Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region
Departments: Ain, Allier, Ardèche, Cantal, Drôme, Isère, Loire, Haute-Loire, Puy-de-Dôme, Rhône, Métropole de Lyon, Savoie, Haute-Savoie.
Population: 8.2 million inhabitants
Prefecture: Lyon
Area: 69,711 km²
Specialities: Beaujolais, Côtes du Rhône and Savoie wines, Lyon specialities (quenelles, cervelles de canut, saucisson, etc.), Auvergne potée, Savoyard specialities (raclette, fondue, tartiflettes, diots, crozets), cheeses (Beaufort, Reblochon, Cantal, Bleu d'Auvergne, Salers, Saint-Nectaire, etc.), green lentils from Le Puy, waters (Evian, Thonon, Volvic), verbena, Chartreuse.
Sports clubs: Olympique Lyonnais, AS Saint-Etienne, Clermont Foot 63, Grenoble Foot 38 (football). ASM Clermont, Lyon OU, FC Grenoble, Stade Aurillacois, US Oyonnax (rugby), ASVEL Villeurbanne (basketball), Chambéry (handball), Brûleurs de loup Grenoble, Pionniers de Chamonix (ice hockey)
Competitions: Women's Football World Cup, skiing competitions (Critérium de la Première Neige in Val d'Isère), Tour de France mountain passes, Critérium du Dauphiné.
Economy: (8th European region) cutting-edge industries, automotive (Berliet), metallurgy, rubber, plastics, chemicals, electronics, agri-food, textiles, digital, banking, universities, government, viticulture. Tyres (Michelin). Design. New technologies (Inovallée). Winter and summer tourism.
Festivals: Festival of Lights in Lyon, Nuits de Fourvière in Lyon, Quais du Polar in Lyon, Design Biennial in Saint-Etienne, La Chaise-Dieu Classical Music Festival
Tourist attractions: Old Lyon and Croix-Rousse, Puy-en-Velay Cathedral, Lake Annecy, Chambéry Castle, winter sports in Isère, Savoie and Haute-Savoie, Cantal, spa resorts, Auvergne volcanoes. Pont d'Arc Cave. Grignan Castle. Grenoble Bastille. Vulcania. Parc des Oiseaux.
Websites and social media: www.auvergnerhonealpes.fr
ISÈRE (38)
Region: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Population: 1.3 million inhabitants (16 pc of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes)
Prefecture: Grenoble
Sub-prefectures: Vienne, La Tour du Pin
Number of municipalities: 521
Area: 7,431 km² (11% of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes)
Specialities: Grenoble walnuts (AOC), St Marcellin cheese (PGI), Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage cheese (PDO), ravioles, Chartreuse liqueur, Bonnat chocolates, antesite (drink). Wines: Coteaux du Grésivaudan, Balmes Dauphinoises, Collines Rhodaniennes (IGP wines), Vitis Vienna (Vienne wines). Vercors trout, alpine meats (beef, lamb), gratin dauphinois, Bourgoin brioche, murçon (charcuterie), etc.
Major sports clubs: FC Grenoble (rugby), Brûleurs de loups (ice hockey), GF38 (football), CSBJ (rugby), Ours de Villard (hockey), Rugby Sassenage Isère (women's rugby).
Major competitions: Foulée Blanche in Autrans, UT4M (Ultra Tour des 4 Massifs), Passerelles du Monteynard Trail, Echappée Belle (Ultra Traversée de Belledonne), EuroNordicWalk Vercors, Grand Duc-Trail de Chartreuse, La Marmotte in Alpe d'Huez (gran fondo)
Festivals: Coupe Icare in St Hilaire du Touvet, Alpe d’Huez Film Festival (comedy film festival in Isère), Berlioz Festival in La Côte Saint-André, Jazz in Vienne Festival, Autrans mountain film festival, Vélo Vert Festival in Villard de Lans, Tomorrowland in Alpe d'Huez.
