St. Jean-de-Maurienne and Briançon

St. Jean-de-Maurienne

I stayed that the Hotel Saint Georges in St. Jean-de-Maurienne.  Both the hotel and the town are a definite improvement over Moûtiers.  I would definitely stay here again.  The rooms are nice, the breakfast is good, and there is a dedicated garage for bicycles.

St. Jean-de-Maurienne was part of the Duchy of Savoy, which had been a French-speaking province under the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Sardinia-PiedmontThe duchy did not permanently became part of France in 1859.

Briançon

Briançon is the highest city in the European Union at 1326 meters (4350 feet).  No, it is not as high as Denver, but we are much farther north, so it has an equivalent climate.  Briançon dates back to the Romans, when it was known as Brigantium.

Situated only 20 kilometers from Italy, Briançon had strategic value.  The historical center of the city is a strongly fortified town, built by Vauban to defend the region from Austrians in the 17th century.  The streets Vielle Ville (Old Twon) are very steep and narrow but  picturesque. Briançon lies at the foot of the descent from the Col de Montgenèvre, giving access to Turin, so a great number of other fortifications have been constructed on the heights around it, especially towards the east.