The origins of the name of our village would date back to the XI century and derives from the latin
TOVETUM diverted from the appellation TOFUS indicating the “tuff” a kind of porous stone.
Our village is located in the “Dauphiné” region in the middle of the Grésivaudan valley, between
Grenoble and Chambéry (25 km from each city). The valley is bordered by the Chartreuse bank on
the one side and by the Belledonne chain on the other.
It is the leader place of the district and its environment is quite remarkable. A large scale of facilities
and services are provided such as a nursery school, a primary school, canteens, a secondary school a
children’s outdoor activity center, ect…
Le Touvet enjoys numerous assets : its geographical situation and its easiness of access by the
freeway, a true quality of life, a living market town, a historical castle classified “monument
historique”, numerous tracks for hiking… where one can encounter three rare plants in the hamlet of
La frette for example.
SOME IMPORTANT HISTORIC FACTS OF THE VILLAGE
In the XVI century, the Baron des Adrets, famous for his war facts, dies in his castle of La
Frette…
Between 1753 and 1770 the Count de Marcieu creates waterfalls in the garden…
In the XIX century the roman church falls into ruins and is replaced by the actual church…
THE XIX AND THE XX CENTURY
At the beginning of the century some Italian immigrants lived in the woods and prepared the
charcoal which was transported by mules then by trucks to the plants in Maurienne.
The hillsides between Grenoble and Chambéry were covered with vineyards. The proprietors
would grow various types of white and red wine, such as Jacquère, Mondeuse, Gamay, etc…
The crucifix at the crossroads or along the paths show the resurgence of the catholic religion.
TOURISTIC SITUATION
The charming aspect of the village, its quiet rhythm of life, its geographical situation make it
a privileged location for tourism.
At about 5 from 15 km from Le Touvet are several lakes with many possibilities of
entertainments during the summer.
For those who love the mountains numerous tracks are to be discovered in the Chartreuse
or in the Belledonne chain.
Some famous ski resorts are located 3Omn from Le Touvet such as “Les 7 Laux”
“Chamrousse”, or even closer for the beginners and for families “Le Col de Marcieux”, Saint‐
Hilaire du Touvet….
The « Coupe Icare » is organized each year at St Hilaire du Touvet and attracts paragliders,
parachuters, and all air sports lovers from the whole world.