Economy: Industry, electronics, digital technology, micro and nanoelectronics, IT, research, health, hydroelectricity, chemistry and the environment, energy, thermal spas, tourism
Main tourist attractions: Domaine de Vizille, Grande Chartreuse monastery, Saint-Antoine l'Abbaye, Choroanche caves, Grenoble cable car, Grenoble Museum, Chartreuse cellars, Dauphinois Museum, St Hilaire du Touvet funicular railway, Crémieu, Vienne, Walibi Rhône-Alpes theme park, Europe's largest skiable glacier at Les Deux-Alpes
Websites and social media: www.alpesishere.com / www.cyclo-alpes.com / www.isere.fr
Km 1.2
Tullin-Fures (Pop. 7,700)
In the Middle Ages, upon the death of the last lord of Tullins in 1428, the Dauphin inherited the seigneury. After the Dauphiné was annexed to France, the town was given to various families in the region for more than two centuries (from 1428 to 1650). In the 17th century, wealthy families settled in Tullins and restored medieval houses, traces of which can still be seen today: many doors are listed in the inventory of Historic Monuments. From the beginning of the 19th century, industrialisation developed in Fures with hemp weaving, silk weaving, metallurgy and paper manufacturing, thanks to the driving force of water. After the Isère river was dammed at the end of the 19th century, the Tullins plain became suitable for agriculture. Walnut production developed to replace the vineyards that had spread across the hillsides of Tullins, which had been decimated by the phylloxera crisis. In 2017, the town hosted a stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné, at the end of which Dutchman Koen Bouwman beat his five breakaway companions in a sprint finish.
Km 23.7
Sassenage (Pop. 11,200)
Nestled at the foot of the Vercors cliffs, Sassenage is a town that has managed to preserve its village spirit. Rich in history, it is distinguished by its three châteaux, one of which has become the town hall, its religious heritage (Saint-Pierre Church, Notre-Dame des Vignes Church), and its natural heritage, including the famous "Cuves de Sassenage", where, according to legend, the fairy Melusine found refuge.
Beauvoir Castle
Founded: 12th century under the name Château de Beauregard, then mainly in the 19th century.
Style: flamboyant Baroque.
History: in 1880, glove manufacturer Alphonse Terray (1847-1912) had this château built. It was built in part with stones recovered from the old 12th-century château called Château des Côtes (some ruins of which remain in the park), also using the technique of moulded cement, which was widely used at that time in Grenoble (worked on a metal frame, this material imitates carved stone, or wood when used for railings and walkways on the belvedere)..
Trivia: the mountaineer Lionel Terray, famous for having climbed Annapurna, was the glove maker's grandson.
Sassenage Castle
Foundation: built in the 17th century (1662-1669).
Style: classic French (architect: Laurent de Sommaire).
History: at the foot of the Vercors cliffs, built on the site of a former 13th-century fortified castle. It is the last residence occupied by the Bérenger-Sassenage family.
Characteristics: the château is built of limestone and molasse stone for the staircase. The slate for the roof comes from Bese-en-Oisans and the tiles from Saint-Quentin-sur-Isère. A sculpted pediment depicts the fairy Melusine and the coats of arms of the members of the Sassenage family.
Current use: since 1971, the château has been owned by the Fondation de France and has two functions: a commercial service for organising weddings, seminars and events, and a cultural service for the conservation, promotion and animation of heritage.
Listed as: Historic Monument since 1942.
Cuves de Sassenage
Surrounded by unspoilt flora and fauna, the Cuves de Sassenage cave, a listed natural heritage site, invites visitors to contemplate the crystal-clear waters of the Furon river and an exceptional panorama of Grenoble, before descending into the cool, tranquil world underground. A guaranteed change of scenery in the heart of the Vercors Regional Nature Park, allowing you to forget for a moment that you are so close to the city...
