HERITAGE / culturAl HERITAGE
Did you know ?
Autrans : the name is believed to derive from Lans-en-Vercors (oldest village on the plateau) and this developed into « oultre-lans » (aut-lans) meaning « beyond the village of Lans ». From this name it transformed into Autrans.
The Church of Autrans : only the Belfry can be placed in the Middle Age (12th/13th century), the stone spire is believed to originate from the 17th/18th century, the altar and the nave of the building were built in 1875.
Tourism in Autrans commenced at the beginning of the last century as people and particularly children were attracted to the resort as it was renowned for curing respiratory and other ailments.
Join us on our guided history tour through the village each week, summer or winter. Organised by the tourist office.
Situated a few kilometres from Autrans, places of interest include :
Maison du patrimoine à Villard de Lans,
* Heritage House « Maison du patrimoine » in Villard de Lans,
* Resistance and Memorial museum and Prehistory museum in Vassieux en Vercors,
* Caves : « grottes de Choranche », « Draye Blanche » and « Grotte de la Luire »,
* « Trou qui Souffle » (underground open blow-hole) in Méaudre, ,
* Tourist road and village of Valchevrière, roads and « gorges de la Bourne » and « les Grands Goulets ».
The GRENOBLE 1968 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES
The 1968 Winter Olympic Games were the first Games to be broadcast on TV.
Autrans hosted the cross-country ski-ing, biathlon, ski jumping (70 m ski jump) and Nordic combined events (jumping and XC ski-ing)
For many French people, these images of Nordic ski-ing in Autrans were a revelation. This marked the start of the development of cross-country ski-ing in France and throughout Europe.
The ski jumps of the 1968 Grenoble Winter Games. These ski jumps which are still in use today, represent a long local tradition of this sport in Autrans. The first ski competitions were held here in 1911. These days the 70m, 56m and 20m ski jumps are equipped to be used in both summer and winter for national and international competitions. You will find a panoramic table at the top of the 70m ski jump.
