin Mary, beneath whose wide-open cloak more than 300 people find shelter. The Vierge au manteau mural painting can be viewed during the Journées du patrimoine and by appointment.
The Chapelle des Alleman in Laval-en-Belledonne contains a 15th-century fresco and forms part of the municipality’s protected historic heritage. In the Chapelle Sainte-Gertrude in the hamlet of Prabert, a Romanesque arch separates the choir from the nave; the ceilings are decorated with painted wooden panelling. The chapel is believed to date from the 14th century and to be connected with the pilgrimage from Rome to Saint-Antoine-l’Abbaye via Mont Cenis, Maurienne and Pas de la Coche; Prabert forms one stage of the route.
History
At Place de la Boutière, information panels convey the life and work in the former mine. Restored masts, cables, skips and cable pulleys from former mining sites are also displayed there in a landscaped area with tables and benches. The site was inaugurated on 21 September 2024.
The Centrale de Loury is considered evidence of the development of the white-coal industry in the Grésivaudan valley on the foothills of the Belledonne massif from the late 19th to the early 20th century. Its location in the gorge and the difficult access give it considerable heritage value. The Centrale de Loury, also known as Bas-Laval, was built in 1906 by Maurice Bergès in a narrow gorge above the Ruisseau de Laval. It comprises a hydroelectric power station cut into the rock, housing turbogenerators.
