La Grave

Name: La Grave
Address: D 1091La Grave, La Grave, 05320, FRANCE

Historic site and monument
Historic patrimony
Town / Village

Elevation : 1450m

D 1091, La Grave, 05320 La Grave

The village of La Grave — ©Thibault Poinas

Church of Notre-Dame de l'Assomption de la Grave — ©Laury Chamerlat

La Grave and its cable car — ©Thibault Poinas

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In the heart of the Ecrins massif, the stone and slate village of La Grave (1,450m) sits on a sunny hillside facing the imposing 3,983 m-high Meije peak. La Grave is a stopover village on the GR 54.

Don't expect to see small wooden chalets squeezed into alleyways: here, stone dominates. The sturdy 17th-century houses are made of blocks of schist or tuff bonded with earth-based mortar, while the roofs are adorned with slate or lauze. The "trabucs", old-fashioned alleyways that weave a tight network between the houses, take you to the top of the village, to the lovely Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption church. Built in the Romanesque-Lombard style, it adjoins the Pénitents Blancs chapel and the cemetery where those shipwrecked on the mountain are laid to rest under humble wooden crosses. From here, the view of the Ecrins massif over the Romanche is a real treat. La Grave is one of those simple, authentic mountain villages. Note the particular shape of these wooden crosses. Various interpretations have been put forward, none of which has been conclusively verified. The most credible hypothesis is undoubtedly the simplest: the triangle represents the Holy Trinity and the circle the oneness of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The village of La Grave nestles at the foot of the mythical summit of La Meije, jewel of the Ecrins National Park and the last of the French Alps' great peaks to be climbed, in 1877. A mountaineering mecca since the golden age of the pioneers, La Grave today attracts experienced skiers from the four corners of the globe. Its freeride and off-piste areas are at the cutting edge of board sports. But La Grave remains a village resort where nature is king and simplicity is the rule. There are no numerous ski lifts, just a few ski lifts at the village resort of Le Chazelet and a cable car leading to the Meije glaciers. The latter offers everyone a gateway to the high mountains, enabling skiers, mountaineers, mountain bikers and pedestrians to get close to the peaks and glaciers. La Grave is made up of several hamlets, each with its own soul, special features and traditions. It offers a wide range of hiking itineraries, allowing you to discover the heritage they contain while marvelling at the breathtaking scenery.