Bourg-Saint-Maurice
Bourg-Saint-Maurice is a town of about 7,000 inhabitants, nestled in the Tarentaise valley, and the Isère river goes through it. It is famous for its’ whitewater kayak base, and easy access to the ski resorts of Les Arcs, Peisey-Vallandry, and La Plagne. But there are several trails to explore right from town!
Chapelle Saint Michel
If you like hiking, this trail starts right from downtown. going up from the church. It’s only 5km out and back to the Chapelle Saint Michel, at an elevation of 1,343m (about 4,400 feet). From the church, go up past the cemetary and right by the gymnasium (where you can park for free) you’ll see the post with the yellow signs for this hike. The trail isn’t very difficult but it is steep ! 460 m of elevation gain in only two and a half kilometers. The sign says it takes an hour and a half, but I did it in an hour, going slow and taking breaks for photos.
The start of the trail goes through two streets before going back to nature, between exposed sections and woodsy ones. Turn around every once in a while to see the landscape and the colors of the river change as your altitude changes!
If you’re not too tired once you get to the Chapelle St Michel, follow the signs to continue to the Fort du Truc !
Bike path to aime
From downtown Bourg-Saint-Maurice, it is very easy to access the paved bike path by the river and take it for about 15km to Aime. You will share it with people walking their dogs, running, rollerskating…
The path is easy to follow and seems flat but goes down slightly towards Aime… which means it will go slightly up on your way back to Bourg Saint Maurice! If you need to rent a bike, including electric ones, I recommend Précision Ski, en face de la gare. From the store, the path is located right behind the train station.
Once you reach Aime, it’s easy to take some time to explore downtown before turning around and returning to Bourg Saint Maurice.