Vizille travel guide

Visit Vizille (, France)

The small town of Vizille is dominated by its large chateau. It is situated a little south of Grenoble, in the southern part of the Isere department, in the Rhone-Alps region of south-east France. It is at the edge of the Vercors Natural Regional Parc.

Explorer Vizille

France This Way review: the town of Vizille is pleasant but has no major points of interest and it is for the chateau that most visitors come to the town. There are however plenty of places to stop for a coffee or a meal in the town centre after you have toured the castle and its beautiful grounds.

In the town centre, the main street has many arcaded buildings that give it charm.

Buildings of interest in Vizille include the priory, with a doorway in striped black and white stone in a style more often seen in Tuscany; the 18th century town hall; the Chateau du Roy, a ruined castle on the hill above the town, and the baroque facade of the church of Sainte-Marie.

The Chateau de Vizille

The Chateau of Vizille once belonged to the Dukes of Lesdiquieres but became an important meeting place during the build up to the French Revolution. It has been the summer residence for French presidents between 1925 and 1960. The interior is now open to the public as a museum of the French revolution and the beautiful gardens are open to all. Both are free to enter.

The gardens and grounds of The Domaine de Vizille extend over 100 hectares and have been labelled a 'Jardin Remarquable'. They are indeed lovely. In front of the chateau is the huge Grand Canal which is filled with carp and other fish and has swans and geese gliding gracefully on the water. Walking around the canal is obviously very popular with locals and tourists alike.

Close to the chateau you can explore the parterre gardens, clipped trees and attractive footbridges while further away there are superb trees and woods and you can see an ancient fish farm. A little further away there is a tower with a good view over the deer which live in the park.

The whole park is incredibly well maintained, especially given that it is free to enter.

Museum of the French Revolution

Inside the museum at the Chateau de Vizille, also free to enter, are collections of china and paintings and sculpture from revolutionary times. The paintings in particular are magnificent - each could be the backdrop for a scene from Les Miserables!

The museum is open April to October 10.00-12.30 and 13.30-18.00 and November to March 10.00-12.30 and 13.30-17.00. It is closed Tuesdays.