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Vallée de la Guisane

Descending from Col du Lautaret to Briançon (claimed to be Europe's highest town), the Guisane skirts the northeastern ledge of the National Park and gives only a few distant hints of its glacial heartland. The upper part of the valley is bounded by some rugged rock scenery, the middle section is more broad and open, while in the lower third the resort of Serre Chevalier (which encompasses several small resorts) is the largest winter sports complex in the Southern Alps. Created in 1941 it is now equipped with something like 70 lifts which edge close to the Park's eastern border, but these lifts are happily restricted from straying over it. In summer, when there is no skiable snow, the Serre-Chevalier téléphérique, which rises to 2491m, can be used to gain access to a series of high trails that follow ridge crests or descend into neighbouring valleys. Downstream from the Serre Chevalier resort Briançon, on the other hand, is an historic attraction situated at a confluence of rivers in the valley of the Durance. This valley flows south and remains some distance east of the Parc National des Écrins. But at the village of L'Argentière-la-Bessée a road breaks away northwest along the Vallée de la Vallouise leading to the rugged heart of the region.