Perched on a rocky outcrop, the Vauban Citadel of France's highest town, at 1,326 m altitude, lends a remarkable historical and heritage character to its Serre Chevalier ski resort.

For while Briançon is known for its picturesque citadel and its fortifications listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, unique examples in Europe of military mountain architecture, it is also remarkable for something unique on the continent: this Town of Art and History is also a ski resort, with the Prorel piste and gondola descending all the way into the centre of its lower town.

But Briançon is also a young, dynamic and particularly sports-oriented town.

It comes as no surprise that major international sporting events have chosen it as their base,  the Climbing World Championships, the Piolets d'Or, the Vauban Urban Trail, the Tour de France…

Champagne! It was at Chantemerle that Serre Chevalier made its grand debut in December 1941, with the inauguration of one of the longest cable cars in Europe, its iconic red cabin.

Ever since, in this hamlet on the shaded north-facing slope of the commune of Saint-Chaffrey, the heartbeat of the resort has never stopped.

At the foot of the Luc Alphand piste, the heart of Serre Che is always buzzing ✨ ✨

Skiers hop on the gondola or chairlift heading up to the ski area, children gather beneath the signs for their ski school groups, and on the terraces of the many bars, restaurants, hotels and holiday residences, hot chocolates and mulled wines send their steam into the cold mountain air.

A true hub of entertainment and shops where guests strike a pose for a selfie before marvelling at the red, blue and green bursts of the fireworks display! At Chantemerle, there is no doubt, the holiday spirit runs through everything.

A world of possibilities! Modern Villeneuve lines its apartment buildings and residences right at the foot of the slopes for direct, easy access to the largest ski area in the Southern Alps.

Centred around its climbing wall, erected like a totem that sets the tone, sporty Villeneuve offers an ever-expanding range of activities, from fat biking and cross-country skiing to the swimming pool and ice rink, from snowshoeing to dog sledding.

At the ski school desks and the mountain guide and instructor offices, the list keeps growing: paragliding, mountaineering, ice climbing, sit-skiing, cross-country skiing, heli-skiing, yoga snowshoeing, glacier hiking… Not to mention the exhilarating Deval'Bob toboggan run, 4 kilometres of pure fun through the larch trees.

Warning — you are entering mountain territory with a capital M!

A place where authenticity is never a hollow word. At the far end of the Guisane valley, below the passes of the Lautaret and the Galibier, the vast ancient Roman commune of Monêtier-les-Bains (13,000 hectares), the highest point of the Serre Chevalier Valley Briançon ski area (top of the Yret chairlift, 2,830 m), spreads across six villages on either side of a rushing mountain torrent:

• Le Lauzet (1,630 m)
• Le Casset (1,519 m)
• Le Monêtier-les-Bains (1,500 m)
• Les Guibertes (1,420 m)
• Le Freyssinet (1,430 m)
• Le Serre-Barbin (1,400 m)

Sheltered by the Cerces massif and overlooked by the glaciers of Casset, Monêtier, Près les Fonts and Arsine, this commune with its ancient thermal springs stands tall and proud. Here, within the buffer zone of the Écrins National Park, everything breathes the mountain, raw and pure. Discover all the off-slope activities in Serre Chevalier Valley from the chalet.