Briançon sits at a height of more than thirteen hundred metres, which makes it the highest city in France, and it has the defences to match. The old town on its hilltop is ringed by walls built to the plans of Vauban, Louis XIV's military engineer, in the decades after 1700, and together with a fort across the valley they make a showpiece of the works that UNESCO listed in 2008. The walls are still intact, the gates still work, and from the ramparts the view over the meeting of valleys is spectacular.
The old town is steep, and the main street, the Grande Gargouille, has a stream of water that runs down its centre in a stone channel. Narrow lanes lead off it to small squares, workshops and cafes. The town has always been a gateway between France and Italy, and a place where armies were stopped, and the fortifications reflect that.
Briançon is a motorbike town. The great Alpine passes radiate from it: the Col du Lautaret to the west, with its views of the Meije and the Écrins glaciers; the Col du Montgenèvre to Italy, at around eighteen hundred and fifty metres; and the Col d'Izoard, with its lunar landscape, to the south. All are famous, all are open only in summer, and snow can close them from late autumn until well into spring, so check conditions before planning a route. The roads are well surfaced, with long climbs and a lot of hairpins, and in July and August they are shared with a large number of cyclists, caravans and other motorcyclists.
With nearly twelve thousand inhabitants, Briançon has everything a rider needs: fuel, repair shops, hotels and restaurants. Villar-Saint-Pancrace, just next door, is smaller but has a few cafes. Try tourte, a pie of local cheese and potato, or the local cheeses. The old town parking is limited and the streets are steep, so leave the bike at the foot of the hill and walk up.
The best months are June to September, when the passes are clear, the air is fresh and the days are long. Afternoon storms can build quickly over the high ground in summer, so start early.