Km 36.7
Côte d'Engins
The Côte d'Engins is an 11.4 km climb with an average gradient of 5.4%. It has been climbed twice in the Tour de France, in 1988 and 1990, each time during a time trial towards Villard-de-Lans. The best times at the summit were set by Pedro Delgado and Erik Breukink respectively.
Km 43
Lans-en-Vercors (Pop. 2,750)
Located in the northern sector of the Vercors Massif known as the "Four Mountains", at the gateway to the Vercors Regional Nature Park, the health resort of Lans-en-Vercors, which was already attracting visitors from Grenoble over a century ago, has gradually become a village resort whose accessible ski area appeals to families and beginners. In the Val de Lans area, in the Sassenage region, surrounded by the peaks of Grand Cheval (1,827 m), Pic Saint Michel (1,966 m) and Les Virets (1,768 m), the Montagnes de Lans alpine ski area offers 24 slopes for all levels, ranging in altitude from 1,400 m to 1,807 m. While Stendhal's often-mentioned links with the town seem distant, the artist Niki de Saint-Phalle lived there for three years in 1958. In 1985, Colombian Fabio Parra won the only stage of the Tour de France hosted by Lans-en-Vercors, ahead of his compatriot Lucho Herrera. In 2018, Julian Alaphilippe won a stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné here.
Km 52.3
Saint-Nizier-de-Moucherotte (Pop. 1,160)
In 1968, Saint-Nizier hosted the ski jumping events of the Grenoble Olympic Games at the foot of the Trois Pucelles, the three rocky peaks overlooking the village. According to legend, these are the three daughters of the Lord of Naves who were turned to stone by Charlemagne. The climb up Saint-Nizier-de-Moucherotte (14.6 km at 6.8 pc) was climbed four times in the Tour de France between 1950 and 1989. In the latter year, Laurent Fignon led the way during a stage he won in Villard-de-Lans.
Saint-Nizier-du-Moucherotte Memorial and National Necropolis
The memorial is a national historic site located about 1 km from the village centre. This monument was built to house the remains and commemorate the civilian resistance fighters and the few soldiers who died during the Second World War. This site is located on the very spot where the fighting took place between 13 and 15 June 1944 during what was known as the Battle of Vercors. The National Necropolis brings together the bodies and memories of 98 resistance fighters, including writer Jean Prévost (Captain Goderville), Eugène Chavant (Clément) and François Huet (Hervieux).
Km 59
Seyssinet-Pariset (Pop. 11,740)
This commune on the outskirts of Grenoble was called Seyssinet-Pariset-La Tour Sans Venin until the Second World War, when its name was shortened. Jean-Jacques Rousseau stayed there in 1768 during his travels in the Grenoble region. It was the birthplace of France TV journalist and documentary filmmaker Marcel Trillat, who died in 2020.
Beauregard Castle
Construction: 18th and 19th centuries.
Style: classical.
History: The château was built in the 18th and 19th centuries. Jean-Jacques Rousseau stayed there in 1768. It now belongs to the Perrin family (a family of glove makers from Grenoble) and is only open to visitors a few times a year, with the agreement of the family and the town hall.
Characteristics: the château has three floors and is decorated with stucco and trompe-l'oeil paintings dating from 1780. The large salon decorated with plasterwork and the adjoining bedroom are undoubtedly the most remarkable rooms in the château. The grounds include greenhouses, a large swimming pool, a garden factory, fountains and ponds fed by a spring, a waterfall and an avenue of century-old trees. The panoramic view over the Grenoble conurbation, the Belledonne mountain range and even Mont Blanc in the distance make it a remarkable viewpoint.
Listed as: historic monument in 1997.
Km 60.1
La Tour Sans Venin
Construction: 11th century.
