Today, I'm talking to you about a region that I particularly like: the Champsaur Valgaudemar. A name that may mean nothing to you, yet the Champsaur Valgaudemar is one of those French regions that are increasingly on the rise and that benefit from a new attraction of the French for mountainous regions.
In this article, we will see the many assets offered by this region located between the Écrins National Park and Le Dévoluy. There are many things to do and see in the Champsaur Valgaudemar, in summer as in winter.
Summary:
- Presentation of the Champsaur Valgaudemar
- The unmissable places of Champsaur Valgaudemar
- What to do in summer in the Champsaur Valgaudemar?
- What to do in winter in the Champsaur Valgaudemar?
- Specialties and good addresses of Champsaur Valgaudemar
- My opinion on the Champsaur Valgaudemar
Presentation of the Champsaur Valgaudemar
Let's start this article with a short presentation of the Champsaur Valgaudemar. The first question you will probably ask yourself is: Where is Champsaur Valgaudemar located?
The Champsaur Valgaudemar is part of the Hautes-Alpes department, in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. The Champsaur Valgaudemar is part of the natural region of the Southern Alps, I recently told you about it in my article: Where to ski in the Southern Alps?
The department of Hautes Alpes is divided into 9 territories which are:
- The Briançonnais
- The Ecrins
- The Queyras
- The Guillestre
- The Embrunais
- The Champsaur Valgaudemar
- The Dévoluy
- The Gapençais
- Le Buëch
Now that you locate the Champsaur Valgaudemar, let's see a little more precisely what this territory includes.
The Champsaur and the Valgaudemar are two parallel valleys that sink into the Écrins National Park. One, the Champsaur, is crossed by the Drac ; while the second, the Valgaudemar, is crossed by the Severais. A third valley, the Champoléon valley, crossed by the Drac Blanc, joins the Champsaur valley.
These two valleys meet at the level of the Drac basin.
- The Drac basin consists of 3 municipalities. The first, Aspres-lès-Corps, is the gateway to this territory of Champsaur Valgaudemar, but also to the Hautes-Alpes department, as well as the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. The other two municipalities are Le Glaizil and Chauffayer
- The Valgaudemar consists of 5 municipalities which are Saint-Firmin, Saint-Jacques-en-Valgodemard, Saint-Maurice-en-Valgodemard, Villar-Loubière and La Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar. The valley ends in the heart of the Parc des Ecrins with, as a starting point, one of the most beautiful places in the region: the Cirque de Gioberney.
- The Champsaur, larger, comprises 19 municipalities, the largest of which is Saint-Bonnet-en-Champsaur, which has just over 2 inhabitants. The Champsaur valley, meanwhile, ends at the famous ski resort of Orcières-Merlette.
Although little known, the Champsaur Valgaudemar is nevertheless crossed each year by thousands of tourists joining the South of France by the famous “Route Napoléon”.
The unmissable places of Champsaur Valgaudemar
Now let's move on to the places you absolutely must visit in the Champsaur Valgaudemar.
- Saint Firmin
- The Mill of Villar-Loubière
- The Chapel in Valgaudemar
- The Hamlet of Portes and Oulles du Diable
- Le cirque de Gioberney
- The Castle of Lesdiguieres
- The Col du Noyer
- Saint-Bonnet-en-Champsaur
- Handmaids
- The Roranches Chapel
- The valley of Champoléon
- Orcieres-Merlette
- Prapic
Saint Firmin
Located at the entrance to the Valgaudemar valley, Saint-Firmin is a charming village which is very lively all year round. Its heart of the village revolves around a main square. If you want to visit the Valgaudemar valley, then you will have to cross this village. A lunch break can be a good idea: a delicious little restaurant in the center of the village welcomes you warmly with a local accent, it is the Café du Midi. The plate of the country is excellent! In summer, special mention for the shaded terrace which is very pleasant. In high season, remember to book if you want to enjoy the terrace.
