Cité Vauban Dauphiné

Surrounded by mighty starburst-shaped ramparts, Briançon’s hilltop old town looks much as it did centuries ago, its winding cobbled lanes lined with Italianate, pastel-painted townhouses. The steep main street, the Grande Rue – also known as the Grande Gargouille (Great Gargoyle) because of its gushing rivulet – was laid out in 1345. You can walk all the way around the interior of Vauban's upper ramparts, enjoying spectacular views, by following the streets marked as the chemin de Ronde.