Activities
LE MONÊTIER-LES-BAINS
Live the charm of an authentic alpine village that has preserved its original architecture, traditions, tranquility; breath the extraordinarily pure air of the Briançonnais, replenish yourself at the thermal baths (4500m2, hot water source at 44oC, spa, beauty care), located at a distance of 200 m from the Auberge de Choucas. The ski lifts are found 450 m away, and transportation thereto 50 m away from the Auberge.
VALLEY OF SERRE-CHEVALIER
The skiing resort of the Serre-Chevalier Valley, one of the largest in Europe, gathers together four villages on the outskirts of the Ecrins National Park, offering 250 km of slopes at an altitude between 1 200 and 2 830 m. The powdered snow in the forests, in the little hidden valleys, in the large, open slopes, permits skiing at all levels. At the border of the Northern Alps and of Savoie, in the heart of the region of Briançon, the domain of Serre-Chevalier and its thirteen authentic villages, is a Magic Mountain next to the Ecrins National Park and the Oisans wilderness. You can practice numerous winter and summer sports: alpine skiing, cross country skiing, ice track driving, mountaineering, rock climbing, paragliding, cycling / mountain biking, canoeing, horseback riding, tennis, fishing ...
BRIANÇON
¨Such a pretty little town !¨, highest city in Europe at 1326 m. This ¨City of Art and History”, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, proudly displays the fortifications created by the genius of Vauban, giving the impression of a gem set amidst peaks that rise "like white emperors." Dominated by its citadel, Briançon retains the character it had in the reign of Louis XIV, with its narrow streets, traversed by water canals, and its sober architecture. The colourful facades and vibrant cafés give it a Mediterranean and contemporary air that attracts tourists from all over the world. A modern casino spices up the town’s artistic vocation.
THE REGION
¨Star below the sun¨, the Briançonnais region covers 1000 km2, comprising four valleys arranged in the form of a star around its center, the town of Briancon. The area is a stronghold of majestic mountains, guarded by battalions of peaks and pristine glaciers: a marvel of celestial radiances and intense tints that Nature, splendid and pure, potent, passionate, presents in all of its poetic ferocity, as a feast for the eyes, the mind, the heart. It offers the driest and sunniest climate of all the European Alps. Its convivial valleys bear the civilized imprint of the labor and history of Man, a plethora of churches, chapels, sundials. Mythical mountain passes that thanks to the Tour de France have become world famous challenges for cyclists and hikers, . Superb wildlife, like this mountain mouflon, prince of precipices. A flora both rich and discreet.
Infinitely endearing, it is also a land of legends.
"Countries which no longer have legends are doomed to freeze to death" - Patrice de la Tour du Pin