The Funiculaire de Saint-Hilaire-du-Touvet

It may seem surprising to come across one of the oldest funicular railways in France for tourists in this remote part of Isère between Grenoble and Chambéry. Nonetheless the Saint-Hilaire-du-Touvet funicular runs up the south-west face of the Chartreuse Massif at Grésivaudan. It is an absolute must to understand the natural and cultural secrets of this range of mountains and its famous monastery, La Grande Chartreuse, Mother House of the Carthusian enclosed order of monks.  A scientific as well as a cultural attraction, the funicular railway is very popular with families and couples, and rightly so as, with its magnificent panorama of the Valley of Gésivaudan and its technical achievements, it is a romantic and educational outing !  Come and enjoy the fresh mountain air and go for a walk on the steep slopes of the Chartreuse mountains. With a gradient of 83%, the Funiculaire de Saint-Hilaire-du-Touvet has the steepest incline in France, making for a most spectacular ascent !

An easy way to climb the mountain from Lumbin to Saint-Hilaire-du-Touvet

The funicular railway between Lumbin and Saint-Hilaire-du-Touvet is an unusual way of visiting the mountains. Ever since its construction in 1924, it has travelled tirelessly 1,480m through forests and a tunnel, across a plateau to the upper station at 967m altitude. Once you reach the top, there are several different places to see. Apart from the funicular shop and panoramic restaurant, you can tour the machinery room and go behind the scenes of this unusual railway. The « Laboratoire d’Icare » is a museum dedicated to experiments by Da Vinci, Newton and Galileo with games for younger visitors involving air and physical forces (gravity, flight, etc.). Plenty of outdoor activities await you here at the heart of the Parc Naturel Régional de Chartreuse.
Funiculaire de Saint Hilaire du Touvet