With one foot in the Alps but with its eyes on Provence, the town of Gap delivers on all fronts, from nature to culture.
From its vantage point in the Alps, Gap looks out over Provence which looms on the horizon. The surrounding natural environment lends considerable charm to the town, where local products are grown, and sports and traditional trades are plied. Gap's ancient history can also be seen in its various museums and monuments.
To enjoy the view in Gap, there's no need to go hiking in the mountains! The town itself offers great walks around its fountains. On your travels, you can retrace the history of Gap, from Gallo-Roman times up to the time of Napoleon Bonaparte, when he stayed at the Auberge Marchand. There are also numerous churches and chapels to visit, not to mention the Cathedral of Notre-Dame-et-Saint-Arnoux, built in the neo-Gothic style and a listed historic building. Situated on Gap's oldest main road, the Town Hall is another distinctive building, mainly because of its frontage and remarkable interior staircase. When it comes to culture, several museums, such as the Musée départemental des Hautes-Alpes, the Grange Eymery or the Muséoscope du Lac, show off the different aspects of local heritage, including traditional trades and agriculture, art and crafts, and even industry.
Nature surrounds the town! Between the Durance river, the Dévoluy massif and Lake Serre-Ponçon, Gap is surrounded on all sides by natural treasures. To the north-east in particular, Écrins National Park boasts fantastic wildlife and plant life, with an array of peaks, glaciers and mountain streams. It therefore comes as no surprise that the Gap region regularly plays host to sporting events, such as stages of the Tour de France or the Monte Carlo Rally. In the same vein, Gap has a range of sporting facilities: stadia, gyms, swimming pools, tennis courts and even a skating rink... It's up to you how to keep in shape! A range of leisure activities, such as horse-drawn carriage rides and treasure hunts, are also on offer in the town.
In the local north wind, an offshoot of the mistral, Gap's climate is just like its unique location. While its hot and dry summers are reminiscent of the south of France, its cold winters are typical of mountainous regions. As for transport, the town is served by a number of motorways as well as airports a bit further afield in Grenoble, Marseille, Nice and Lyon. The town can also be reached by train, either by the Corail or TER service, arriving at nearby towns, or the daily high-speed train from Paris. You can get around town using the nine free bus routes, as well by taxi and cycling along cycle paths.