History: located below the hamlet of Pariset and overlooking the Grenoble basin, the "Tour Sans Venin" (Tower Without Venom), now largely in ruins, is the remains of the keep of the former castle of Pariset, which dates back to the 11th century. This monument, easily accessible from the Lans-en-Vercors road, is known as one of the seven wonders of the Dauphiné. At the foot of these ruins, visitors can enjoy a sweeping panorama of the Grenoble metropolitan area.
Trivia: a local legend tells of the exploits of the Lord of Pariset, who, following a crusade to the Holy Land, brought back a shield filled with soil taken from the very ground of the Holy Sepulchre and spread it on the ground around his castle in , where the tower now stands. which led to the permanent disappearance of all snakes and other reptiles, some of which are poisonous, hence the name given to this tower.
Km 63.1
Seyssins (Pop. 7,700)
Seyssins is notably the town of Yves Brouzet, former French shot-put record holder, and his son, international rugby player Olivier Brouzet, selected 72 times for France. It is also the training club of Andy Flickinger, who competed in the Tour de France in 2002 and 2003 before becoming sporting director at Europcar and then Delko Marseille-Provence, and taking up painting with some talent. In 2012, Seyssins hosted a stage of the Criterium du Dauphiné, won by Cadel Evans.
Km 67.9
Claix (Pop. 8,000)
The young Stendhal spent much of his childhood in Claix, where his family owned a property. This was also the case for Hector Berlioz, whose uncle Victor Berlioz owned Château de la Balme. Dozens of small châteaux, fortified houses and manor houses can still be found in the commune. The most spectacular monument in Claix is undoubtedly the Fort de Comboire, built to protect Grenoble during the 1870 war and remarkably well preserved.
Km 78.1
Vif (Pop. 8,600)
Last year, the town of Champollion hosted the start of the 18th stage of the Tour de France to Courchevel (Col de la Loze), where Ben O'Connor won ahead of Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard.
Champollion Museum
Construction: 17th century.
Museum opening: 2021
History: acquired by the Isère Departmental Council in 2001, Les Ombrages (now Maison Champollion) opened its doors to the public for the first time in 2004 on the occasion of the 9th International Congress of Egyptology. It reopened after renovation work in 2021. This elegant mansion, set in extensive grounds, was owned by Jacques-Joseph Champollion-Figeac's wife, Zoé Berriat, who received it as a dowry in 1807. Jean-François Champollion used to stay there in fine weather, under "the cool shade of Vif". The property has remained intact since the 19th century. The furniture, family paintings, everyday objects, not to mention the sixty volumes of manuscripts by the decipherer of hieroglyphics... everything here evokes the memory of Jacques-Joseph and Jean-François Champollion. In fact, you can still see traces of hieroglyphics engraved on the beams in the latter's bedroom.
Special feature: in the town centre, a trail allows walkers to discover several places where the Champollion brothers and the Berriat family left their mark.
Listed as: historic monument in 1994. Museum of France.
Saint-Jean-Baptiste Church
Construction: 1030 to 1709.
Style: Romanesque.
History: this is the church of a former Benedictine priory founded in 1035 and partially destroyed during the Wars of Religion. The church's porch tower dates from the 13th century and was remodelled in the 19th century. The nave was rebuilt in the 13th century, but the Romanesque choir has been preserved. The attic was converted, cutting off the galleries. The south wall features architecture typical of 13th-century Dauphiné. Excavations have revealed the presence of a Carolingian and Merovingian cemetery, and a remarkable collection of murals has been uncovered on the north and south walls, especially around the galleries, windows and triumphal arch (geometric decorations and scenes with several characters). In the 19th century, the choir was painted by Alexandre Debelle, but the decorations were permanently lost during the restoration of the church in 1960.
Characteristics: the church is built in a predominantly Romanesque style, although it has been remodelled several times since the 11th century. The general shape of the church is a set of three vessels (two aisles and a nave) without a real transept. This architecture is similar to the structure of a basilica-style church. The original Romanesque church appears to have consisted of a triple nave, a chevet with three apses and a porch tower. The chevet dates from the 11th century, while the nave, which looks very different, was built on the model of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Grenoble and probably dates from the 13th century.
