Hautes-Alpes

A 2-day hike, kilometers of trails through mountains turning autumn colors, friends to party with, local cheese…
For the^second year in a row, the Hautes-Alpes region, in partnership with Mad Jacques, provides the backdrop.
The 2026 edition is sold out. But don’t panic! La Mad Jacques returns in 2027 to the Champsaur Valgaudemar.

The Chazelaine company, based in the town of La Grave, will introduce you to its products made from the treasures provided by its sheep. Making a snow globe out of sheep’s wool is sure to delight the children.

Le Dévoluywill showcase its local products.

Champsaur, Dévoluy, Orcières-Merlette 1850, Le Queyras, Serre Chevalier, Puy Saint Vincent, Sisteron, the Alpes Provençales, and Réallon, in partnership with the Development Agency, will once again be participating in Europe’s largest mountain biking event (100,000 visitors over five days).

Each region, in partnership with bike parks and event organizers, will promote the opportunities for adventure that the Hautes-Alpes have to offer.

In addition, 36 athletes from the Hautes-Alpes will represent the Hautes-Alpes team in various races.

Le Dévoluy, Puy Saint Vincent, Vars La Forêt Blanche, the Pays des Écrins, Pra Loup, and Val d’Allos—along with the 4-star hotels La Caserne in Briançon and La Robéyère in Embrun—Alpes Idées Séjours shares a booth with CSE elected officials.

This allows them to interact directly with the people who design, host, and bring these trips to life. Since 2018, the Collectif Alpes du Sud has been conducting in-depth work with the CSEs. With this latest edition of Eluceo, the region will have participated in more than forty CSE meetings over the past nine years.

Before the big day, there’s a buzz of activity everywhere! This year, there’s something brand-new at the lake: a village featuring equipment vendors, local products, and entertainment is being set up to welcome participants and their families. On the surrounding slopes and ridges, course markers are hard at work, and aid stations are being set up.

Word on the street is that they even have some little treats to whip up on the spot, much to our delight.The welcome is warm, and the great food is evident at the aid stations, which offer well-chosen and generous portions; the volunteers’ enthusiasm gives you a much-needed boost when your legs start to feel the strain.

The course markings are precise, the scenery is breathtaking, it’s a night race, and the thrills are tenfold.

In the village, there’s music, concerts, and family-friendly activities. Everything you need for a great time enjoying sports—and for those tagging along.

I’m signing up again for next year!

Today, it has also become an event showcasing crafts and local and regional products. In the afternoon, there will be a guided tour of the village led by the Friends of Lagrand’s Heritage, along with a trip back in time featuring bread baked in the village’s communal oven.

The Lagrand Turkey Fair marks the start of the fall fair and market season in the Hautes-Alpes. It’s the perfect way to immerse yourself in this new season as it unfolds before us, with its unique colors, scents, and crispness.

A Balance at High Altitudes in the Face of Climate Challenges

In the mountains, water seems to be everywhere, flowing from the Écrins glaciers down to the Drac River. Yet in the Hautes-Alpes, this shared resource faces growing vulnerability. Between winters with less snow and summers marked by drought, water is becoming, more than ever, a scarce and coveted resource.

To raise awareness among residents, visitors, and professionals, the Champsaur Valgaudemar Tourist Office has produced two original documentaries that help provide a better understanding of how water is used and shared throughout its region.

Multiple uses for a single resource: arboriculture, livestock farming, tourism, energy production, or simply household consumption—the valley lives in step with its users

These videos give a voice to local stakeholders to illustrate the vital importance of dialogue and collaboration. Sharing water is no longer just a matter of technology or regulations; it is a human endeavor that requires striking a delicate balance between economic activity, local life, and respect for the environment.

Regional Agility in Action

Given the fragility of this ecosystem, the Champsaur-Valgaudemar region exemplifies the adaptability demonstrated by the Hautes-Alpes: moderating consumption, modernizing irrigation systems, adapting agricultural practices, and collective environmental responsibility.

Preserving water at its source means preserving the valley’s future. These two projects remind us that, both individually and collectively, moderation and thoughtful sharing remain our best safeguards for ensuring that water continues to sustain our mountains.

In Sigoyer, Guillaume Yvetot (Le Chai Perché) seeks out the cool climate of vineyards located at altitudes of more than 1,000 meters to preserve the balance of his wines.

In Jarjayes, Éric Guiramand is contributing to this trend by planting pistachio trees—a diversification strategy designed to secure the future of his farm.

All of these initiatives demonstrate that the future of winegrowing in the Hautes-Alpes depends on preserving well-suited grape varieties, innovating in cultivation practices, and diversifying production in a thoughtful manner.

Between Trièves, Dévoluy, and Matheysine, the Tour de l’Obiou is a challenging 4-day hiking route certified as a GRP®. More than just a hike, this wild and diverse trail invites hikers to immerse themselves authentically in the heart of unspoiled nature, while placing respect for the environment at the top of its priorities.

• Pellafol → Bachilianne Chalet
• Chalet de Bachilianne → Tréminis
• Tréminis → Lachaup
• Lachaup → Pellafol

More than just a hike, it’s an immersion into the soul of the Hautes-Alpes—a 13-day trek that combines natural grandeur, mountain heritage, a quest for adventure, and some 194 km.

• Le Bourg d’Oisans → Col de Souchet
• La Grave → Le Monêtier-les-Bains
• Eychauda Pass → Pré de la Chaumette
• The Valgaudemar Crossing
• Valjouffrey → Lauvitel

Since 1922, the Tour de France has visited the Hautes-Alpes 91 times, making this Alpine region ” one of the most visited of the Grande Boucle “. The names of the legendary cols resonate like an echo: Izoard, Granon, Galibier…

In 2026, the Tour returns to the Hautes-Alpes with a first high-Alpine stage on July 23 between Voiron and Orcières-Merlette (185.5 km), a second stage on July 24 between Gap and Alpe d’Huez, via the Col du Noyer, and on July 25 with a “crazy” finale between Le Bourg d’Oisans and Alpe d’Huez (171.5 km) via the Col du Galibier, the “Roof of the Tour” for 2026, and the Col du Lautaret, the day before the finish on the Champs-Élysées.

The Women’s Tour de France will also be part of the festivities, with one stage in the Sisteronais-Buëch region.

Find all the information about the 2026 Tour de France ‘s route through the Hautes-Alpes here:

At the heart of this alliance, the Hautes-Alpes set the stage for more than twenty freestyle skiing and snowboarding competitions. The venue is Serre Chevalierthe largest resort in the Southern Alps, and in Montgenèvrethe doyenne of French resorts, where riders will take to the skies, their trajectories intersecting against a backdrop of majestic peaks.

Briançonthe citadel of stone, will be the vibrant epicenter. Its Fort des Têtes, aUNESCO World Heritage Site, will be transformed into an Olympic village: a crossroads of cultures, a logistical hub, a forge of energy.

Beyond the spotlight the Games have shone on the Hautes-Alpes, the legacy is immense. They will leave the Hautes-Alpes with tangible improvements, including smoother access and a reimagined transportation system, particularly by rail. The Olympic spirit will not merely pass through the mountains—it will take root there, making the Hautes-Alpes not just a stage, but the center of the world.