Serres: History, Views and Trails

Serres lies in the Buëch Valley and in the Parc naturel régional des Baronnies provençales. The medieval village sits on the Pignolette rock and overlooks the valley. If you’re looking for a hotel in Serres, you can shape your trip around a range of interests: historic buildings and museums, a circular hike with valley views, or the Lacs de la Germanette leisure area. These places and activities offer different starting points for planning your stay.

Landscape and views around Serres

The Buëch Valley defines the setting of the medieval village. The Table d’orientation de Serres offers an overview of the panorama and surrounding peaks. It is located on the heights next to the Chapelle Bonsecours. If you’d rather experience the landscape on a hike, the Sentier des Moines is a 6-kilometre circular route that starts in Serres and offers views across the entire Buëch Valley. As trail conditions can change, it is advisable to check them before setting out.

The hike and the viewpoint offer two different ways to experience the surroundings: the Sentier des Moines is a circular route of a stated length, while the Table d’orientation looks out over the panorama and peaks. In the village itself, vaulted passageways known as “soustets” bear witness to its rich historical heritage. They are part of the village landscape; no connection between these passageways and the hiking trail is specified.

Historic buildings and museums

The Méridienne de Serres is an 1882 sundial on the south-facing facade of the primary school. It is considered the only known sundial of its kind in the Hautes-Alpes and was listed as a historic monument in 1996. At the Église paroissiale de Saint-Arey, you’ll find Provençal Romanesque style. Its origins are traced back to the 7th or 9th century.

Another Renaissance building is the restored Maison du Connétable Lesdiguières. Its facade is decorated with polychrome plasterwork. The building can be visited independently, free of charge, every day throughout the year. As access information may change, it is advisable to check before your visit.

The Musée auto-moto l’Estanco displays a collection on the history of transport, historic tools and objects from both World Wars. Individual guided tours are available by prior request. If you’d like to include a guided tour in your plans, please enquire in advance.

Hiking, swimming and water sports

The Lacs de la Germanette is a 15-hectare leisure area near Serres. It has a supervised swimming area and, separate from it, a water sports area. Pedal boats, stand-up paddleboards and canoes are available to hire there. Seasonal availability of activities may change; if needed, check the current offer before your visit. This lets you choose between a hike, a museum visit or activities on the water according to your interests, without treating these different options as equivalent.

Art and regional products

Hang’Art has several permanent exhibition and sales spaces for artists, craftspeople and producers. Visitors can sample coffee roasted in the Hautes-Alpes and buy regional products there. If you’d like to plan a specific tasting or find particular products, it’s best to enquire about the current offer in advance.

When looking for a hotel in Serres, you can first consider which of these themes you’d like to shape your stay: the medieval village and its buildings, views of the Buëch Valley, a hike or the leisure area.

Discover more destinations: Vallouise, Château-Ville-Vieille, La Salle Les Alpes, Ancelle, Savines-Le-Lac, Le Sauze-Du-Lac, Tallard, Les Orres

For the broader travel guide: Hautes-Alpes.