Listed as: historic monument in 2011
Km 81.7
Saint-Georges-de-Commiers (Pop. 2,800)
Saint-Georges-de-Commiers station was the starting point of the La Mure railway line, which opened in 1902 and was used to transport coal between Saint-Georges and La Mure. Transport was suspended in 2010 but resumed in 2021, although only between La Mure and Monteynard. Plans are underway to reuse the line.
Saint-Georges Church
Construction: 11th and 12th centuries.
History: this is an early Romanesque church that has retained its original appearance since 1080, when it was donated by Saint Hugues, Bishop of Grenoble, to Lantelme, Provost of Oulx, and to the canons of the monastery located in the upper Susa Valley. The oldest parts are the nave, covered with a barrel vault, and the portal, one of whose capitals is decorated with a human mask with oversized moustaches, while the bell tower and sacristy date from the late 17th century. The grassy enclosure of the original cemetery remains around this modest church, as the cemetery of Saint-Georges was moved further downhill, halfway between the old village and the railway station, at the end of the 19th century.
Listed as: historic monument in 1908.
Km 91.9
Monteynard (Pop. 500)
Himalayan footbridges of Monteynard
Unique in Europe, two Himalayan footbridges, as vertiginous as they are discreet in their wooded and mineral setting, offer views of Lake Monteynard. With a length of 180 and 220 metres, the footbridges span the Drac and Ebron gorges at a height of 80 metres above the water. A 12.5 km route to explore on foot or by mountain bike, with the option of crossing the lake by boat to complete the circuit.
Km 100.3
Susville (Pop. 1,130)
Villaret Mine
Drilled in 1948 to a depth of 270 metres, its headframe dates from 1953. Its closure in 1997 marked the end of coal mining in the Dauphiné basin. It is the last remaining vestige of the Villaret colliery, not far from the imposing stone warehouse. The Villaret mining site has been awarded the Patrimoine en Isère label. A blank façade has been decorated with new paintwork in 2016, giving it a fresh look and perfectly illustrating the building's former function.
Km 103.9
La Mure (Pop. 5,300)
In 2017, La Mure was the starting point for a stage of the Tour de France to Serre-Chevalier, where Primoz Roglic claimed his first stage victory in the Grande Boucle ahead of Rigoberto Uran and Chris Froome, the eventual winner of that edition. Three more would follow for the Slovenian, who also won four Vueltas and one Giro. This small commune in Isère has seen the peloton pass through many times as it travels along the N85, also known as the Route Napoléon, which links Grenoble to Gap. The residents of La Mure were certainly able to cheer on two of their own: Anatole Novak, who competed in ten Tours de France – from 1961, when he won a stage in Metz, to 1970 – and Thierry Bourguignon, who competed in the event seven times between 1991 and 1999. Standing 1.87 metres tall, Anatole Novak was nicknamed "the giant of La Mure". A teammate of Jacques Anquetil, then Roger Pingeon and Luis Ocana, he also won a stage of the Vuelta in 1970. As for Thierry Bourguignon, despite a mixed record, he was one of the most popular riders of his generation and a highly regarded consultant. More recently, in 2014, the Criterium du Dauphiné stopped off at La Mure, where Slovenian Simon Spilak took the stage win.
Musée de la Mine
Built on a former underground mining site, the Mine Image Museum tells the story of mining on the Matheysin plateau and the extraction of anthracite, the best coal in the world. Created and maintained by former miners, the site offers a comprehensive museum display (extraction techniques, tools, miners' way of life) and a guided tour.
Sanctuary of Our Lady of La Salette
Construction: 1852 to 1879.
