Hautes-Alpes: Briancon, Ecrins, and Sun-Drenched Mountains
Hautes-Alpes is one of the sunniest and least populated departments in France, combining high mountain terrain with Mediterranean-influenced weather. Briancon, at 1,326 metres, is the highest city in France and holds a Vauban fortress complex that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Gap, the prefecture, sits at a lower altitude and serves as the commercial centre for the southern Alps.
Serre Chevalier is the department's largest ski resort. The Ecrins National Park, one of France's ten national parks, protects high Alpine peaks and glaciers. The Durance valley runs through the department. The population is only about 142,000. Embrun, the former capital of the Hautes-Alpes, has a cathedral built of distinctive dark stone. The Col du Galibier and Col d'Izoard are legendary Tour de France climbs that draw thousands of amateur cyclists every summer.
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Hautes-Alpes is one of the sunniest and least populated departments in France, combining high mountain terrain with Mediterranean-influenced weather. Briancon, at 1,326 metres, is the highest city in France and holds a Vauban fortress complex that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Gap, the prefecture, sits at a lower altitude and serves as the commercial centre for the southern Alps.
Serre Chevalier is the department's largest ski resort. The Ecrins National Park, one of France's ten national parks, protects high Alpine peaks and glaciers. The Durance valley runs through the department. The population is only about 142,000. Embrun, the former capital of the Hautes-Alpes, has a cathedral built of distinctive dark stone. The Col du Galibier and Col d'Izoard are legendary Tour de France climbs that draw thousands of amateur cyclists every summer.
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