Briançon calls itself the highest city in France, and at around 1,326 metres, it has a good case. It sits in the upper Durance valley in the Hautes-Alpes, where several rivers and several passes meet, and for centuries that made it both a trading post and a fortress. Roads climb from here to the Col du Galibier and the Lautaret in one direction, to the Col d'Izoard and the Queyras in another, and to Montgenèvre and Italy in a third. A rider arrives from any of them in much the same mood: pleased to be somewhere with a restaurant.
The old town, the Cité Vauban, sits on a hill above the modern town, enclosed by walls and ramparts. Louis XIV's great military engineer, Vauban, redesigned the defences in the late seventeenth century, and the result, with its forts, bastions and gates, is now on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The steep cobbled main street, the Grande Gargouille, has a stream running down the middle in a stone channel, and shops, bakeries and small restaurants line the sides. It is a pleasure to walk, though cobbles and riding boots are not natural friends.
The riding around Briançon is some of the best in the Alps. The road up toward the Lautaret and Galibier follows the Guisane valley in a long, steady climb, with larch forest, snow peaks and the dramatic scenery that cyclists crowd to see each summer in the Tour de France. The mountain passes here open in late spring or early summer, and the high ones close in winter, so check conditions before planning an early or late-season ride. Mornings are often clear, with cloud building in the afternoon and occasional thunderstorms.
As a stop, Briançon is excellent. With over eleven thousand inhabitants, it has fuel stations, supermarkets, bike shops, banks, hotels and plenty of cafes, and it is a natural place to refill both tank and stomach. Try the local cheeses and a tourte, or a hearty plate of gratin dauphinois, and drink a coffee on a sunny terrace. The air is clean and dry, and the sun is strong, which is why the town has long had a reputation as a place for health cures and recuperation.