Chartreuse Regional Nature Park (Parc Naturel Régional de Chartreuse) straddles the Isère and Savoie départements over an area of 69,000 hectares. The scenery consists of mountains, forests, limestone cliffs, gorges and Alpine meadows, making it paradise for nature lovers. Numerous sporting activities are available there in summer, from walking along the many waymarked footpaths and climbing, to mountain biking and hang gliding. In winter, the family resort of Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse, in the Isère, offers cross-country and downhill skiing, and snowshoeing.

The Chartreuse mountains boast many natural sites worth visiting, in particular Charmant Som summit for its stunning panoramic viewpoint (Belvédère des Sangles), Guiers Mort gorges, Pas du Frou (a dizzyingly high road dominating a precipice), Saint-Même cirque and the quiet and peaceful setting of Grande Chartreuse monastery.

The Park Visitor Centre (Maison du Parc) in Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse has lots of useful information for organising your stay in the Chartreuse mountains.

From the campsite, an hour and a half walk without too much vertical or 8 minutes by car to the Museum of Correrie.

Founded by Saint Bruno in 1084, the monastery of the Grande Chartreuse, the mother house of the Order of the Chartreux, is located in the heart of the Chartreuse massif, on the commune of Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse, in a beautiful environment, at the same time calm, peaceful and preserved.

This haven of peace and tranquillity is only accessible after a half hour walk from the correrie car park. Note, however, that only the surrounding landscapes and the exterior facades of the buildings can be admired, as the monastery, entirely devoted to silence and prayer, is not open to visitors.

However, you can discover the very interesting museum of the Grande Chartreuse, located two kilometers down, in the buildings of the Correrie, an annex of the monastery. Through its exhibitions and its map gallery, this place evokes the history and life of the Chartreux, as well as Cartusian architecture.

One of France's leading art museums, the Museum of Grenoble exhibits one of the finest collections of early, modern and contemporary art with around 900 works on display.

Initially based in a former Franciscan convent, dating from the 13th century and opened in 1798, it offers the general public a complete retrospective of western painting from the 13th to 21st centuries, with French, Flemish, Dutch, Italian and Spanish art represented by numerous masterpieces. A panorama of the main trends in contemporary art since 1945 and an archive of Egyptian antiquities documented by Champollion complete the museum's collection.

The present museum, which reopened in 1994 on Place Lavalette and whose architecture has been completely redesigned, is located in the immediate vicinity of the old quarters of town and is accessible from Place Notre-Dame. It borders the Isère, including the Albert Michallon Park which is directly connected to it and has become a sculpture park. You are sure to appreciate the brightness and the 7,500 m² of space devoted to the permanent and temporary collections, which are spread over the rooms on either side of a large gallery, designed to resemble an indoor street in broad daylight. The rigour, simplicity and clarity of the design, and the very pure geometry with its soft lines, have helped to raise the profile of the Museum of Grenoble, a true conceptual success at the service of Art.

The sheer scale of the museum's art collection may make it hard to organise your visit. Be sure to take a look at the departments of Antiquities, the 13th to 16th centuries, 17th to 19th centuries, contemporary art, modern art and graphic arts. Those who prefer a guided tour can choose from a wide range of tours for all audiences, individuals, groups and families, some of which are designed to build bridges between art, literature, poetry, music, dance, theatre and architecture. For children, there are "Wednesday workshops" all year round, on fifteen or so different themes, to understand, imagine, discover one or more works of art, and take part in a visual art creation workshop.

Towering over Greater Grenoble from a height of 475 metres and accessible on foot or by cable car from the centre of Grenoble, La Bastille fort offers an absolutely exceptional panoramic view of the surrounding scenery: the Chartreuse mountains to the north, Belledonne mountain range to the east, Vercors mountains to the west and the city of Grenoble below! This key tourist attraction is especially worth a visit to see the stunning sunsets.

Built from 1823 to 1848 to defend the Dauphiné from an attack by the Duchy of Savoy, this former military fortress is today a cultural centre with exhibitions of contemporary art and the Museum of the Mountain Troops (Musée des Troupes de Montagne) dedicated to the environment and history of mountain soldiers.

As the capital of the Alps and the Dauphiné, a university city, science hub and official City of Art and Culture, Grenoble has a long list of assets! Among its attractions are the old town, full of lively squares, mansions and picturesque shopping lanes lined with old houses; countless museums containing rich collections; relaxing parks and gardens like Paul Mistral park, Jardin des Plantes (Botanical Garden) and Île Verte park; and its stunning panoramic view of the surrounding mountains from La Bastille fort.

In the historic centre, don't miss: the pedestrian Saint-André square lined with café terraces and overlooked by the magnificent Gothic and Renaissance facades of the old Dauphiné Parliament building; Hôtel de Lesdiguières, a mansion opposite the charming Jardin de Ville where hundred-year-old trees grow; Place Grenette square, the hub of Grenoble life, with shops, restaurants and cafés; Place aux Herbes, a square with a little covered market hall where a market takes place every morning except Monday; Place Notre-Dame, for the 13th-century cathedral, Old Bishop's Palace Museum (Musée de l'Ancien Évêché) and Fountain of the Three Orders (Fontaine des Trois Ordres), which commemorates the 1788 events leading to the French Revolution.

In terms of culture, Grenoble offers a large choice of museums, temporary exhibitions and entertainment, including the Museum of Grenoble and its sumptuous collections of old and modern art, the Archaeological Museum, Natural History Museum, National Centre of Contemporary Art, Dauphinois Museum, Old Bishop's Palace Museum, Stendhal Museum, Isère Resistance and Deportation Museum and the Grenoble Automaton Museum. A host of very interesting places to satisfy a wide variety of tastes!

