WELCOME TO BRIANÇON

The city and its places

A tourist mountain town and a real cycling destination

A mountain town with a Mediterranean climate, cradled between the Écrins National Park and the Queyras Regional Natural Park, the city benefits from a unique position, offering its visitors an exceptional natural setting. From the wide-open spaces of the valleys to the legendary and renowned passes of the Grandes Alpes route, Briançon is a cycling stronghold. From the Col de l'Izoard to the Col du Galibier via the Col du Lautaret, Briançon's roads are a must for cycling enthusiasts and professionals.

A city classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Briançon also has a cultural heritage that is unique in France: mixing its Alpine and Provencal influences, the town is also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its Vauban fortifications. Several works surround the city walls, including the Collegiate Church of Saint-Nicolas, the Asfeld Bridge, the Salettes Fort, the Randouillet Fort, the Dauphin Fort, the Three Heads Fort and the Communication Y.

In Briançon, we speak

FRENCH

We spend

Euro

You'll ride in a

SUNNY DAY 63° F / 17° C

Tour de France stage town

35th times

A GLIMPSE OF THE CITY

Capital of the Southern Alps and ideally located 90 minutes from Gap, Grenoble and Turin, Briançon has always attracted, each summer, a large national and international public wishing to take advantage of its many advantages, which make it a stronghold of French summer tourism in all respects.

Col du Galibier

Chambon's Lake

Villages

Briançon

Alpe d'Huez

PREPARE YOUR TRIP WE GIVE A LITTLE HELP

DO & SEE

Located at an altitude of 1,326 metres, at the confluence of five valleys, Briançon is the highest town in France. This City of Art of History, fortified by French military architect Vauban in the 18th century, is today a UNESCO World Heritage Site precisely because of its remarkable group of fortifications built between the 18th and 20th centuries in order to improve the town's defence system.

EAT & DRINK

In fact, French cuisine is so highly regarded around the world that in 2010 UNESCO added it to its list of intangible cultural heritage. For many people, their introduction to French food comes in the shape of wine and cheese. Some classic French dishes include boeuf bourguignon — a stew made of beef braised in red wine, beef broth and seasoned with garlic, onions and mushrooms — and coq au vin, a dish made with chicken, Burgundy wine, lardons (small strips or cubes of pork fat), button mushrooms, onions and optional garlic

STAY IN BRIANÇON

It is the old town of Briancon, known as the Ville Haute, which is of the most interest to visitors (and the reason why Briancon is now a protected French Historic Town and is listed as an official Town of Art and History in France). Much of this part of the town remains unchanged since it was redesigned and rebuilt by Vauban in the 18th century following the destruction of much of the original town in 1692 by the duc de Savoie.