Barcelonnette in the Ubaye valley

28 April 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, French Riviera Reading Time:  7 minutes

© Speculos/cc-by-sa-3.0

© Speculos/cc-by-sa-3.0

Barcelonnette is a commune of France and a subprefecture in the department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region. It is located in the southern French Alps, at the crossroads between Provence, Piedmont and the Dauphiné, and is the largest town in the Ubaye Valley. The town’s inhabitants are known as Barcelonnettes. Barcelonnette is situated in the wide and fertile Ubaye Valley, of which it is the largest town. It lies at an elevation of 1132 m (3717 ft) on the right bank of the Ubaye River, and is surrounded by mountains which reach peaks of over 3000 m; the tallest of these is the Needle of Chambeyron at 3412 m. Barcelonnette is situated 210 km from Turin, 91 km from Nice and 68 km from Gap.   read more…

Val d’Isere in the French Alps

14 June 2014 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  7 minutes

© André Payan-Passeron/cc-by-sa-3.0

© André Payan-Passeron/cc-by-sa-3.0

Val d’Isère is a commune of the Tarentaise Valley, in the Savoie department in southeastern France. It lies 5 km (3 mi) from the border with Italy. It is on the border of the Vanoise National Park created in 1963. During the 1992 Winter Olympics, the Face de Bellevarde was the site of the men’s downhill race. Other alpine skiing events held during those games included men’s giant slalom and alpine combined. Val d’Isère regularly hosts World Cup alpine events, usually for the men in early December, and hosted the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2009. It is located in the Rhône-Alpes region with good transport links in and out of Lyon, Geneva and Chambéry.   read more…

Bourg-Saint-Maurice in the heart of the French Alps

26 February 2013 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

Les Arcs © Dmitry A. Mottl

Les Arcs © Dmitry A. Mottl

Bourg-Saint-Maurice is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. It is the last large town along the Tarentaise valley in the heart of the French Alps.   read more…

Grenoble, capital of the Alpes

30 September 2011 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  8 minutes

Palace of the Parliament of Dauphiné © Milky

Palace of the Parliament of Dauphiné © Milky

Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, situated at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère. The proximity of the mountains has led to the city being known as the “Capital of the Alps.” Grenoble’s history encompasses a period of more than 2,000 years, and the city has been the capital of the Dauphiné since the 11th century. Grenoble experienced a period of economic expansion in the nineteenth and 20th centuries, which is symbolized by the holding of the X Olympic Winter Games in 1968. The city is now a significant scientific center in Europe. Grenoble hosts several festivals: the Grenoble Jazz Festival in March, the Open Air Short Film Festival in early July, and the Cabaret Frappé music festival at the end of July.   read more…

Return to TopReturn to Top