My favorite place

I know very well Grenoble because I live in this city since I was born so I can give you very good advices. I am going to talk you about my favorite place. It's not in the center of Grenoble but it's at the gateway to the city : "le petit train de la Mure". I took this train when I was 14 years old and I think it's an interesting discovery.


"Le petit train de la Mure", it's an electric train goes along the massif of the Oisans and overhangs the Lake of Monteynard. The way of the train is quite close to the mountain and along there are numerous engineering works. There are 18 tunnels and 12 viaducts which take passengers at 560 feet. Passengers settle down in the woods armchairs of the train and they contemplate lakes, meadows, smalls valleys.
The railway was created to go down the coal of the Tray Matheysin towards Grenoble. It was built on July 24th, 1888 and its running started in 1892. Its construction lasted 6 years. The train also transported materials for the coalmine, sometimes workers and also travelers, until 1950.
Since 1997, the small train was transformed into a small tourist train, and a year there are approximately 80 000 visitors.
The route begins at Saint Georges de Commiers' station (at 316 feet), up to at la Mure's station (at 882 feet). The route lasts approximately 1 hour and 40.
"Le petit train de la Mure" is opened from May to September.
Round-trip's rates : for adults 18.50€ and for children 9€.

What you can see on the way :

• The Lake of Monteynard at 500 feet. This lake was created because of EDF dam in 1962 in the Valley of Drac. Next to the lake there is the "Sénépy" , 1 769 feet. On the lake you can play many sports activities.

•   On the viaduct of Rivoire, you can see the Vercors and the Mont Aiguille      (2 086 feet).

• The two parallels viaducts of Loulla. 

• At 1 270 feet, there is one of seven marvels of Dauphiné, "La Pierre Percée", there is a legend around this stone because the hole created by the erosion represents a devil. 

•  The viaduct of Vaux, at 55 feet above the river.  

And many others things ...
The best places to observe the Lake and the dam, on the train, are on the right !