History: the history of the sanctuary began with the Marian apparition at La Salette on Saturday 19 September 1846. Two young shepherds, Mélanie Calvat and Maximin Giraud, saw a "beautiful lady" appear in a resplendent light, weeping, who spoke to them. That evening, they told their masters and the village priest about it. The bishop was informed and opened a canonical inquiry. On 19 September 1851, Philibert de Bruillard, Bishop of Grenoble, officially recognised the apparition as "authentic" and began construction of a sanctuary on the very site of the apparition. The plans for the church were designed by architect Alfred Berruyer, and it was elevated to the rank of minor basilica in 1879.
Characteristics: the sanctuary of Notre-Dame de La Salette is located in the heart of nature, at an altitude of nearly 1,800 metres, in a mountain cirque. The second most popular pilgrimage site in France after Lourdes, the sanctuary welcomes nearly 150,000 people every year. It is also a place to relax and a starting point for hikes.
La Pierre Percée
The seventh wonder of the Dauphiné, La Pierre Percée (The Pierced Stone) is a magnificent natural sculpture perched on top of a hill overlooking the Matheysine. Steeped in legend, La Pierre Percée is an excellent hiking destination and offers breathtaking views of the Matheysin plateau.
Km 129.3
Corps (Pop. 500)
On the Route Napoléon, this historic, tourist and gastronomic stop is not to be missed. Here you will find an artisan distillery, St Pierre Church, St Roch Chapel... not to mention the Sautet dam and its lake, ideal for water sports.
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region
Departments: Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Hautes-Alpes, Alpes-Maritimes, Bouches-du-Rhône, Var, Vaucluse.
Population: 5.2 million.
Prefecture: Marseille
Area: 31,400 km
Specialities: Mediterranean cuisine, pizza, pissaladière, panisses, chichis, bouillabaisse, petits farcis (stuffed vegetables), alouette sans tête (meat rolls), pieds et paquets marseillais (mutton feet), salade niçoise, pan bagnat (tuna sandwich), gardiane de taureau (bull stew), sea urchins, fish (sea bream, sea bass, red mullet, dentex, marbled seabream, pageots, pagres, sars), wines (rosés from Provence, Côtes de Provence, Côtes du Rhône, Palette, Bandol, etc.)
Sports clubs: Olympique Marseille, OGC Nice (football), Rugby Club Toulon. Cercle des Nageurs de Marseille (swimming).
Competitions: Football World Cup, Euro 2016 football tournament, Rugby World Cup, rugby test matches, Tour de France cycling race, Paris-Nice, GP La Marseille, Classique Haribo, Tour du Haut-Var, Tour de la Provence, beach volleyball, beach football, rugby in Toulon. World pétanque championship in Marseille.
Tourist attractions: beaches and seaside resorts (Saint-Tropez, Nice, Saint-Raphaël, Fréjus, Cassis, Bandol, etc.), Palais des Papes in Avignon, Arles (arenas, Roman ruins), Marseille (Old Port, Panier, calanques, Château d'If, Mucem), Nice (Promenade des Anglais, Old Nice, Old Port), Mont Ventoux, Cannes, ski resorts in the Hautes-Alpes and Alpes-Maritimes (Serre-Chevalier, Le Sauze, Orcières-Merlette, Isola 2000), Briançon (citadel), Aix-en-Provence.
Economy: 7 pcof French GDP, 3rd largest region in France, 16th largest in Europe. Agriculture (wine and market gardening), tertiary sector (80 pc), universities (Aix-Marseille, France's leading university, Nice, Toulon), ports (Marseille, La Ciotat, Nice), petrochemicals (Fos), logistics, Nice and Marseille airports, tourism.
Festivals: Cannes Film Festival, Avignon Festival (theatre), Chorégies d'Orange, Aix-en-Provence Festival (opera), Jazz à Nice, Festival de Marseille (dance). Midem (Cannes), Marsatac (Marseille), Fiesta des Suds (Marseille), Plages électroniques (Cannes), Rencontres d'Arles (photography).
