Mizoen

Traditional village

Mizoën is a traditional high mountain village located a stone's throw from the ski resorts of the Oisans massif, L’Alpe d´Huez and Les Deux Alpes. From the heights of its rocky outcrop, this remarkable site overlooks Lake Chambon, a lake of volcanic origin located in the Dore Mountains. From this village, you have various splendid views on the landscapes of the Alps, but you’ll also find a rural heritage such as a beautiful bread oven.

The characteristics of the village of Mizoën

Gateway to the Ferrand valley, Mizoën is a magnificent flowery village where visitors have the chance to enjoy a panoramic view of remarkable sites such as the Chambon lake, the Meije and its glaciers, the Romanche gorges or the edges of the Taillefer. As in many hamlets of Oisans, life in Mizoën is mainly organized around agricultural and pastoral activities. This does not prevent residents from getting involved in tourist activities. The fact remains that the village displays a strong attachment to its traditions. Its decor is picturesque, marked among other things by its bread oven, its terroir museum, its ancient paths dotted with oratories, etc.
It is also a beautiful destination for families, the village offering several leisure facilities. Among them are the recreation room, the kindergarten or the playgrounds. The surrounding natural spaces are suitable for a whole range of sports activities such as hiking, cycling or mountain biking, but also horse riding, paragliding, skiing, snowshoeing, not to mention mountaineering.
You can also take advantage of the living room to discover the most beautiful natural spaces around. As soon as you leave the village, you discover emblematic sites such as the Emparis plateau and its lakes whose waters reflect glaciers.

The History and Heritage of Mizoën

Mizoën would mean "at noon". This would echo the fact that the village is abundantly bathed in natural light on its rocky outcrop. It was before a territory of mountain peasants. This identity is also honored by the ecomuseum of the hamlet of Les Clots. The establishment is located close to the refuge. This is the place to go to learn more about how the peasants of yesteryear were organized.
Mizoën was originally installed on the edge of the Romanche gorges, a torrent that winds the Hautes-Alpes and Isère. Certain discoveries have highlighted the passage of a Roman road in Grenoble and Briançon. The fact remains that the village has long been a strategic crossing point for crossing the Alps. A strategic crossing point for crossing the Alps, Mizoën had up to 680 inhabitants in the middle of the 19th century. Two hamlets in the village of Mont-de-Lans, located below, had been swallowed up by the Chambon dam, built between 1926 and 1935.