The Mill of Villar-Loubière
A little before arriving at La Chapelle en Valgaudemar, I invite you to stop in the village of Villar-Loubière. You can find a charming little mill there, the Moulin de Bellon. Dating from the middle of the XNUMXth century, it is perfectly restored. A small exhibition has been installed upstairs, which once served as an attic. At the time of this mill, more than twenty mills were in operation. Today, that of Villar-Loubère is the only one still present, renovated and that you can visit. A fine testimony to the local past.
The Chapel in Valgaudemar
If you take the road to explore the Valgaudemar valley, you will have to cross the village of La Chapelle en Valgaudemar. This pretty little town, which proudly bears the title of "tourist capital" of the Valgaudemar valley, is surrounded by mountains and enjoys an exceptional location at the bottom of the valley. In winter, it will be difficult to go beyond because of the snow.
La Chapelle en Valgaudemar has a central square enlivening the village. Beautiful hikes arrive or depart from here. You can also visit the Maison du Parc National des Ecrins which presents this protected park to you through exhibitions and interesting testimonials. A great visit!
The Hamlet of Portes and Oulles du Diable
This is a charming little hamlet, which you can reach from La Chapelle en Valgaudemar, which we have just presented. This hamlet is the last inhabited all year round. You can admire its beautiful houses typical of the region and perfectly renovated thanks to ancestral know-how.
But the main tourist attraction of this hamlet is a place called the Oulles du Diable. It is a medieval bridge, allowing you to cross the Navette stream and from which you can admire large pots shaped by the waters over the centuries. These whirlpools are impressive and worth a look!
Le cirque de Gioberney
Continuing towards the bottom of the Valgaudemar valley, you will arrive at one of the most famous and popular places in the region: the Cirque de Gioberney and its magnificent Bridal Veil! This waterfall is almost 80 meters high. A unique place, out of time and exotic! Both surrounded by mountains, but open to the valley, the Cirque de Gioberney is also the starting point for magnificent hikes such as the one leading to Lac du Lauzon.
On site, a hotel-restaurant welcomes you for a meal or a longer stay. The view from the terrace and the dining room is magical!
Please note that the road is closed in winter due to snow. You will be able to see it for yourself: the road is winding, not very wide and strewn with many more or less large waterfalls, which can make the road very wet and dangerous when it is cold.
The Veil of the Bride
The Castle of Lesdiguieres
After this visit to the Valgaudemar valley, let's return to the Bassin du Drac. Direction the small village of Glaizil to discover the Château de Lesdiguières, or at least what is left of it. Indeed, this old family house transformed into a castle during the XNUMXth century has not been occupied since the end of the XNUMXth century. In the grip of looting and meteorological and natural hazards, all that remains today are ruins and beautiful dry stones on a very pretty site.
If you want to know more about this place and its history, you can go to the Four Banal in the village and discover a small exhibition offered by the Association du Château de Lesdiguières.
The Col du Noyer
Let's continue our journey towards Saint-Bonnet-en-Champsaur and the Vallée du Champsaur and stop at the Col du Noyer. This is one of the most beautiful passes in the Hautes-Alpes. It connects the Champsaur Valgaudemar valley to the Dévoluy valley. A very nice walk over about 15 kilometers with a summit at almost 1700 meters above sea level. Be careful, it is often (if not always) closed in winter because of the snowy roads and therefore difficult to pass. If you want to discover the Col du Noyer, then you will have to plan a visit in summer, spring or autumn.
To recover the road leading to the Col du Noyer, it happens on the Napoleon road, just after Saint-Bonnet-en-Champsaur coming from Gap.
Saint-Bonnet-en-Champsaur
Main town of the Champsaur valley but also of the whole territory, Saint-Bonnet-en-Champsaur is a small typical mountain town, with a warm atmosphere whatever the season and the time. The medieval town center is very pleasant and offers some very interesting shops, restaurants and traders. Of course, a nice market is also held every Monday throughout the year.
Handmaids
The Champsaur Valgaudemar valley has some beautiful ski resorts. One of the main ones is the resort of Ancelle. But Ancelle is also a charming little village, very dynamic throughout the year.
We will see in the next parts the things to do in summer and winter in Ancelle, but I can already tell you that you will not be bored.
