Briancon ski resort is the French Alps, located in the Hautes Alpes department, in the Provence Alpes Cote d'Azur region. It sits at an altitude of about 1,326 meters and is known for its fortified old town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The town is also famous for its historical architecture and vibrant cultural scene.
Briancon ski resort - Serre Chevalier ski area
Briançon ski resort is part of the Serre Chevalier ski area, which is one of the largest in the Southern Alps. The area boasts 250 km of varied pistes across four sectors: Chantemerle, Villeneuve, Le Monêtier-les-Bains, and Briançon. The high altitude, ranging from 1,200 to 2,800 meters, ensures reliable snow conditions. The Serre Chevalier ski area is perfect for intermediate skiers with a range of cruisy blues and reds. The resort is particularly known for its long, wide runs and beautiful tree-lined slopes.
Briancon’s ski area is reached by the Prorel cable car, which is the newest cable car in Serre Chevalier and reasonably efficient. The climb from 1,200m to 2,360m takes around 20 minutes meaning most people skiing in Serre Chevalier who are not staying in Briançon will not bother skiing all of the way down to the base station and instead join the cable car at the Plateau de Pralong mid-station (1,600m).
Briançon is conveniently located near both Montgenèvre and La Grave, making it an excellent base for exploring the surrounding ski areas. Montgenèvre is about 49 kilometers away and can be reached by bus or car. La Grave is also within a reasonable distance, offering a variety of off-piste skiing opportunities. Most Serre Chevalier ski passes also cover a day in the nearby snowsure glacier resort of Les Deux Alpes so there is some back-up even in a poor season.
Briancon skiing
For those looking to learn how to ski, or for beginner skiers, Briancon ski resort offers two easy ski areas which sit on the same side of the mountain as Briancon itself. Therefore, beginners can take Prorel 1 and Prorel 2 gondola lifts up to “Prorel” – an area designed for easy skiing. Here there are two green runs and also a “Fun Cross” ski area near the summit of Col Du Prorel. The two gondola lifts also take skiers back down the mountain to Briancon, which avoid any slightly trickier blue and red runs that wind through the trees back to the town.
Briancon resort connected to wider Serre Chevalier ski resort, and there are plenty of larger beginner ski areas on the other side of Col Du Porel – easily reached via pistes and ski lifts from Briancon.
The more confident skier staying in Briancon can take the Myrtilles blue piste from the summit of Col Du Porel – marked on the Briancon piste map - which heads down to the Serre Chevalier side of the ski resort. This ends at the “3 Croix” – a central marker in the Serre Chevalier Vallée Briançon Ski Resort. From here there is an excellent selection of blue and red pistes and ski lifts which venture off in different directions around the mountains.
Alongside plenty of green and blue runs to practice your turns on, the challenging ‘Vauban’ red run brings confident skiers from higher altitudes all the way back into town. In the evening the Vauban red run from the Prorel gondola in Briançon is floodlit until 10.30 pm.
Alongside plenty of green and blue runs to practice your turns on, the challenging ‘Vauban’ red run brings confident skiers from higher altitudes all the way back into town. In the evening the Vauban red run from the Prorel gondola in Briançon is floodlit until 10.30 pm.
Briançon’s wide-open sheer red runs are excellent for advanced skiers as they are long, broad and generally very quiet. Advanced skiers can, therefore, really test themselves away from the crowds on the 3 km long reds ‘Rempants’, ‘Charonde’ and ‘Grand Gargouille’ with spectacular views of the historic town unfolding directly beneath them.
For those looking for a challenge, the Luc Alphand black run, named after the famous French skier and local hero, is a must. The Luc Alphand run was the site of four women’s Alpine Skiing world cup events: a downhill in 1991, a slalom in 1996, a giant and a slalom in 1999, very popular run, it’s best skied in the morning. This challenging slope takes you from the top of the mountain down to Chantemerle village. The black piste on the Casse du Boeuf which leads down to Villeneuve, or the "Olympique" to Chantemerle.
Vallée Briançon has christened one of their black pistes (from the top of the Prorel towards the Chantemerle sector) after local ski racer Arthur Bauchet, one of the most successful in ski racing history.
Advanced skiers should head to L’Eychauda summit, which is one of the highest points in the Serre Chevalier Vallée area.
Vallée Briançon has christened one of their black pistes (from the top of the Prorel towards the Chantemerle sector) after local ski racer Arthur Bauchet, one of the most successful in ski racing history.
Advanced skiers should head to L’Eychauda summit, which is one of the highest points in the Serre Chevalier Vallée area.
Serre Chevalier has the SnowPark which is located under the Foret chair above Villeneuve. The park is approximately 700 metres long with lines for beginners, intermediates and advanced. It has 30 different obstacles including boxes, rails, table tops, hips and a wall ride. A dedicated draglift has recently been installed and there are snow making machines so the park can stay open longer. A 100m boardercross is between the Grand Serre and Combes lifts above Chantemerle. Access: Forêt, Combes, Grand Serre, Côte Chevalier chairlifts and Alpage ski lift.
Serre Chevalier off-piste
The ski area provides some fantastic opportunities for free riding as the whole area is essentially one huge snow park - there are plenty of tight, tree lined runs, ravines and long steeps slopes for you to really push your skills to the limit.
Monetier is home to Serre Chevalier’s Arva Park that is situated by the blue run ‘Eychauda’. The park has Arva signals buried within it that are designed to simulate searching for victims in an avalanche. This park is a great way to ensure visitors know how to use their Arvas. There are also six Arva checkpoints situated throughout the valley that will enable skiers to check there arvas are working correctly. These points are clearly marked on the piste map.
Briancon village
Briançon, with its nearly 11’000 inhabitants, is the highest town in France.
Briançon is known for its medieval fortifications, which were built to protect important trade routes between France, Italy, and Austria. The town's citadel, designed by the famous military engineer Vauban, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can explore historical monuments like the Collegiate Church of Notre-Dame, the Church of the Cordeliers, and colorful old houses.