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Boldness and mountain traditions

Combining tradition, innovation and respect for the terroir, Distillerie Saint-Véran, located in the hamlet of La Chalp in Saint-Véran, Europe’s highest commune, raises the profile of Queyras and the Hautes-Alpes in the world of spirits.

Around two copper stills, carefully mastered by Claire and Laurent Démarets, Alpine herbs and flowers, potatoes from the local valleys and hand-picked plants deliver all their aromas.

Specialties include Signature Vodka, a Gold Medal winner at the prestigious “Spirits Selection” by CMB competition in 2025, a worldwide benchmark for spirits competitions, and Alpine Herbal Gin, with its unique freshness and intensity.

In its latest issue, the magazine of reference for lovers of ski touring and wide-open spaces gives pride of place to Dévoluy, a wild and luminous massif in the Hautes-Alpes.

In the pages of the latest Backcountry issue, we breathe altitude in at the top of our lungs. The magazine, a benchmark for mountain and off-piste enthusiasts, takes its readers to the Dévoluy, a fascinating mineral territory where limestone cliffs meet immaculate combes.

Reportage, rider itineraries and shared emotions make up a dossier that smells of powder and freedom.

Backcountry makes no mistake: the Hautes-Alpes is a land of unparalleled adventure. The legendary spots of La Grave, Vallouise and Queyras have already been the subject of in-depth articles and photo reports in previous issues.

Always as meticulous in its layout as it is precise in its stories, the magazine confirms its status as anelegant UFO of outdoor journalism: neither too technical nor too contemplative, just the right amount of authenticity to make you want to go up there and see.

The Dévoluy has never seemed so close, or so inspiring.

In the Hautes-Alpes, we have a theory: the cold doesn’t sting when music warms the mood. That’s why we’ve got into the habit of slipping in a few events in the heart of winter that shake up the senses and get you in the mood.

Vars on stage

December 13, in Varswe’re swapping the slopes for an open-air stage. The snow front becomes a musical forecourt where Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals kick off the winter season. No superfluous staging: just the mountains, the guitars, and you, close to the artists, at the foot of the slopes. A free concert with that rare taste of a suspended moment.

Altitude Jazz Festival

In the Briançonnaisjazz has no assigned seat. It moves from an intimate auditorium to a Vauban fort, then back down to the snow front. The Altitude Jazz Festival is a program that adapts to the region rather than the other way around. All winter long, we follow the musicians from one venue to another, discovering new artists, and we always end up saying to ourselves: “I’ve never seen this corner like this before.”

Dévoluy Mix Festival

On April 4 and 5, 2026, when many are already putting away their skis, Dévoluy chooses to do just the opposite: turn the decks back on. The Dévoluy Mix Festival lined up two days of electro in a snow-covered setting, with one set after another as if to say that the season hasn’t said its last word. Dancing, laughing, enjoying the last of the winter light. A real finale, with no fuss, just the desire to prolong the pleasure a little longer.

Between two bends and a glass of mulled wine, a new ritual has taken hold in Serre Chevalier and Montgenèvre : the sugar break!

We’re not talking about the canteen bag, no, the real thing, the raw, artisanal stuff. Two cabins, two atmospheres: Myrtille and Monty. Two spots where you can swap the bland energy bar for a homemade honey lollipop. The concept? Heat, dip and lick. Simple, instinctive and terribly addictive.

À Serre Chevalierthe Cabane Myrtille offers a gentle, sporty atmosphere, with workshops, snow games and axe-throwing for the most hardy of gourmets. A hut that warms bodies with sunshine from the Alps and PCR, the famous Pomme, Cannelle, Rhum…

À Montgenèvrethe Cabane Monty is a trapper’s paradise, complete with logs, toasted marshmallows, local digestifs and good humor. Between the two stations, the philosophy remains the same: unplug, have a laugh, and enjoy a sweet treat. The mountains recapture their childhood taste of warm sugar and cheeks reddened by the cold.

In the Hautes-Alpes, we’ve noticed something: winter always goes better when you’ve got something warm on your plate and in your belly. There’s no need to invent complicated recipes, the most important thing is that it stays in the body and smells good.

Here’s a selection of local (or adopted) dishes that make cold evenings much more bearable.

Bear’s garlic raclette

No matter how much we try to vary it, raclette always comes back to the table. Perhaps because it transforms any meal into a convivial moment, perhaps because melting cheese remains a deeply satisfying act. In the Hautes-Alpes, we make it with 100% local cheese, potatoes that have seen the mountains up close and charcuterie with character. Simple, effective, indisputable.

Fondue au fontu

Fondue is like a winter campfire: people gather around, share and negotiate the last piece of bread. In the Hautes-Alpes, it often takes on a local accent, depending on the cheese and wine used. One bite, and all is well: fields days and the biting cold… all disappear in a cloud of cheesy warmth.

Donkey ear gratin

Despite its name, no ear has ever been mistreated in history: this gratin is actually a dish of fresh pasta (a bit like lasagne), layered with spinach and a good layer of cream. It’s served golden, melt-in-your-mouth, and always surprising for those who discover it. We adopt it!

Tourtons du Champsaur

These little stuffed doughnuts come straight from Champsaur, and have the rare talent of being delicious at any time: as an aperitif, as a main course, as a dessert… The sweet versions (apple, prune, raspberry, chocolate…) keep your spirits up, while the savory ones (potato, cheese, spinach…) keep you warm. They’re one of the tastiest traditions in the Hautes-Alpes.

The Hautes-Alpes region offers a wealth of woolly expertise: historic spinning mills, small family-run businesses, mountain breeding farms, friendly boutiques and workshops where knitwear is shared.

If you knit or if you’re just curious, set off to meet the “wool beasts” and the people who bring this material to life, and you could come back with a ball – and a story – to boot.

The most emblematic local spinning mill is Laines du Valgaudemar, based in Saint-Firmin.

It has revived an ancient know-how: sorting, carding, spinning and retailing of “Hautes-Alpes naturellement” yarns , with a store and tours of the machines and processing stages.

Whether it’s a family tradition or a new lifestyle choice, breeders in the Hautes-Alpes are passionate about producing and selling wool from their herds.

This is the case of Ferme Flouka in Dévoluy, which offers Merino wool from its own breeding farm, washed and sold in bulk, in skeins or transformed into handcrafted creations.