Surrounded by mighty starburst-shaped ramparts, Briançon’s hilltop old town looks much as it did centuries ago, its winding cobbled lanes lined with Italianate, pastel-painted townhouses. The steep main street, the Grande Rue – also known as the Grande Gargouille (Great Gargoyle) because of its gushing rivulet – was laid out in 1345. You can walk all the way around the interior of Vauban's upper ramparts, enjoying spectacular views, by following the streets marked as the chemin de Ronde.
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Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
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One of the greatest summertime pleasures of the French Alps is hiking in France’s second-largest national park. The glacier-carved, 918-sq-km park has…
0.17 MILES
Situated at the confluence of five river valleys, Briançon was highly vulnerable to attack by France's Alpine arch-rival of the 17th century, the Duchy of…
25.58 MILES
The pristine and impressive triumphal Arch of Augustus, dating to 9BC, sits just outside the centre of town. It marks the transition of power between the…
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Collégiale Notre Dame et St Nicolas
0.1 MILES
Illuminated by its exterior Dauphiné coat of arms and sundial (among the oldest in the Alps), the twin-towered 18th-century church, designed by Vauban,…
Nearby attractions
1. Collégiale Notre Dame et St Nicolas
0.1 MILES
Illuminated by its exterior Dauphiné coat of arms and sundial (among the oldest in the Alps), the twin-towered 18th-century church, designed by Vauban,…
0.17 MILES
Situated at the confluence of five river valleys, Briançon was highly vulnerable to attack by France's Alpine arch-rival of the 17th century, the Duchy of…
20.06 MILES
Worth a brief stop is the forbidding Forte di Exilles, overlooking the quiet village of Exilles, 15km west of Susa. Its military role only ended in 1943…
22.47 MILES
Rainbow-lit caverns, tunnelled 30m into the Glacier des Deux Alpes, delight pint-sized visitors with ice statues of prehistoric and mythic beasts; grown…
25.55 MILES
In addition to the unmissable Arco d'Augusto, you can see the remains of a Roman aqueduct and a still-used amphitheatre here, along with a druid well that…
25.58 MILES
The pristine and impressive triumphal Arch of Augustus, dating to 9BC, sits just outside the centre of town. It marks the transition of power between the…
29.43 MILES
One of the greatest summertime pleasures of the French Alps is hiking in France’s second-largest national park. The glacier-carved, 918-sq-km park has…