Ancelle is located approximately between Saint-Bonnet-en-Champsaur and Orcières-Merlette, another larger ski resort in the region, at the start of the Champsaur valley.
Ancelle has several advantages: the ski slopes, a magnificent natural environment, a cute and dynamic village, but also a very famous micro-brewery in the region! For these different reasons, I strongly recommend a visit to Ancelle during your visit to Champsaur Valgaudemar.
The Roranches Chapel
On the road towards Orcières-Merlette, I invite you to make a small detour. Head to the hamlet of Roranches to discover the magnificent little stone chapel dating from the end of the XNUMXth century. In addition, the road leading to this place is quite charming.
The valley of Champoléon
In the Champsaur valley, a few tens of kilometers before arriving at Orcières-Merlette, I strongly urge you to leave the main road and take the road to the Champoléon valley. This magnificent little valley, less touristy and less famous than the Champsaur Valgaudemar, is certainly worth the detour! You will be surrounded by a wild landscape, imposing mountains but also by a river of character giving an unequaled charm to this place. Do not hesitate to stop to take a few photos and above all, take the time to admire this unique place. After a good ten kilometers, and a few hamlets crossed, you will already be at the end of the valley. A quick detour but which is, for me, a must in the region, allowing you to get off the beaten track.
If you have a little more time, stop at the Maison du Berger located in the hamlet of Borels. It is a high quality interpretation center presenting a beautiful exhibition explaining the work of the shepherds in the region: their role, the challenges, their way of life, the management of the herds, the organization of the breedings,... extremely interesting visit, embellished with testimonials from locals.
This valley is an undeniable favorite in the region that we wanted to share with you!
Orcieres-Merlette
Orcières-Merlette is the most important ski resort of Champsaur Valgaudemar. Located at the end of the Champsaur valley, its ski area is quite large and offers a hundred kilometers of slopes at more than 1850 meters above sea level. Family resort par excellence, it offers many activities both on the slopes and in the heart of the resort.
But Orcières-Merlette is also an exceptional playground for summer holidays! We will see in the following sections the activities offered in Orcières-Merlette both in summer and in winter.
Prapic
Go to the very end of the Champsaur valley to discover this pretty little hamlet. Typical local architecture and atmosphere steeped in history, Prapic is a car-free hamlet. Very popular in summer, it is also an important point of departure or arrival for many hikes in the area. Its privileged location at the gates of the Ecrins National Park offers exceptional walks and landscapes!
What to do in summer in the Champsaur Valgaudemar?
Now that you know a little more about the places to visit in the Champsaur Valgaudemar, let's take a look at the different activities to do in these different valleys, in addition to the visits to each of the places presented just before. As you can imagine, a large part of the activities that we are going to offer you will be outdoor activities, to discover the exceptional natural heritage of this region, but also its traditions, its fauna, its flora, …
Let's go to find out more about the things to do in the summer in Champsaur Valgaudemar!
- Hiking in the Ecrins National Park
- Rafting on the Drac
- Make a paragliding baptism
- Take a mountain bike ride
- Relax at the Champsaur lake
- Try golf
- Discover the Ancelle Via Ferrata
- Go ziplining
Hiking in the Ecrins National Park
The Ecrins National Park is one of the most beautiful protected parks in France! It offers walks and hikes with sensational views, unique places, places accessible to the bravest, … In short, the Ecrins National Park is the perfect playground for adventurers, sports enthusiasts, thrill seekers, lovers of nature, but also for families and for all those wishing to take a breath of fresh air! The Vallée du Champsaur Valgaudemar is located at the gates of this park and also benefits from remarkable landscapes, giving a taste of what you can find in the heart of the park.
You will find hikes of all kinds: more or less complicated levels, variable hiking duration (from a few hours to several days), more or less significant elevation gain, night in a refuge or bivouac, …
Whether you are with friends, family, with sporty or less sporty people, you will inevitably find the hike that will suit your whole group.
To organize your next outing, I strongly recommend that you visit the Ecrins National Park website: they provide you with a very practical tool to find the right hike according to many criteria.