Website: www.maregionsud.fr
HAUTES-ALPES (05)
Prefecture: Gap
Sub-prefecture: Briançon
Population: 143,467
Number of municipalities: 162
Area: 5,549 km²
Specialities: Tourtons (fritters), Oreilles d'âne (cream, lasagne and spinach gratin), honey (mountain, lavender, wildflower, etc.), wines (Tallard and Vallée de l'Avance), fruit (apples and pears from the Durance valley), cheese, etc.
Sport: Second department in France in terms of members per capita, with nearly 500 clubs and around 50 disciplines ranging from alpine skiing to ice hockey (Diables Rouges de Briançon and Rapaces de Gap), cycling (road cycling, mountain biking), team sports (football, rugby, handball, basketball), athletics, swimming, etc.
Economy: Tourism, agropastoralism, the timber industry, crafts, the departmental aeronautics industry, etc.
Competitions: European Cup Southern Region women's alpine skiing in Orcières, Speed Skiing World Cup in Vars, Embrunman Triathlon, Trail Gapen'cimes, Mondial de l'Escalade Briançon, Alps Epic Mountain Biking, French Windfoil and KiteFoil Championships in Serre-Ponçon.
Culture and heritage: Vauban fortifications in Briançon and Mont-Dauphin (UNESCO World Heritage Site). Lake Serre-Ponçon, Écrins Massif (Barre des Écrins and Meije), major mountain passes (Izoard, Lautaret, Galibier, Vars, Granon, Noyer, etc.). Departmental Museum in Gap. Lautaret Alpine Botanical Garden. Cultural sites of Notre-Dame du Laus and Boscodon. Villages of Saint-Véran (Queyras) and La Grave (Haute-Romanche), listed as some of the most beautiful villages in France. Embrun Cathedral. Plateau de Bure and Iram astrophysics observatory (Dévoluy). Charance Castle estate and park (Gap)
Festivals: Tous Dehors…Enfin Festival in Gap (May), Outdoormix Festival (Embrun), Trad'in Festival (Embrun), Chaillol Music Festival, Messiaen Festival (Haute-Romanche).
Websites: www.hautes-alpes.fr / www.hautes-alpes.net / www.phenomenalpes.com
Km 142
Chauffayer (Pop. 390)
The municipality merged with Les Costes and Saint-Eusèbe-en-Champsaur to form the new municipality of Aubessagne in 2018.
Château des Herbeys
Construction: 13th to 18th centuries.
History: the 13th-century château was the residence of the Herbeys family, lords of Aubessagne and Chauffayer – originally a hamlet – from the 14th century onwards. In 1770, Louis-François des Herbeys inherited the château and had a canal built to divert the Séveraisse river to irrigate the Aubessagne plateau. This 28 km canal, which takes water from Ubac de Saint-Maurice-en-Valgodemard, ends at the rear of the château. Completed in 1773, it was not put into service until 1810.
Current use: luxury hotel and gourmet restaurant.
Km 145.4
Le Noyer (Pop. 260)
Le Noyer is located at the foot of the Col du Noyer, where one of Napoleon's refuges is located. The pass marks the boundary between the commune of Le Noyer (Champsaur valley) and the commune of Saint-Étienne-en-Dévoluy (Dévoluy valley).
Maison de la Botanique Ecomuseum
Dedicated to Dominique Villars, doctor and botanist, born in 1745. Presentation of his life and work and discovery of the flora of Champsaur and Valgaudemar. In the botanical garden of the ecomuseum: discover aromatic, culinary and medicinal plants, in the style of 19th-century priest's gardens. Themed trail through various landscapes with information panels about the vegetation.