Nestling in the Épine mountain at the heart of the Savoyard Foreland, at an altitude of 360 metres, Lake Aiguebelette is one of the four great lakes of Savoie Mont-Blanc. This Natura 2000-certified site offers lovers of idyllic landscapes its turquoise water, protected ecosystem and mountainous environment. Containing two small, unspoilt islands, it is one of the warmest lakes in France, with a temperature of up to 28° in summer! This marvellous 545-hectare expanse of water is an ideal place for relaxation and taking it easy, and therefore very inviting for a swim. Bathing is only permitted on supervised beaches during the summer season, and for water sports such as canoeing, stand up paddle or pedalo boating.

Its neighbours in the municipality of Novalaise are an international rowing centre, which hosted the world championships in 1997 and 2015, and some hang-gliding take-off areas. Mountain bike enthusiasts can enjoy their favourite sport on a signposted 150-kilometre network of trails, while cyclists can use the landscaped path around part of the lake. Those who would rather go fishing will be delighted by the presence of many species such as lavaret and Arctic char.

Lake Paladru is a beautiful 390-hectare, turquoise-blue glacial lake surrounded by wooded hills. It is a wonderful spot for relaxing or being active with a beach, swimming, pedalo and sailing, as well as lakeside walking and mountain biking.

The Château de Longpra is a gem of Dauphiné architecture that nestles in a lush, green setting near the town of Saint-Geoire-en-Valdaine. It was rebuilt in the 18th century on the site of a fortified house for Pierre-Antoine de Longpra, a councillor in the Dauphiné Parliament.

Surrounded by a moat with a drawbridge, this listed Historic Monument contains refined Italian Neo-Classical-inspired interior decoration and magnificent parquet flooring made by famed cabinetmakers Hache.

Worth a visit is the Museum of Woodworking Tools (Musée de l'Outil à Bois), housed in the outbuildings, where a fine collection of 18th- and 19th-century chisels and gouges is on display.

Encircling the château is a landscape park with an avenue of two-hundred-year-old lime trees and a flower garden – a relaxing place for a stroll.

Historical capital of the Savoie, Chambéry is a City of Art and History boasting numerous treasures. The old town is admirably restored and a great place to stroll around, with mysterious lanes and many covered passages, mansions, trompe-l'oeil facades, charming internal courtyards, Saint-François-de-Sales cathedral, a castle – the former residence of the Dukes of the Savoie – pedestrian streets and the famous Elephants fountain.

The visit continues with the Savoie museum, exhibiting archaeological and ethnographical collections, and the Fine art museum home to a large number of Italian paintings. The Saint-Léger square, very lively, is a place not to be missed in the town for a stroll or to relax on a café terrace. The city also offers a large number of cultural events, with the Espace André Malraux cultural centre located in the Curial district, and the Charles Dullin theatre.

For lovers of water sports, Chambéry benefits from the proximity of two natural lakes: the big Bourget lake and the Aiguebelette lake, with an emerald colour.

The Château du Touvet stands in the town of Le Touvet in the Grésivaudan Valley at the foot of the Belledonne mountain range. A fortified house in the 13th century, then a country retreat in the 18th century, it is today a listed Historic Monument. Its 18th-century gardens figure on France's list of Remarkable Gardens and feature a lovely Italian-style water staircase bordered by embroidery box flower beds.

The richly-decorated château interior is also open to the public and contains collections of historic souvenirs, furniture and antique paintings.

The history-laden Château de Vizille, built in the 17th century by Lesdiguières, then supreme commander of the French armed forces, was the cradle of the French Revolution in the 18th century. It was here that the Assembly of Vizille (or Assembly of the Three Orders of the Dauphiné) gathered on 21 July 1788 to demand a meeting of the Estates General (a form of national parliament). The estate is also noteworthy for having served as the French Presidents' summer residence from 1925 to 1960. Today the property of Isère Departmental Council and open to the public, the château houses the Museum of the French Revolution dedicated to this turbulent period in France's history including a wonderful collection of works of art and objects.

The vast 100-hectare park standing in front of the château is a lovely place for a walk or family outing, and boasts formal gardens, a rose garden, a lake and canals and an animal park with deer, grey herons, swans and geese.

With a surface area of 44 km², the Bourget lake is the biggest natural lake of glacial origin in France. Surrounded by hills and mountains, this unspoiled lake offers numerous water sports activities. Moreover, it is surrounded by a few sailing and fishing ports, such as that of Aix-les-Bains or Bourget-du-Lac.

From the mount Revard situated in the Bauges massif, the view of the lake and the spa town of Aix-les-Bains is wonderful!

Every year in late September/early October, the Romantic Nights festival of the Bourget lake is a great classical music event.

Famous for its hot springs with recognised beneficial properties, Aix-les-Bains is the number two spa town in France. Dedicated to well-being, the town enjoys a lovely location between lake and mountains and offers numerous attractions. It caters comprehensively for both hydrotherapy patients and holidaymakers, with Roman remains, museums, a luxurious casino, pedestrian shopping streets, balneotherapy centres, beautiful Belle-Époque hotels illustrating the town's prestigious past, as well as a sandy beach and a pleasant esplanade lined with plane trees on the edge of Bourget lake.

This famous Savoie knife, designed in 1890 by Joseph Opinel, is known all over the world today. In Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, the Opinel museum explains the knife's history and how it is manufactured.