Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse is a ski resort in the Alps. It is also known as the seat of the main monastery of the Carthusian Order, founded in the 11th century by Bruno of Cologne.
The town developed around the monastery and until the 20th century it did not play any significant role in the area, remaining only a base for the monks. Its development brought it only the tourist boom and the popularity of ski tourism. The authorities of the Carthusian order, whose rules are very strict, and the monks are bound by silence and isolation from the environment, even considered moving the monastery to a more peaceful place. Ultimately, they managed to win considerable privileges regarding keeping parts of the valley quiet, restricting car traffic and private plane flights.
The medieval Charterhouse, rebuilt in the 17th century, is the highlight of the Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse area. Most of it is closed to visitors, there are only a few zones that can be visited by tourists. However, it looks beautiful from the surrounding mountains and from the hiking trails in the Chartreuse regional park.
Since the mid-twentieth century, skiing tourism has been developing dynamically in the village. There is a resort here with 35 kilometers of slopes of various difficulty levels. Cross-country skiing tracks are also available.
