Culture and tradition
Culture and traditionLandsof
living culture
In the depths of the Alpine valleys, culture is not static: it breathes to the rhythm of the seasons, festivals and gestures handed down from generation to generation. The Hautes-Alpes doesn’t just offer stunning scenery: it also tells the story of the men and women who have always shaped their territory and invented unique ways of living here. Push open a door, enter a workshop, stroll down a cobbled lane or sit down to a summer concert, and you’ll discover an inhabited, generous and vibrant mountain.
Villages
and citadels
From the Vauban bastions of Briançon and Mont-Dauphin to the hamlets suspended on the mountainside, the built heritage of the Hautes-Alpes exudes ingenuity and tenacity. Cobbled streets, sculpted fountains, stone houses and wooden balconies bear witness to centuries of adaptation to a demanding environment. To walk here is to rediscover a rare authenticity, a simple beauty that makes you want to slow down, stop and meet people.
Vibrations
of today
Alpine culture is not limited to its roots. Every year, it reinvents itself through festivals and artistic events. The Chaillol festival brings world music to the valleys, the Messiaen festival makes the glaciers sing, while the Cinémathèque de montagne keeps the memory of the peaks alive. The Hautes-Alpes is not content to rest on its laurels, however, and also looks to the future by welcoming renowned artists, notably for the grand Vars en scène concert.
Stones
of memory
The castles of Tallard, Montmaur or even Fort-Queyras stand out against the valleys. Boscodon Abbey, a Romanesque gem, invites you to meditate in an atmosphere of forest and silence. These ancient stones are much more than relics: they are living spaces, open to visitors, shows and exhibitions. To walk through their doors is to touch the tormented but fertile history of the Hautes-Alpes.
The hands
that shape
In the Hautes-Alpes, craftsmanship is more than a trade: it’s a language. Wood from Queyraswood, carved with patience, gives birth to warm, delicate objects. The small workshops nestled in the villages are a treasure trove of creativity: potters, weavers, cutlers, luthiers… each perpetuating ancestral know-how while adding his or her own personal touch. Each piece tells the story of the mountain, its rawness and hidden finesse.
in the breath of the mountains
Olivier Messiaen, composer
Cultural and traditional highlights
Hautes-Alpes
Chaillol Festival
The Festival de Chaillol is a unique event where classical music rubs shoulders with jazz, world music and contemporary creations, all set in landscapes that are already worth the detour.
Gap
He Yifu exhibition
The Musée muséum départemental hosts the exhibition D’encre, d’eau et de montagnes, devoted to the Chinese painter He Yifu. Forty-one inks on rice paper from the artist’s Alpine travels integrate the collections and complete the background on mountains in art.
Gap
Tous Dehors (Finally!)
This festival honors the street arts, circus and all those spectacular forms that like to invite themselves where they’re not expected: in a square, in the bend of an alleyway, or in the middle of a park. With its offbeat poetry, dizzying acrobatics and moments of shared simplicity, the program celebrates the pleasure of being together, without barriers or pretense.
Practical notebook
- Heritage Hautes-Alpes
- Tourist guides
See also
Escapes
Route Napoléon
