La Motte-En-Champsaur

La Motte-en-Champsaur lies in the Séveraissette Valley. The valley stretches from the Champsaur bocage to the high mountains, where Vieux Chaillol reaches 3,163 metres. If you are looking for a hotel in La Motte-en-Champsaur, signposted trails, mountain scenery, and historic sites can help you choose a destination that suits your travel plans.

Valley, protected area, and landscape

Almost one third of the municipality of La Motte-en-Champsaur lies within the core zone of Écrins National Park. The areas of this core zone within the municipality are entirely on state-owned land.

Alongside the high mountains, the landscape is shaped by deep, wooded gorges and a dry, sunny slope (adret), as well as crystalline and sedimentary rocks. The two types of rock add a geological aspect to the landscape.

Compare hiking trails and routes

Signposted hiking trails lead through the wild valleys of La Motte-en-Champsaur; Molines-en-Champsaur is the starting point for numerous hikes. A separate signposted route is reserved for mountain biking and horse riding. When planning, you can first choose according to your preferred activity.

The difficult circular hike to Col de Font Froide from La Motte-en-Champsaur is 15.3 kilometres long. It takes eight hours and has an elevation gain of 1,313 metres. The trail passes over the Font Froide rock glacier into a high-mountain landscape.

The Chemin du Roy offers a marked contrast: this very easy circular walk from La Motte-en-Champsaur is 7.2 kilometres long, takes 2 hours 30 minutes, and has an elevation gain of 168 metres. It follows a mountain stream through the valley to the ruins of the hamlet of Roy and is suitable for families. Peyron Roux is rated as a moderate hike, measuring 5.4 kilometres, taking 2 hours 30 minutes, and with an elevation gain of 380 metres. It is shorter than the Chemin du Roy, but has a different difficulty rating and a greater elevation gain.

For planning purposes, the duration ranges from two and a half hours for the Chemin du Roy and Peyron Roux to eight hours for the circular hike to Col de Font Froide. The difficulty ratings also range from very easy to moderate to difficult.

Another named section of trail is La source des Fontettes, which follows the Torrent des Pins through a high-mountain landscape.

Local history and architecture

Château Barthélémy consists of two adjoining parts: a château section dating to 1590 and a farm section from the early 19th century. The property is described as a notary's residence; it was probably converted into a farm during the French Revolution.

The communal bread oven in Molines probably dates from the 18th or early 19th century and was used for communal bread baking. The abandoned hamlets of Sellon, Londonnière, Boyers, and Roy are also part of the history of the Séveraissette Valley: they bear witness to its former settlement.

Discover more destinations: Veynes, Rosans, Chorges, La Bâtie-Neuve, Tallard, Baratier, Villar-D'arêne, Eygliers.

For the broader travel overview: Hautes-Alpes.