Km 153.2
La Fare-en-Champsaur (Pop. 420)
The village stretches between the left bank of the Drac to the east and the edge of the Bois-Vert national forest to the west on the slopes of the peaks that separate Champsaur from Dévoluy. It is made up of five hamlets, the main one being Les Barraques, which has developed commercially thanks to its privileged location on the Gap-Grenoble axis. On 6 March 1815, Emperor Napoleon, on his return from Elba, stopped at the hamlet of Les Barraques on the Route Napoléon. La Fare-en-Champsaur is the birthplace of the famous Robert dictionary, as its author, Paul Robert, was born in the village: the family home is still visited by his family. Another local personality, Antoine Taix, emigrated to California at the age of 19, became mayor of San Juan and made his fortune. He made numerous donations to his native village.
Km 155.5
Laye (Pop. 260)
The village is also a small family ski resort where all kinds of winter and summer mountain sports can be enjoyed.
Km 160.2
Forest-Saint-Julien (Pop. 350)
This small village in Champsaur is best known as the home of Sébastien Ogier, nine-time world rally champion, who spent his childhood here and still has his official fan club here.
Sébastien Ogier
The son of a delivery driver and an accountant from the Hautes-Alpes, Sébastien Ogier grew up in Forest-Saint-Julien and quickly developed a taste for sport: he was French junior champion in boules lyonnaise doubles (bowls), practised alpine skiing and loved F1. Spotted in 20025 when he won the French Motor Sport Federation's Rallye Jeunes selection, he got his first drive in 2006. Winner of the Junior WRC World Championship in 2008, Sébastien Ogier completed his first full season in the WRC in 2009 and even achieved his first podium finish. The following year, he won his first victory at the Rally of Portugal, achieved six podium finishes and began to write his legend. After finishing third in the 2011 WRC championship and an epic battle with Sébastien Loeb, Sébastien Ogier joined VW Motorsport in 2012 and won his first WRC world championship title in 2013. He repeated this feat in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, with his last two WRC world championships being won in a Ford Fiesta for M Sport. In 2018, after victories in France, Monte Carlo, Mexico and the Rally of Great Britain, Sébastien Ogier became only the second driver in history to achieve a hat-trick in the WRC. Returning to Citroën the following year, the Gap-born driver and his co-driver Julien Ingrassia finished third in the 2019 WRC Championship despite victories in Monte Carlo, Mexico and Turkey. Then, as a driver for Toyota Gazoo Racing, Sébastien Ogier won the world championship again in 2020 and 2021, the latter year seeing him win the Monte Carlo, Croatia, Sardinia, Kenya and Monza stages. In 2022, during an incomplete season (due to partial retirement), he won the Rally Catalunya and finished second in New Zealand and Monte Carlo, after a very close battle with Sébastien Loeb. That same year, he competed in endurance racing with the Richard Mille Racing Team in the LMP2 category, notably taking part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In 2025, still "retired" and at nearly 42 years of age, he equalled his former great rival Sébastien Loeb by becoming world rally champion for the ninth time.
Km 166.3
Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes (Pop. 230)
Clustered around its bell tower, the village has a few beautiful wooden chalets and, above all, a superb castle that is still in very good condition, built in the Middle Ages under the aegis of the Counts of Provence. In winter, the village is transformed into a family ski resort where you can enjoy all kinds of winter sports, including sledging, sleigh rides and all types of skiing. In summer, Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes becomes a hub for outdoor leisure activities, from mountain hiking and mountain biking to hang-gliding and peaceful fishing by the river.
Saint-Léger Castle
Construction: 14th to 17th century.
Style: medieval.
History: around 1200, the site of the castle was home to a priory built by the monks of Cluny; at that time, it consisted only of the central building and had no upper floor. A fortified house built in the 15th century by the local lord and enlarged in the early 17th century (date 1612 on the courtyard gate) with the addition of an enclosure and corner towers and embellished with an enclosed garden. In the 19th century, it was converted into a mansion by an industrialist. It is a private property sometimes used for film shoots.
Listed as: historic monument in 1997.
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