Chambéry sits in a narrow valley between two regional nature parks — the Massif des Bauges to the east, the Chartreuse to the west — with the illuminated Croix du Nivolet, a 21-metre cross at 1,547 metres, visible above the city on clear nights.
Climbing out of town toward La Féclaz and Mont Revard takes riders up through the Col de Plainpalais and onto the high plateau of the Bauges, a regional park since 1995 known for its cheese-making villages and long alpine roads shared more with cows than cars.
On 22 July 2026, the Tour de France will pass through Chambéry on Stage 17, a loop from the city into the Bauges before crossing back through the urban cluse and continuing through the Chartreuse to a finish in Voiron — the race's first visit to the city with this route.
For a base, Chambéry pairs genuine Alpine access with lake country close by: Lac du Bourget, France's largest natural lake, sits just north, and the Tour des Bauges cycling route continues from there all the way to Annecy.
