Discover Poligny

Poligny brings together churches and pilgrimage history with clearings, viewpoints and mountain trails. For planning your trip, you can distinguish between these highlights: the Church of Saint-Martin de Tours is in the village centre, while the Veyre de Saint-Etienne and the trails at the mountain passes offer other points of interest. If you’re looking for a hotel in Poligny, you can first consider whether cultural history or the landscape and hiking should shape your stay.

Churches and history in Poligny

The Church of Saint-Martin de Tours is in the centre of the village, on a rise beside the village square. Its nave and side aisles have barrel vaults. A barrel vault is a curved ceiling that runs lengthwise; at Saint-Martin, this form defines both the main space and the side aisles. The church may have been rebuilt in 1611.

The Chapelle Saint-Etienne is also part of the area’s pilgrimage history: its site has been a place of pilgrimage since the Middle Ages. The Chapelle Sainte-Anne is in the centre of the hamlet of Villeneuve. Together, the three places offer different cultural points of interest—from the architecture of the village church and the long pilgrimage tradition to the chapel in the hamlet.

Clearing and mountain views

The Veyre de Saint-Etienne is a clearing surrounded by a mountain basin. From there, the view extends to the Col du Noyer and across the entire Champsaur Valley. The clearing, mountain basin and viewpoint are all part of the same setting: the Veyre offers a landscape highlight distinct from the churches in the village centre. If you choose Poligny for its surroundings, this spot offers specific reference points for the landscape between the valley and the pass.

Trails, viewpoints and practical information

From Col de Saume, the Croix de Tournel can be reached on a 30-minute round trip. The viewpoint offers an exceptional view of the Champsaur Valley and the Ecrins Massif beyond the Drac. The time given applies to this round trip and cannot be applied to other hikes. Another route description concerns the GR93: it runs from Dévoluy in a north–south direction, near the Col du Noyer, to the Col de Saume at an elevation of 1,703 metres.

The Cabane de Prè-Lachaup, also known as the Cabane des pierres, stands at the edge of the Poligny forest, on the boundary with the Noyer forest. It is open to everyone and provides shelter during thunderstorms. After a hike on the descent from the Col de Chétive along the nearby GR93, you can take shelter or warm up there. For the climb to the Col du Noyer, also note the type of road: the paved road is shared with cars and is not a cycle path.

Local produce and the focus of your trip

The terroir shapes the village’s identity, and local producers offer regional specialities. If you would like to include these products in your trip planning, check their availability locally before your trip. This way, you can first decide what particularly interests you locally, then find a hotel for your trip.

Discover more destinations: Crévoux, Le Poët, Saint-Apollinaire, Les Infournas, Saint-Crépin, Crots, Jarjayes, Savines-Le-Lac.

For the broader travel overview: Hautes-Alpes.