Rafting on the Drac
The Drac has shaped the valley for hundreds and hundreds of years. In spring, its waters are lively and the current is perfect for a short rafting excursion! As a group, set out to meet this river full of character.
Depending on the level of the group, your guide will suggest a suitable route.
Remember to equip yourself with your swimsuit, a towel but also sneakers that are not afraid of water. The rest will be provided to you directly by the organizer.
Make a paragliding baptism
Let's continue the activities to do in the Champsaur Valgaudemar in summer with another thrilling activity: paragliding! You can also do it in winter, but the temperatures and weather conditions are more pleasant on sunny days.
To make this paragliding jump, whether you are a novice or more initiated, you will have to go to the ski resort of Orcières Merlette, the departures are from here, a privileged place to discover the Champsaur valley and the National Park. of the Ecrins.
Different options are available to you: the price varies according to the duration of the flight chosen, from 20 minutes to 1 hour.
Take a mountain bike ride
The Champsaur Valgaudemar is also a very popular playground for mountain bikers! Many marked trails, of varying levels of difficulty, are indicated everywhere.
You can also go to the Orcières Merlette station. In summer, it offers various terrains to the delight of mountain bikers. In addition, the ski lifts are designed to take both bikes and passengers up to the top, for even more sensations and pleasure!
Relax at the Champsaur lake
Located in Saint-Julien-en-Champsaur, this body of water is ideal if you are staying with your family in the region. Various aquatic activities are offered: kayaking, stand-up paddle, water slide, minigolf, pedal boats, trampoline, forest trails, wake park, etc.
In July and August, swimming is supervised and entry is controlled: access is free if you are on foot or by bike; on the other hand, you will have to pay the entrance if you are by car.
The rest of the year, admission is free but swimming will be unsupervised.
Throughout the summer, events are organized. For more information, visit the Champsaur Valgaudemar website.
Try golf
For golf lovers, you can find what you are looking for at Col Bayard, just after Saint-Bonnet-en-Champsaur, towards Gap. A magnificent 18-hole course, in an exceptional environment with a breathtaking view.
For more information, visit the Golf Gap-Bayard website.
Discover the Ancelle Via Ferrata
The mountain landscapes are perfect for via ferrata. If you are a fan of these sensational routes, then I recommend that you try the Ancelle via ferrata. In a magnificent setting, it's an original way to discover the Champsaur. 3 different levels are available to suit everyone!
More information on the Ancelle via ferrataGo ziplining
The largest zip line in Europe is located in Orcières Merlette! Fly over this magnificent resort and go from one slope to another in less than 2 minutes! The landscapes are breathtaking! This activity is also open in winter.
What to do in winter in the Champsaur Valgaudemar?
After presenting the things to do in the summer in the Champsaur Valgaudemar, I suggest you take a look at the activities offered in the winter. The region has a generous snowpack and offers various possibilities to make the most of it!
Downhill skiing
Let's start this list of things to do in winter in the Champsaur Valgaudemar with one of the most popular and famous activities in the region: skiing! Different resorts welcome you for your ski holiday.
The largest of the resorts will be Orcières-Merlette: higher than the other resorts in the area, it has a larger ski area and offers many accommodations on site. It is a resort intended for families as well as holidays with friends.
Other smaller resorts are also present in the region: Ancelle, Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes, Chaillol and Laye. Moreover, all of these resorts as well as Orcières Merlette have set up a unique Pass Vallée allowing access to all the ski areas mentioned above.
Take snowshoe walks
But in the mountains, skiing is not the only activity to do when there is snow. You can also take the opportunity to go for lovely walks on snowshoes, as well as cross-country skiing.
These activities are generally offered in ski resorts such as Orcières-Merlette. But you can also find walking paths on the Gap-Bayard golf course. Indeed, in winter, the golf course offers snowshoeing or cross-country skiing.
dog sledding
Among the winter activities par excellence, there is of course dog sledding! Who has never dreamed of traversing the white immensities to the rhythm of the dogs leading your sled? This is an activity that you can do very easily in various places in the region. Among the most famous, there is a pack ready to leave in the middle of the Orcières Merlette domain. If you ski there, you can't miss them! The dogs are well cared for, in great shape and can't wait to go running!
Learn to ice skate
Ice skating is a fairly common activity in the region. Moreover, the city of Gap, not far away, has an ice hockey team playing in the Magnus League, the equivalent of Ligue 1 in football.
You will find ice rinks where you practice in different towns such as Saint-Bonnet-en-Champsaur (ephemeral ice rink from January to March) or in resorts such as Orcières-Merlette or Ancelle (ephemeral ice rink from December to March).
Specialties and good addresses of Champsaur Valgaudemar
Like most French regions, the Champsaur Valgaudemar has its own culinary specialties to discover absolutely! In this part, I tell you about our gastronomic favorites and give you some good addresses where to taste it.
- Tourtons
- ravioli
- donkey's ears
- the fluff
- Tomes
- The pies
- larch flowers
- Micro-brewery beers
- genepi
- Our good addresses
Tourtons
Let's start this culinary presentation with the star of the region: the tourton! A regional specialty par excellence, the tourton is a kind of stuffed and fried cushion. The traditional tourton is stuffed with mashed potato, tomme and onion, a real treat! Other flavors have emerged: spinach, leeks, reblochon, … And sweet variants too: apples, prunes, …
To taste delicious tourtons, I recommend the artisanal factory Le Champs d'Or in the hamlet of Brutinel. They are really delicious, just like the ravioli that I present to you right away.
ravioli
We were talking about it just now, ravioli are another local specialty. These are kinds of small dumplings made from mashed potatoes and tomme and which are fried. Often served with honey or jam, you can also find them unfried and cooked as a gratin.
A real treat too!
donkey's ears
Among the emblematic regional specialties, donkey ears are part of the top three with the two specialties presented just before.
Don't worry, this dish is not made from donkey's ears, strictly speaking. "Donkey's ear" is actually the nickname given to a wild plant similar to spinach, which has a shape reminiscent of a donkey's ear.
This dish is therefore cooked from these plants (most often replaced by spinach), in the same way as lasagna, with pasta and a béchamel sauce. For spinach lovers, this dish will be a great discovery!
the fluff
Less known than its menu companions, the flouzon is a kind of pie made from potatoes, onions and bacon bits. A slice of this delicious pie and a small salad will satiate you after a day of hiking or during cold winter days!
Tomes
The Champsaur Valgaudemar is a breeding and agricultural territory. Goat, sheep or cow cheeses are little known in France, but still deserve a little tasting.
To discover these different dairy products, I invite you to visit two addresses: the Fromagerie Ebrard located in Chabottes, it offers delicious farm yoghurts served on a bed of various jams; or the Fromagerie du Col Bayard.
The pies
Each of the valleys has its own tart: the Champsaur tart and the Valgaudemar tart. The main difference is in the type of paste used. The other difference will be the way of presenting the pie.
- Champsaur tart
This is made with a kind of shortcrust pastry, topped with jam and then covered with thin strips of the same pastry to make lattices on top. The flavors will generally be blueberry, raspberry or even apricot. You can find other flavors as well. - Valgaudemar tart
As for the Valgaudemar tart, the dough is much softer and sometimes fragrant (orange blossom for example). For the presentation, it will take the form of a pie, with the dough covering the whole of the pie. The most common flavors will be apple, prunes, raspberry but also pastry cream, which has been very successful.
The bakery specializing in pies, and more particularly Valgaudemar pies, is located in the hamlet of Roux, in the town of Saint-Maurice-en-Valgodemard. This is the Dumas bakery.
larch flowers
Here is another local specialty that can be cooked and comes in various forms. The larch is a conifer very present in the region, it has the particularity of losing its thorns in winter. It is the only conifer to present this characteristic!
Its flowers are collected in spring and are used in different recipes: jams, liqueurs, sorbets, etc.
Micro-brewery beers
Beers are not really a high-alpine specialty but the region has a few micro-breweries that are worth a visit.
In the Champsaur Valgaudemar, there are several who are talking about them. First of all, the Ancelle brewery. Different beers are offered. On site, you can also enjoy a tasting area with local aperitif boards. A beautiful address located in the heart of the village of Ancelle, in a tastefully renovated old farmhouse. They are also bed and breakfast!
There is another one that I would like to introduce to you as well. it's about the new Brasserie d'Aspres ! The latter opened its doors the day after deconfinement. The place has a really nice identity! Between industrial style, relaxed and trendy place, with modern decoration with some vintage notes! We absolutely love this brand new venue. You can taste beers brewed with water from the village; enjoy platters, burgers, flams, …; and every lunchtime, a delicious menu of the day is offered. All the products are local and fresh, for a succulent home cooking! Our favorite ? Home fries! It's rare to find such good ones, but when we find them, we say so and we share them!
genepi
Last local speciality, genepi liqueur. This plant grows at more than 2000 meters of altitude in particular conditions. The Hautes-Alpes are the ideal terrain for harvesting genepi. As a digestive, as an aperitif or to cook, genepi has a particular but delicious taste! Genepi ice cream, genepi candy, genepi pie, there are many variations!
Our good addresses
We have mentioned some as we go, but here are other places where you can find delicious local products, or even some gift ideas to bring back for your loved ones:
- Thierry Siat and his chocolates
Companion chocolatier and pastry chef, Thierry Siat offers many original products, mostly chocolate-based. A real treat for both the taste buds and the eyes.
His shop is to be discovered in the hamlet of La Trinité, just before Saint-Firmin. - Gérald Tiron and his honey
Not far from the Siat chocolate shop, you will also find the products of a local beekeeper, Gérald Tiron. A wide variety of honey produced in the surrounding area is available to you. - Altiflore
This ice cream maker offers absolutely delicious ice cream, made with original, local and very tasty flavors! Located in Chabottes, it has specialized since its inception in sea buckthorn, a plant that grows in the region. Since then, it has expanded its range with original and local products. Learn more - The Country House
Located at the entrance to Saint-Firmin, along the Napoleon road, the country house offers quality, regional and very diversified products: charcuterie, dairy products, pies, ice cream, beers, tourtons but also terrines, liqueur genepi or objects made in the region such as pottery or clothing. Regularly, local craftsmen are highlighted and exposed to the health of the shop.
This is the ideal address to find all the regional products you want.
As for restaurants, there are many in the area. You can test:
- the Brasserie d'Aspres in Aspres-lès-Corps, home-style and generous cuisine;
- the Café du Midi in Saint-Firmin;
- at Robert et Maguy in Chauffayer, which offers beautiful regional and generous dishes;
- the Château des Herbeys in Chauffayer also, the setting is sumptuous;
- the Petit Renard in Laye, a small family ski resort;
- the Autanes in Ancelle;
- the Col Bayard cheese dairy;
- and to finish, delicious pizzas at Resto'Nath, just before arriving at Saint-Bonnet-en-Champsaur towards Gap.
Good addresses tested and approved! Do not hesitate to share your culinary discoveries with us in the comments. We are greedy and can't wait to try them!
Want to disconnect?Take advantage of your stay in the Champsaur Valgaudemar to discover the Domaine Les Petits Ecrins. Charming fully equipped chalets, with a beautiful terrace, a private jacuzzi and above all, a breathtaking view of the surrounding mountains! Something to reconnect with nature for a few days. Learn more
My opinion on the Champsaur Valgaudemar
I have the chance to discover this region in perfect conditions and in different seasons. It's really a favorite for me, both for the diversity and richness of the landscapes, for its magnificent mountains, or the different activities to do both in summer and in winter. But also for the climate: in summer it is not too hot and in winter the snow is there!
The local gastronomy also conquered me. It is a region where it is pleasant to walk, to rest or even to live. The mountain atmosphere is particularly pleasant and serene.
So I can only recommend that you come and visit the Champsaur Valgaudemar, a good idea for a weekend in France. I hope you will like this region as much as I did!
