The most beautiful walks between Queyras and Guillestrois

Do you like worlds apart? Do you like to feel like you are in an exceptional place? Do you like to cut ties with routine, with the crowd, with the technological world around you and rediscover nature and the wild spirit? Welcome to Queyras!

Isolated and preserved, Queyras is a high-altitude land that seems suspended in time, nestled between the peaks of the Hautes-Alpes. The Queyras Regional Natural Park, one of the highest in Europe, offers landscapes of astonishing diversity: bright mountain pastures, larch forests, wild valleys and traditional villages where authenticity reigns supreme. Here, the sun shines generously all year round, offering an exceptional light that enhances the reliefs.

Rich in its architectural heritage, this territory is also a land of know-how, where craftsmanship, particularly wood carving, bears witness to deeply rooted traditions.

A land of adventure in all seasons, Queyras seduces with its grandiose panoramas and peaceful atmosphere, conducive to contemplation and escape. Here, each path and each corner tells a story, that of a unique massif where nature and man live in perfect harmony.

Guillestre, gateway to Queyras

The entry point to Queyras is the small town of Guillestre, on the road that the Durance flows between Gap et Briançon. A small village typical of this part of the Alps, you will certainly visit the fortress of Mont-Dauphin, restored by Vauban. A real stronghold with its ramparts, its small town, its church but also its arsenal, its powder magazine and its sober and military spirit. Built on a rock overlooking the Durance, it allows you to observe the descent of the Col de Larche as well as the exit from the Guil gorges descending from QueyrasThe King of France wanted to ensure that the troops of the Duke of Savoy did not descend from the mountains and return to French territory.

Many people stop at this visit and then head back to the Brianconnaiswhile others finish the last few kilometres towards the ski resorts of Risoul and Vars, which make up the Forêt Blanche area. If you are one of them, you know that you will enjoy exceptional snow conditions in these ski areas, which are generally north-facing, but sunny enough for a large part of the day to enjoy very good quality snow. The conditions here are the same as towards Les Orres, in Embrunais.

The Col de Vars opens onto the upper Ubaye valley, thus connecting different very specific worlds of the Southern Alps.

For nothing in the world should you miss the small side valley of Val d'Escreins. We will meditate on the definition of absolute silence in this green valley without cars and without villages.

Queyras

Queyras is a true geographical, natural, cultural, architectural and heritage treasure. Its entrance is located a few kilometers from Guillestre, going up the Guil valley, the river that crosses Queyras.

There are several choices available to you depending on the season and what you are looking for, but one theme unites all the destinations in Queyras: authenticity.

Here, you don't find a large ski area, you don't find a noisy snow front, or a modern high-altitude resort that disfigures, especially in summer, the mountain. Here, in Queyras, it is the kingdom of silence, of nature, of the flow of time, day after day over the seasons. One of the last preserved citadels of mountain culture.

You can discover Ceillac and its flat valley, which in winter is a haven for cross-country skiing enthusiasts. Arvieux and its forests await you at the foot of the Col de l'Izoard, a challenge in the great outdoors for cyclists, and a beautiful walk for motorcyclists.

You photograph a castle on a rocky outcrop, imagining tales of epic battles, princesses and dragons in Château-Queyras.

You love to enjoy the last rays of sunshine on the square of the highest town in Europe, Saint Véran. Moreover, you will observe the course of this burning sun on the countless sundials that adorn the facades of the traditional houses of the village.

The traditional houses, made of logs stacked together, have been preserved and are part of the heritage of this valley. You can admire them throughout your walk between Molines en Queyras and Saint Véran.

In summer, the walk to the Blanche refuge is a must in Queyras.

Higher up on the mountain overlooking the village you can follow the course of the stars in a high mountain astronomical observatory.

In Upper Guil Valley, You ski on the slopes of Aiguilles, the capital of Queyras, and you admire Mont Viso, the guardian of this natural citadel from those of Abriès Abriès. On snowshoes or cross-country skis you follow the river to the belvedere on Mont Viso.

In summer, you can follow the road that climbs to the Col d'Agnel, border with Italy and from there cross the scree to the Pain de Sucre at 3200m altitude. Nothing to do with Rio, but the view of the Piedmontese plain and Queyras gives an impression of immensity.

Ode to Nature and the preserved mountain

The high-altitude lakes are a delight for photographers from the thaw until the first snow covers the golden larches. Lac Miroir and Lac Sainte Anne in the Ceillac Valley are the most famous.

Larches perfume these lands which change color all year round depending on the season: green and blue in spring and summer, white and blue in winter, red and blue in autumn. Blue is the common point, that of a pure sky under which you will recharge your batteries by drawing on the energy of this wild land.

Queyras is a small, authentic mountain enclave frozen in its tradition and enchanting landscape. People come here to seek the solitude of wide open spaces, the silence of Nature, and reconnection with the elements, fertile land, fresh water, a pure sky and the fire of the sun.

What to do absolutely in Queyras and Guillestrois?

Visit the stronghold of Mont Dauphin, or enjoy the concerts that take place there. Out of time, in the middle of the mountains!
Discover the "fustes" in Molines en Queyras and in Saint Véran
Discover sundials in Saint Veran, the highest commune in Europe, at an altitude of over 2000m.
Discover the astronomy center from Saint Véran: the house of the Sun near the village and the astronomical observatory at the peak of Château-Renard
Discover le belvedere on Monte Viso French side from Abriès after a short walk.
Climb the Col de l’Izoard or the Col de l’Agnel, on a bike like the pros, if you can!
Discover the region peacefully cross-country skiing or ski touring. She deserves it.

The best webcams in Queyras and Guillestrois

(click on the name of the village)

Saint Veran : the Queyras mountains seen from the heights of Saint Véran
Arvieux: the landscapes of Queyras, seen from the peaks of Arvieux.
Arvieux: to not miss any of the splendors of Autumn in Queyras.
A cell: the plain in the heart of Queyras!
Risoul 1850: from the heights of Risoul 1850 you can see the resort, the Guillestrois and the mountains surrounding Briançon.
Risoul 1850: from the summit of Haute Pierre, a panorama of all the mountains surrounding the Haute Durance, from Ecrins to Queyras. You can also see the Serre-Ponçon lake!
Vars: the view of the resort and the ski area.
Vars: from Chabrières, a glimpse of the sunny mountains and landscapes of the Southern Alps.