Fête du Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage

Fête du Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage: The Celebration of AOP Cheese in the Heart of the Vercors

Since 2001, the Fête du Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage has brought together cheese and mountain lovers every summer in a village of the Vercors Regional Natural Park. This travelling event, organized by the Syndicat du Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage and the Regional Natural Park, celebrates Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage AOP, a unique blue cheese produced exclusively in the Vercors massif.

Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage: An Exceptional Cheese

Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage is a cow's milk blue cheese with a Protected Designation of Origin (AOP) since 1998. Produced exclusively in the Vercors massif, it is made from the milk of local breeds, particularly the Villard Villarde cow, a rustic breed emblematic of the plateau. Its mild and creamy taste, with notes of hazelnut and mushroom, makes it a cheese appreciated by connoisseurs and novices alike.

A Rich Program Around Mountain Agriculture

The Fête du Bleu offers two days of activities centered on agriculture and pastoral heritage:

• Manufacturing Demonstrations: Cheesemakers demonstrate the production steps of Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage live.
• Public Milking Sessions: Visitors witness the milking of cows and discover the daily lives of the plateau's breeders.
• Herd Parades: Local breeds—Villard Villarde, Abondance, Montbéliarde—parade through the village streets.
• Agricultural Competition: The finest animals from the plateau are presented and judged.
• Producers' Market: About fifty farmers offer their local Vercors products.
• Children's Activities: Discovery workshops, games, and encounters with farm animals.

A Travelling Festival in the Vercors Regional Natural Park

The originality of the Fête du Bleu lies in its travelling nature. Each year, a different village in the Vercors massif hosts the event, allowing visitors to discover the diversity of the Vercors landscapes and heritage. Among the municipalities that have hosted the festival are: Villard-de-Lans, La Chapelle-en-Vercors, Saint-Laurent-en-Royans, Méaudre, and other villages on the plateau.

La Chapelle-en-Vercors, a Village of Character in the Heart of the Drôme Vercors

La Chapelle-en-Vercors is one of the emblematic villages of the Drôme Vercors. Located at an altitude of 1,000 meters, this mountain village is surrounded by forests, meadows, and spectacular cliffs. Its history, marked by the Resistance during World War II, and its exceptional natural heritage make it a prime location to host the Fête du Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage.